Providence at Work?  Two days ago in my part of Michigan, I awoke to a substantial amount of snow which needed to be removed before my wife could get out of our driveway.  I was fortunate in that when she moved in, along with her other things, she brought a Toro Power Lite Snow Blower.  So out I went eager to release the power of rotor blades on the massive pile of wet snow in our driveway.  I guessed about a quarter of the stuff had been deposited at the end of the drive by the snow plow that cleared our street.  Thank you very much.

I easily cleared everything up to the driveway’s edge.  But when I moved into the extra thick chunks moved there by the plow, I had to go at it in stages.  First I went up over the top of a section and then worked my way, going forward and back, down to pavement.

Finally I was able to clear away enough so my wife could make her escape and head off to work.  This is part of the fun and games during the winter months in Michigan.

I then went inside for breakfast, reporting to her I would finish the job after she had gone to work.  However, when I went back out I discovered the snow blower no longer was moving the snow.  I examined the underside and saw the rotor blades were no longer moving.  Even after leaving the machine off for awhile in the warm garage, the blades still didn’t turn.  Reading the manual led me to the conclusion a drive belt had broken so I took it in for repair.

What was quite interesting and amusing to me is the drive belt did not break until I had the hardest part of the job completed.  Some might say that is a coincidence.  People of faith, and I am one of them, would say it was providential.  I had the machine available during the hardest part of the job.  Others might simply grouse about the breakdown of the machine and fret over what they will do if the next snow comes before the machine is ready.  I have decided not to worry about that and just take it one day at at time.

Over the years, I have come to believe that even during times of difficulty, there is a powerful force which works in, through, and around my life.  This force I do not see as impersonal energy, but rather as a force with an attractive, beautiful personality and a plan for my individual life.   When I think about it, I am amazed.  How can a loving personality with a plan for my life also have a plan for your life and everyone else’s on the planet.  I have a hard time keeping track of my things.  I could never keep track of yours and everyone else’s too.  I believe God does and is working in all our lives even in the tough times getting the big things out of our way.

Can you think of some signs of providence in your life?  Do you have an interesting story from your life?  I would love to hear from you.