Did you say "divine appointment"?

When God surprises you in the most self-referential way

When this post comes out, it will be about two months since I’ve started The Divine Appointment. Many of you will know that while I love to write, it’s writing with consistency that I have always struggled with. I am grateful for the ways I’ve been encouraged during this time, especially since writing has become a way for me to share hope and also help me to process and celebrate the ways God has come to meet me in my daily life.

So first thing’s first: THANK YOU!

Do you ever have those moments where it feels like someone has been listening in on your conversations… or even your internal dialogue?

I don’t mean that I’m being watched or listened to… at least I hope not!

But I’m referring to those moments of surprise where things that you’ve been thinking about or prayed about come up in separate conversations or places. Sometimes these moments are so niche that it’s almost too coincidental—or perhaps, it really is a case of God making a divine appointment.

As the year comes to a close, I naturally find myself reflecting on this past year. The more I reflect, the more that I become convicted in this idea of “divine appointments”—how God consistently comes to meet us through people, places, and events. He makes these appointments and gives us the freedom to accept or decline. I’ve found that the more open I am, the more I’m able to meet God in the day to day.

Recently, I was at dinner with my family and our next door neighbours.

To paint a picture: My family and I have lived in the same house forever.

The house is as old as I am, and our neighbourhood has seen very little change over. Our neighbours have pretty much remained consistent for the 20+ years I’ve been there.

Despite this consistency, I’m sad to say that there are still some neighbours who I don’t know very well. There are some who I have never actually carried a conversation with before.

That all changed recently.

While I was away, my parents started to connect with our next door neighbours more. This couple knew that I moved away to enter postulancy, and also knew that I came back. I had no expectations about how this dinner would go, and was honestly skeptical if there would be anything really to talk about.

In the way that only God could, He humbled me: He proved me wrong and softened my heart that night.

Dinner was delicious, but it was the conversation that really reminded me of His presence and consistent care for me.

Even though I had lived next door to this couple for over 20 years, I didn’t know them at all. And yet, the conversation flowed in a way that was easy. They asked me what life was like while I was away and how things were going now that I am home.

As I was sharing, all I could think of was this: things are going well. Things are definitely different—my former self would have shuddered at the lack of certainty that I’m currently living with—but all things considered, I am at peace.

My neighbours were happy for me. The wife smiled and reiterated that sentiment over and over. Then, unprompted, she said, “It’s all coming together like a divine appointment.”

Naturally, I was shocked.

“Divine appointment” isn’t really a commonly used phrase, or even something that I came up with on my own—I borrowed it from a friend who used it a few times in conversation—but you see what I mean by things coming up in one context that is outside of my own prayer and reflection.

It was surprising, but also really comforting. The specific use of this phrase, one that has come to have so much importance to me, felt like a “God-wink”. It was so self-referential that I couldn’t ignore it, and He was reminding me that He has everything under control.

Everything that has happened to me this year—everything that has happened to me, ever—is within God’s ever-loving gaze.

This is something that I have to remind myself of again and again, especially when it comes to the more challenging and painful moments of life.

Everything that has happened—the choices that I have made, the various actions I have taken—ultimately brought me here. And perhaps what has been most profound is the continued way God has drawn me into relationship with Him.

In the same way that our personal relationships grow only through continued communication, time spent together, and intimacy, so too does our relationship with God grow in these ways. With every divine appointment made and met, I am reminded of how He’s here with me and for me. It brings me joy in the moments where joy already is present, and also strength and comfort in moments of challenge and difficulty.

As we continue our Advent journey and come to the close of this calendar year, let’s make more space for Him as we prepare for His coming this Christmas.

What are some ways that you’ve encountered Him in a divine appointment? The appointment may be small or big, but nevertheless, it always is something that is personal to you, for He loves us and is acquainted with all our ways (cf. Psalm 139:3).

In Jesus Master,
Rachel