Have you ever experienced and taken time to notice in your life something that could be coined the “Snowball Effect?” (I borrowed that from my editor as I was sharing some of the stories below with her.)
By this, I mean God can use events and circumstances in our life to affect another person and their life. One small encounter in our life can be viewed as a small snowball. As that event affects another, creating that snowball effect, the snowball continues to increase in size and affects even more things.
Photo credit by 19melissa68 under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 2.0)
For me, especially more recently, it seems I am more aware of it happening in my life. I am always so in awe of it and truly blessed to see how the Lord uses each and every one of us through such simple, ordinary ways to have a ripple effect. It makes me aware of God’s presence and Him working in my life and those around me.
Recently I had plans to visit a friend whose husband died a few months ago. We had a time arranged but at the last minute, I had a message from the friend saying to come an hour later as she was asked to be in a photo shoot for the place where she lives.
That simple little hour change in my plans then afforded me the chance to run to the dentist as I’ve been having some teeth issues. As I was driving to the dentist, I noticed, by the license plate, that a friend of mine was in front of me. I tried flashing my lights to get her attention but to no avail. Seeing her car made me think about saying a prayer or two for her as we haven’t seen each other or talked much in a few weeks.
After going to the dentist, I had a few minutes to run to the store, and felt inspired to pick up a few bouquets of flowers; one to leave for the friend whose car I had seen and the other for the lady I was going to visit though I wasn’t sure she really liked flowers. I thought it was quite a “God incident” that the lady I was visiting happened to have the same beautiful pink color shirt on to match the color of the roses I brought her.
When I got to the store, I texted my friend whose car I had seen, and I shared that I was praying for her. I was really blessed and inspired when she wrote back, “Well, that explains it. As I was driving, I felt this peace come over me. I had a bad day yesterday and need prayer. I’ll call you later.” When we talked later, she asked me where it was that I saw her…when I told her where she said that was the moment she felt the peace come over her. That sure was a God-moment for me! To see first hand the power of prayer was such a blessing for me…and my friend.
When we talked that evening, my friend shared an experience that she is going through that I have been through too, so it was awesome to see how God brought us together.
That same day, I was debating whether to attend a Celebration of Life for a husband of a teacher my children all had. It was about a 1/2 hr away in a different city & state. I really felt I should be there but wasn’t sure if I wanted to travel that far in the dark and on the country roads. While driving and at a stop light, there was a dump truck in front of me and though I’ve never seen anything like it before, on the top, right corner of the truck bed was the name of the city and state where the funeral was. To me, it was like “confirmation” that indeed I was to attend.
At the celebration there were many, many people and the “snowball effect” happened again. I was waiting in line to get in the church, but I was in the “right” place at the right time to see a teacher that I helped out in her classroom the last two years. This past summer she moved away so it was a blessing to run into her…and in the service we ended up sitting near each other though that was unplanned as well.
Photo credit by Scripture As Art under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
As I sat at the Celebration of Life, all I could think was how powerful that ONE LIFE can be. This gentleman was a Godly man who was a basketball coach for 27 years and involved in Awana for 25 years at his church, among many other things. His life and Godly example touched so many people.
I think we ALL have that opportunity though maybe not in the “bigger” way that he did. WE have the power to touch and be a positive influence in EVERY life we come in contact with. Other people may not “see” the way we impact other’s lives, but God does and in the end, that is what matters. God sees all those little ways we try to brighten someone’s day, encourage another, pick up litter we see on the ground, send an email to someone we haven’t heard from in awhile, and the list goes on.
A few days later, I was taking my youngest son to his last outside fall baseball game. My teeth had still been hurting, actually even worse than when I went to the dentist the day mentioned above. To top it off, there were so many cars at this baseball field as there were football games going on too….there was no place to park! I drop my son off and try to find a parking spot way far away and hang out in my car (during his practice time) as it is a little chilly. I finally get a call from my son saying no one is there from his baseball team! Right as I was going to text the coach, the coach calls and says, “Oh, I just thought I bet I forgot to call you to tell you the game is cancelled.” Needless to say, I was not too happy especially as this isn’t the first time it happened.
On the way home, I decided to go to the store for some milk and bread. As I’m leaving there, out of the corner of my eye and through the boxes and aisles of food, I see a friend of mine who we get together weekly to talk about life and God. This is the first time our schedules and other commitments won’t allow us to meet for a month or more but we’ve been keeping in touch via emails.
The “snowball effect” again…if I hadn’t gone to the cancelled baseball game and stopped at the store, I wouldn’t have run into her. She had just gotten back in town from a weekend getaway. So, it blessed me to catch up quick with her and share about my teeth issue that was still so bad. Quite “God incident” my teeth did start to feel a little better after that encounter, as well as me asking another friend to pray for me on that same day.
Photo credit by Sapphire Dream Photography under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Maybe these “snowball effects” are to benefit you, or maybe the other person. You may never know how your interaction touched or blessed another. God is good, and it is so powerful to see how everything is connected. I can help you, you can help me, and together we can glorify the Lord in all we do and say. It is awesome to be open to see the Lord working in all of our circumstances.
I encourage you to look at events and circumstances in your life to see what “snowball effect” you see. Feel free to share them in the comments section below.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. –Romans 8:28 (NIV)
Snowball effect is so much like taking a one step to reach a thousand miles. Never underestimate the power of one simple act I say.
Yes, that is right, Lux! It truly is amazing how God blesses one simple act and multiplies it. Thanks for your support in faithfully reading, Lux! You are a blessing.
YES!! There are no coincidences and I am slowly learning to trust that God’s timing is in every situation, every event, and each person in our lives are there for a SPECIFIC purpose.
I was recently cleaning out my Mom’s house and took down 3 drawings that I had done for my college graduation art exhibition 25 yrs. ago. As I was looking at these pen and ink drawings, each one with a single girl in different landscapes, I realized that I was in a very lonely place when I drew these pictures.
One in particular, was a young girl leaning on a long country stone wall fence with a small gate in a large field (that looked like the hay field at the house where I grew up.) The girl is looking off into the distance and there is a feeling that she is searching. At the time, I was not aware that it was even me that I was drawing. But now I look back and know that what I was searching for was a relationship with my Lord Jesus. What this lonely girl was looking for was “right off the frame of the picture” and she would find it almost 11 yrs. later at age 33. Praise God that even when we don’t realize it He is there!
This story has so many “snowballs”. I thought about my childhood friend Reenie and how she has prayed daily for YEARS that I would come to the Lord. (unknowingly to me) And now her youngest daughter was graduating from Art School herself. She had always said that I inspired her to draw, and that in turn she always encouraged her daughter’s art, and her God-given talent to draw. So I knew then and there that this particular drawing was meant to be passed on….as her graduation gift and as a second generation of inspiration.
As I wrote the note and attached it to the drawing, I wrote this verse from John 10:9-10
“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came so that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Praise be to God!
Wow, Carol! What a powerful and inspiring story showing God’s abundant goodness. Thanks so much for sharing to help so many in their walk with the Lord! Continued love and prayers to you.