Coincidences or Miracles?

 Whenever someone asks me about the existence of God my answer goes something like this: “I cannot prove that God exists to anybody. All I can tell you is that I know God exists because of the crazy things that have happened in my life. Although I cannot see this mysterious power it has an effect on my life that goes beyond my own thoughts and emotions”.

            Let me explain this further! For over 15 years I have believed in a God that apparently is alive today, sent Jesus to this earth over 2000 years ago to die for us. To some this must sound crazy. To be honest sometimes I too think this sounds quite weird. However, the truth is that no matter how bizarre this looks on the surface it has become reality in my life.

            A lot of Christians will tell you of the emotional and character changing impact it had on their lives deciding to become a Christian and believe what sounds a little bit like a fairy tale, that God himself came to the earth to save us from our own failures and the evil present in this world.

            I have stories to tell on this subject also but today I’d like to tell you about the last seven years of my life and the miracles I believe have happened to me in the area of money. At the age of 19, just after I finished my A-Levels in Germany, I decided to audition for a singer/dancer job in a band with a Christian music label here in England to tour secondary schools, doing lessons and pop concerts. I was accepted and in September 2004 I had packed up my room ready for the biggest adventure of my life.

            This may sound glamorous and we might have been made to look like pop stars but the reality was that none of us were given a salary. I had to raise a minimum of £400 of monthly income from regular sponsors. A month before I was due to leave I was still missing a substantial amount and I panicked. So I started praying, asking God to provide me with money. From that moment on I felt secure, knowing that if this was the job God wanted me to have then he would have to provide or otherwise I won’t go.

            Trusting this new found peace, I received a message a few days later from a sponsor that decided to make up for the gap of a monthly £150 (and a commitment to pay this for 2 years!!!). This was a first of many financial confirmations in my move to England.

            Throughout the time I spent in the band, there were a substantial amount of financial miracles. Whenever my account reached about £5, money always came from somewhere. A couple of times the family I lived with for a while gave me an envelope with some money their friends decided to give to me. Another time I realised an anonymous sponsor had been giving me regular money into my account.

            One of the biggest miracles of all was at a time when I had been praying about buying a piano. Playing the piano since the age of 4, has become an emotional outlet and vital part of my life. Not only does playing make me happy but it also plays a role in my general well-being. Music is a very powerful tool I might add here.

During this time of praying and considering how great it would be to be able to play again (as my piano was in Germany), I received a phone call from my German bank. I was absolutely terrified and assumed I was in trouble. When the lady asked me whether I was sitting or standing, this assumption only grew bigger. However, it was news of quite the opposite... somehow I won 1000 Euros. The woman told me I participated in a price draw and I was the winner. I have no idea how that was possible as I hadn’t spent any time in Germany and certainly didn’t participate in a competition with my bank. Truth was, that I did receive 1000 Euros and I was able to buy a nice Yamaha stage piano and had a bit of money left over that helped me out another time.

            I know this all sounds rather strange but even stranger things have happened. God’s provision didn’t stop when the time in the band was over and I started eximo. eximo is more than just a company or a job to Sophie and me. It is a lifestyle, a long-term commitment, something we have a dream for and want to see it through. We are not in it for the money even though we would love it if one day eximo would be the only thing we do every day. We are big dreamers as we feel we have been given a purpose to bless people through the work we do. Yet, sometimes we start doubting when times get hard and it is a struggle to pay our rent for example.

When Sophie started out with eximo, I dragged her onto this journey of trust and faith of God’s provision, I’m not sure if she realised exactly what she had let herself in for. Now, we have even more stories to tell of God’s amazing miracles. We were blessed with a financial gift to buy equipment two years ago. One lady randomly gave us a cheque last year for a specific project we wanted to run. But more recently, at a time of disillusionment and wonderings whether we are doing things right because finances didn’t add up, once again we feel confirmed to keep going – last week, after we got back home from teaching our classes, we found an envelope that someone had put through our door with our names on it. No sender. Inside we found a lot of money, so much I don’t really want to tell you.

            Once again, I feel that God is hearing our prayers and answers them in such a concrete and real way that I find it hard to make up excuses  and class this as a coincidence. This particular gift of this anonymous person came just at the right time and will keep us going – strong in faith and strong living the real life in which we have to pay bills and buy food.

           

Over to you – what do you make of miracle stories like these? Coincidence or real?

Do you think you could live life not being financially stable, having your own business or going on an adventure or are you the sort of person that enjoys having a regular income?