Supernatural Synchronicities, as described by Mark Batterson in The Grave Robber, are those moments in our life when God puts us in the right place at the right time, seemingly with no connection to the person, situation, or place where the “synchronicity” took place. Another name for this might be a miracle or that moment when you encounter a “coincidence” that you can only explain as God did this. These supernatural events cannot be created by man but can only be created by God. It is our duty as followers of Christ to say yes when God calls us.

Some may be thinking, how do I become a part of God’s miracles, or how do I know if I am doing what God intended? The answer is simple—you must talk to God and learn to love like God loves us. A specific example Mark gives to “get in the miracle game”, is performing acts of kindness for strangers. When we learn to love like God, we invite the Holy Spirit into our lives and that’s when we truly see God. Galatians 6:9-10 reminds us, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

In Sunday School Brother Larry Staggs taught me that it is always important to not halt God’s plan as He uses us to fulfill His plan. While we may not necessarily comprehend what God can do, we know that his plan is perfect and He is in control. This was often in response to fear that I would have with teaching certain subject matter, anxiety of teaching others with much more knowledge than me, giving, or just living in general.

When Daisy asked me to write for Rays of Sunshine a lot of those same fears arose. For those that know me well, putting my business out on the Internet is way out of my comfort zone. But after several nudges by God, I said yes.

After coming to my senses and understanding that I’ve got a call to answer, my first thought was about the little boy who gave Jesus his loaves of bread and fish to feed the multitudes. What if that child decided not to hand over his day’s work? I’m sure if he knew what was about to happen, he would have handed it over without question. However, the Lord doesn’t work that way, so that child made a donation out of faith and with a servant’s heart. What seemed like such a small gift from an ordinary child with just a little bit of faith, ended up with Jesus transforming the child into a superhero. That child’s gift keeps on giving still today. We never know the boy’s name, but does that make his impact any less special? I try to think of this story when I give, as I may never know if my gift made an impact, but I know that God can do more with it than I could by myself. I also don’t know what He’s going to do with it, and I’m ok with that—He’s got a plan and it’s perfect.

When Daisy first started this non-profit it hit close to home. I would tell her, do what you got to do, just don’t tell me how much it costs us! Growing up in South Carolina, we didn’t have much money. My dad was a welder, and as many that are in that field know, it’s either feast or famine when it comes to work. Periods of sustained work history were often met with long periods of unemployment. Often, my family and I received support from schools, churches, and charities such as Rays of Sunshine Inc. Today, I want to share a story of how a single donation impacted me and how God plants seeds in our lives.

For those that know me, you know I’m a huge basketball fan—coach it, play it, watch it, or talk it—I can’t get enough! I was able to trace that love back to a time when my mom and I went to the arcade and played basketball. Let’s just say, I was destroyed that day. My mom won so many tickets, had the buzzer go off for high score, and she did it all by using the backboard (a la Tim Duncan)! That love for basketball would grow, and eventually we found an area in our yard that was covered in shade by a dogwood tree that would become my basketball court. The ground was relatively flat and grass-covered, there was a large root going right through the middle of the court, and the tree was curved—but it was perfect for me. I didn’t have a basketball at first, so I would take socks, a duct tape ball, anything roundish, and I would do layups up against that dogwood tree with a small circle that I drew on the trunk with chalk. After some time, my Dad nailed up a piece of plywood and a rim that was given to him to make a basketball goal. My brothers and I eventually wore down that backboard until we were once again shooting off the tree. I have several fond memories of the games out there, both against friends & family, and the imaginary games against ACC opponents in my head!

One day, my mom asked me for my shoe size and if there were a certain pair of shoes I wanted. We had fallen on some hard times, but luckily there was a local charity that was going to donate shoes and other clothing items to us. This was right around the time of the Reebok Pumps (for my sneakerheads out there) and I wanted them so badly! However, I couldn’t bring myself to ask for them, so I settled on a pair of high-top white Reeboks that I could wear everywhere. I loved those shoes! It was very important that I took care of them because someone gave them to me. Now I felt & looked like a real basketball player. While they didn’t make me jump higher or run faster, they led to a release from stress, a sense of pride I didn’t previously have, they gave me confidence to play the game I loved, the confidence to try out for the team, and the courage to strive for more.

When you are in the moment, it is often hard to see or appreciate God’s work at hand. As I reflect now, love from “my community” and a small act of kindness had a profound impact on my life. Had God’s calls not been answered by those generous strangers, would I be telling the same story today?

I would love to say that my story results in me becoming a basketball superstar. In all actuality, even with my new “kicks” I didn’t even make the team the first year I tried out. The gift however did lead to confidence, which led to courage to try out for the team in the first place. Trying out was the first time I said I want something more and I’m going to have to work hard to get it. It was also a realization nothing worth having will just be handed to me and I can’t blame my circumstances for what I don’t have. I made the team the next year and my confidence and courage continued to grow more and more as I got older.

Basketball has continued to be a large part of my life and that love has transferred over to my children. I’ve coached a lot of kids and have so many fond memories and friendships from these experiences. It’s allowed me to play for some outstanding basketball coaches and afforded me the opportunity to meet even more outstanding coaches that were positive role models and showed me a righteous path. Basketball has given me opportunities to share God with people, mentor others, and even learn skills to improve my career. It has made me strive to be a positive role model to many. While I’m sure the charity that gave me that pair of shoes thought they were helping one child for a season, they didn’t know God’s plan and how He was going to multiply that gift.

When you give with love in your heart it may just be meeting a need for that moment, but it could just be the gift that changes the trajectory of one or more people’s lives. You will not get the glory, that’s just for God. God will call on you with an opportunity to help fulfill his plan and you don’t want to miss that call when it comes!

In closing, I hope you takeaway these messages:

1) God has a plan and it is perfect. It is not our job to understand it, it is our job to be vessels to fulfill his plan. Also, answer God’s call—do not hit “Ignore!” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

2) Love your neighbor like God loves you. (Mark 12:31)

3) A small act of kindness or a prayer can open the door to “Supernatural Synchronicities.” While you may never get to see the plan fulfilled or even your prayer answered in your lifetime, God promises to us that he answers every one of our prayers and we will be blessed for doing his work! (John 14:13 & Luke 6:38—to name a few)

Here’s my question to you? What random act of kindness did you receive that made an impact on your life? Share your story!

Thanks, Daisy, for asking me to share and as always, I adore you!