"Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous." – Albert Einstein

On Sunday night, I was coming back from a long day and made plans to meet an old friend.

I showed up early to our meeting place, so I was prepared to spend my waiting time writing a blog post. But I don't know what to write about, I thought. Besides, I was beginning to have doubts about whether it was really worth my efforts – what if I wrote something that didn't mean anything to anyone?

I initially wanted to meet my friend at a dessert shop, but right before I walked in, I saw a boba shop next door. In my heart, I asked God, "Lord, should we meet at the boba shop instead?" (Yes, I do have conversations with God like this!) and the thought came to me that the boba shop would be better since it had more drink options.

When I walked in, I spotted another friend of mine that I had not seen in almost six years! It was such a pleasant surprise! She was already getting ready to leave the boba shop, but before she left, she shared with me the most amazing thing:

Just a couple of weeks ago, she was going through a really difficult time at work and found it hard to find the motivation to keep going.

While driving back home from work, she had many thoughts on her mind, but one thing she thought of was the story that I had written (link here) three weeks ago, about how God led me to reach out to a stranger in her car who happened to be going through a hard time.

She eventually thought to herself, "Imagine if I could see Jasmine right now…it would be nice to have a conversation and just talk, much like the conversation she had with the woman in the car…but that would never happen! I haven't seen Jasmine in 6 years and I don't even know where she lives right now!"

She then drove all the way home without thinking anymore about it.

Who would've known that just a few weeks later, we would see each other at the right place and right time?

Before my friend left, I told her that I had been feeling discouraged too, because I didn't know if my writings impacted others the way I wished they did. But hearing her share this with me was one of the most beautiful, unexpected affirmations I had ever received. I felt like crying because I felt God's love all over me: it was so clear that God knew my heart and already planned for us to meet. Without knowing it, my friend communicated God's love towards me in a personal, powerful way.

At the same time, I was also able to comfort my friend who was going through tremendous challenges at her workplace. Even though she is not religious, we prayed together and I could see a weight lifted off her shoulders! I assured her this meeting was no accident: God saw her heart and wanted her to know that He cares for her as much as He does for me.

This was all unplanned, but I can almost see God smiling in heaven because He knew we both needed this! Thank you, Jesus – you never cease to surprise me!

God knows the secrets of the heart. – Psalm 44:21

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." – 1 Peter 5:7