The Domino Effect

The events that God allows to fall into place in each of our lives create a domino effect that reveals a greater purpose.

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Looking back throughout life, a person can see where one event led to another which led to another which maybe led him or her to meet a certain person that had he or she may not have met otherwise. She would not have married her spouse, or he would not have gotten that job. I am a true believer that God is in the small details of our day to day lives.

I can see where each person in my life has been carefully placed for one reason or another. I do not believe anything happens accidentally. I have written about the kitten that I rescued from the storm drain in front of my house. The domino effect is the kitten meowing in the drain which led to me reaching out on social media for assistance in getting her out. In reaching out on social media, I was able to make new friends in the area in which I live. And in the process of taming that kitten to be a loving indoor pet, I have been inspired to post pictures of her on social media which has led to new conversations with people I have not talked to in quite a while and connections with new people to which I have to be a witness. God has taught me so many life lessons through the taming of this kitten. One of the encounters has led to a conversation about faith, and this person and I have now prayed together.

Looking further into my past, I realized that the incident that happened with my son which I referenced in my story titled “Anchored” allowed me to meet my husband. In meeting my husband, I was then introduced to his friends and his friends’ wives. One of the wives was instrumental in my obtaining a job in the field I currently work in today. That first job led to another job that she also helped me get, which led to me meeting other people who were pivotal in my current position.

I am amazed when I peer into the past. Although it is riddled with poor decisions and a lot of hurt and frustration, I can see where God never left me alone. He orchestrated each person and event. He worked with each situation. He had a comeback for every poor choice. God took every bad thing that happened and turned it around for my good. He knew in advance that one event with my son was going to happen. He knew that I was going to make the wrong choice, but He allowed me to make it anyway because we do have free will. God was already working on the solution. He was already preparing for the right people to be in the right place at the right time. Each piece fits together in this puzzle of life.

I am reminded of another time when a good friend of mine first started her position at my company. She had a purse with her that had the Bible verse Jeremiah 29:11 on it. Her purse stood out to me, and we became good friends. Despite some bumps and bruises along the way, a path has been paved for her to maintain a position of working from home so that she can be there for her family. Had God not allowed me to go through the storm of events with my son being taken away from me, I may not have learned some of the important lessons that I learned which strengthened me, brought me to my husband, led me to his friends and his friend’s wife, and secured that job and new friend who works with me today.

You have probably heard the saying, “Everything happens for a reason.” While I do not believe God causes bad things to happen to us so that they will lead to a blessing, I do believe He allows us to go through storms so that we will come through them stronger. They prepare the way for the next steps in life.  Sometimes a little annoyance isn’t just a nuisance to ruin our day. Sometimes a little annoyance can cause us to reach out to someone for assistance and end up cultivating a new relationship or remind us that God has us in the protective palm of His hand. The next time you are stuck at a red light, or something makes you late, or something isn’t working properly, or you find yourself needing help, know that there is a greater purpose behind it. Any of these circumstances may lead to meeting someone new or running into someone you haven’t conversed with in a long time; rejoice in that.

James 1:2-4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (ESV).

James is not saying that we have a party while we are in the middle of a trial or annoying situation. He is simply saying that, during the trial, we can have peace and be content because this is the true test of faith. In a trial, we have nothing but faith since we do not know the future. We do not know what God has planned for us on the other side.  This trial, if we choose to go through it in faith, will strengthen us and prepare us for the new thing God is doing in our life. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “’For I know the plans I have for you,’” declares the Lord, “’plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (NIV).

Nobody said that walking with Jesus Christ as a born-again Christian was easy. If they did, they were misleading you. The Christian life is not easy because there is an enemy that seeks to destroy us. The enemy, Satan, hates us, and as we are walking with the Lord and we are seeking to grow in our spiritual life, Satan will be hunting us and seeking to make it difficult. The devil may throw a wrench in our wheel, but God is already preparing the fix for it.

The Wikipedia definition of Domino Effect is: “A domino effect or chain reaction is the cumulative effect produced when one event sets off a chain of similar events. The term is best known as a mechanical effect and is used as an analogy to a falling row of dominoes.”

Each person I have met, each place I have lived, each trial I have gone through has brought me where I am at today.  As a believer, looking back, I see God in all of it. Through each piece, I am maturing in my faith. I am living out His calling on my life, and I am available to play an important role in the effect of others’ lives.

 

 

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on anchoredinatrove.wordpress.com

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About the Author

Valerie Close has a passion of encouraging others with the truth from the word of God and her own personal experiences. She is faith-driven and a seeker of truth with a real heart and compassion for other people to come out on the other side with a new hope and revelation of Jesus Christ.