There Are No Such Thing as Coincidences

Last week, I took a last-minute trip down to Louisiana to help Nana (my mom) move into her new adorable townhouse. In case you didn't know, she went through a divorce recently after being with her husband, Paul, for 22 years. It was really tough for her. What made it worse was living in their house while it sat on the market for 22 months. As I type this, I just realized the 22's there. Ha!

Speaking of coincidence, which I really don't believe in, I need to share the story of that house. When mom was a dental hygienist years ago, she worked with a woman named Sylvia and became good friends with her and her husband, Gary. Gary happened to have the same birthday as my brother, Scott, who died in a car accident in November of 1991. For Scott's last birthday that year, we had a pool party at another couple's house and Scott and Gary shared a birthday cake. On November 12, the day of Scott's accident, my mom was going to visit Gary in the hospital after he had some sort of surgery/procedure. That's when she found out about Scott.

A few days later, Gary, a retired police detective, saw the car Scott was driving and told my mom that he should do an accident reconstruction to prove that Scott wasn't speeding. The road he was on (Lonesome Rd. or as we called it "Hotsy Totsy Rd.") was a center of controversy in Mandeville since it had not been paved. It was a shortcut between 2 major highways and was in terrible shape with potholes, washboard bumps, and a high and dangerous set of railroad tracks to cross. Everyone assumed he had been speeding when he hit the only standing tree in about 50 yards on the side of the road. But when Gary saw the car and how it was only damaged on its roof as it turned on its side and wrapped around that tree, he knew speed had not been a factor- it was the sub-standard road instead. Other people had been killed on this same road and the parish was to pave the road, but never did for whatever reason. After the reconstruction and forensic evidence, the parish gave my parents a settlement, which was the only way my mom was able to build her home in Abita Springs.

Fast forward almost 19 years to early July, 2010 when Mom was becoming doubtful that her house would ever sell. She went with her agent to look at some townhomes nearby and my Mom fell in love with a particular one. She had met the homeowner, a young woman expecting her first baby via a long road of IVF like me. There were crosses and fleur-de-lis's all over, which looked like my mom's house, too. After talking a little while with her and her mother, she realized that this girl was the niece of Gary! When they left, they heard from that couple's agent that they wanted a single family home with a large pantry, big kitchen, and shed workshop for her husband. This is exactly what my mom had at her house. So, they told their realtor to check out my mom's and she was ready to put an offer in on the townhouse as soon as she got one on her house. They didn't hear anything back and when mom's realtor asked the other realtor again, he said that the house on Choctaw Dr. was too expensive for them. Then they realized that they were looking at another house, not Mom's, in the same subdivision. Mom's realtor pointed this out and he asked to bring them to see Mom's that evening. About 45 minutes after the appointment time, Mom drove home and the young girl she had met ran up to her with tears in her eyes telling her it was the perfect home for them and that they were putting in an offer for full asking price that night! So, they literally traded houses. Wait... did I tell you what the date was?? Yep, it was July 5th, Scott and Gary's birthday!  And to top that off, the girl's husband's name was Andrew Scott. Ok, are you ready... Scott's middle name is Andrew!  No, I am not kidding!!

Wouldn't you know that during this process, Mom fell off a step-ladder and broke her foot badly. She couldn't bear weight on it for quite some time and wondered how on earth she was going to move in early August. The other couple was so sweet and told her that they would take care of her. When they got a moving truck and moved their stuff to her house, they took loads of Mom's stuff back to their house. What a lifesaver!

I wanted to go down there so badly to help, but wondered how I could with 2 young ones and not much of a budget. I checked online and found ridiculously cheap fares through AirTran for $99 each way with only 3 days notice! I didn't let this big of a deal pass me by and bought a ticket right away. I couldn't believe it, especially since the fares down there are normally $300 or so, especially out of Dulles, the airport closest to our house. Darrell was able to shift some things around at work and was able to take off minimal time to watch the kids. Brenda, their sitter, also pitched in to help. I went down to Louisiana and my brother, Tim, Mom, and I painted, unpacked, shopped for TV's and other household stuff, hung pictures, moved furniture, and had a really fun time together. It was great and Mom was so happy to have the help.

Most people would say that all of this was one big coincidence. But I have come to believe that there are no such thing as coincidences. I honestly feel that God has a part in these things and that this entire journey with Gary spanning almost 19 years was part of His plan, even if it meant there was tragedy along the way. It may be really difficult for others to believe that God took Scott and caused mom get a divorce, but if you have faith, you believe that everything that happens is part of His plan...

Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What does the worker gain from his toil?
10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.