When I was a boy I was always amazed by what a heavy
sleeper my Grandma was. I knew this mainly because her bedroom was right next to
the one my brother and I shared. When I would wake up in the morning I would
hear her steady snoring echoing through the thin walls. She rarely if ever got
up during the night and when she napped in her chair the television and record
player never woke her up.
It seemed a strange coincidence then that during the middle of one night she
would suddenly awake the moment that frayed wiring in her room caught fire. Her
screams awoke my brother who then rushed through the house waking up the rest of
the family. The house was made of old, dry timbers and the fire raced through it
in a matter of minutes. Smoke filled every room. None of us could see anything.
We were all filled with fear and confusion. Still, thanks to my Grandma waking
up at just that moment we all made it out safely. My Mom even found our small
dog cowering at her feet and picked him up just as we ran out the front door.
Doris Lessing once said that "Coincidences are God’s way of remaining
anonymous." I fully believe that to be true. Without the coincidence of my
Grandma waking up at just the right second that fire would have cost us our
lives as well as our home. Without that coincidence my Grandma, Mom, and Dad
would never have touched the lives they did over the years that followed.
Without it my brother would never have become a teacher and I would never have
written a word. Without it my brothers and I would never have raised seven
wonderful children. Without it all the love, learning, and joy my family has
shared with others would have been lost.
The next time a coincidence blesses your life then embrace it for the gift from
God that it is. We are all watched over with so much love. May we make our lives
a gift of love as well.
Joseph J. Mazzella joecool@wirefire.com
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