September 1998 melted away and October took its place. I did my best to keep my emotions in check and told myself that the holidays were coming and I would hear from my daughter any day. I thought for sure that the break from family she seemed to need would only last for a few weeks. How wrong I was.

After reading the second chapter of Haggai, I began to notice the world around me more than I had before. First, an old friend from church called to tell me about a Bible study she was involved in. "Come and see!" she said. "You'll love it." 

I had nothing to lose and everything to gain since I had not been to church in more than a year. I needed spiritual healing badly and decided to attend at least one of the studies. If I liked it, I would continue. If not, I would just bow out. But I not only liked the study, I loved it. The Pastor of the church was leading it, and he had a lot to say about the life of Jesus and how important it was to accept Him as Lord and Savior. I thought about the "coincidence" that my daughter would call on September 24 and that I would come across mention of the date in that Old Testament book. As the days passed, I realized there is no such thing as a coincidence. But there ARE "God-incidents." 

Thanksgiving came and went without any word from my daughter. I thought surely I would hear from soon because her birthday is in early December, but the call I desperately hoped for did not come. 

As we moved deeper into the Christmas season, I continued to attend the church's Bible study and attended services on Sunday mornings. Outreach to the needy was one of the church's holiday missions, and that year was no exception. An artificial tree went up in the reception area, and index cards bearing the first names of needy people and what they hoped for for Christmas were placed on each branch. 

I wanted to help out, so I picked one of the cards off the tree and read, "Marie would like a sweet treat for Christmas." I didn't have to think hard about what I would buy for Marie. I'm a keeper of tradition, and I had always bought my daughter a Lifesaver Storybook to put inside her Christmas stocking. This would be an easy purchase and would cost next to nothing.

The following night after work, I stopped at a CVS store to buy the Lifesaver Storybook. The candy aisle was filled with all kinds of Christmas candy—candy canes, fancy chocolates, Peach Buds and all the rest—but where were the Lifesaver Storybooks? I went up and down that aisle three times looking for them and checking each shelf, but there wasn't one in sight. Then, I wondered if maybe they had been placed near the front of the store. On the way, I re-checked each shelf but, once again, came up empty. 

Sure enough, at the front of the store there was a special Christmas candy display. My spirits soared to think I would find what I was looking for. By then, I was tired from a long day of work and wanted to go home. Imagine my disappointment when I found every kind of candy on that display but Lifesaver Storybooks. Well, I thought, okay . . . I'll buy another kind of sweet treat. But I'll check one last time. 

I went to my knees to look at the bottom shelf, and what did I see at the very back but one lonely Lifesaver Storybook. God knew how much I wanted that candy, and He came through for me just in time.

I could have given up and gone on my Merry Christmas way, but I didn't. In hindsight, I think God was testing me to see if I would give up. He might have wanted to see the depth of my patience and faith that He would provide something as insignificant as a Lifesaver Storybook.

This was the beginning of many God-incidents I would experience. Even now, 25 years later, they continue to come in unexpected and, in some cases, magnificent ways.