For your health

Life is not a series of coincidences. God is orchestrating even the smallest details of your day. He is involved in the life altering and the easily overlooked. He shows up in the most obscure of places, when you are going about your day to day business. You may not be out there searching for him in the grocery store aisles, red light in a traffic jam or seat on a plane but none the less, he can still show up. He is remarkable in his ability to infiltrate every crevice of our ordinary lives.
Today I was given the perfect example of God's not-so-coincidendal drop in. It happened in downtown Scottsdale in one of their many jewerly stores. I was on the hunt for something pretty: Mom's orders. She encouraged me to get myself a reminder of the trip and, being the obedient daughter I am, I went into shopping mode (obedience can be so tough sometimes don't you think?)
I had walked in and out of what felt like ten different jewerly stores looking at the shiny cases but nothing seemed quite right. I had a picture in my head of a simple silver ring with a round blue stone. I thought I'd have lots to choose from but instead I didn't even have one to settle on. So I kept going up and down the streets. Finally I had exhausted all but one option. I figured I'd go into this last store, even though it didn't look like it had quite the selection of the others, and give it one last shot to find the ring of my mind's eye.
By now I'm sure you know where this is going.... to a pretty silver ring with a blue stone.
You'd be right. I walked around the circle of the store peering in all the cases. Again, nothing. A woman with a thick accent approached me and asked what I was looking for. "I can help you find it very quickly," she said. Normally I reply with a "thanks but I'm just browsing" but I wasn't just browsing and I wanted to find the perfect ring so I took her up on her offer. I told her I wanted a ring.
She immediately jumped into action. "It's over here," she said.
I hadn't told her that I wanted my ring to be silver with a blue stone, round or oval please. I didn't have time to get that far. She was up a few stairs to another circle of counters unlocking a case that housed an array of gigantic rings with silver bands and huge stones, some red, some white, and some blue.
I immediately tried to tell her that these were too big and that I just wanted something small and petite that wouldn't cover my whole hand! Again, she wouldn't let me get a word in. She was off and running, telling me about how she had my ring right here.
I gave up trying to stop her and waited for her to pull out "my ring." She reached in and out came a silver ring with an oval, blue stone. It was delicate but not so small that you would miss it. The stone didn't cover my whole hand. The band was precisely my size.
I put it on and the lady just smiled. "This is your ring," she told me.
How did she know?
I didn't ask. I just told her I'd take it.
After I paid for the ring she removed the tag and placed it in my hand. I slipped it on my ring finger on my left hand. (I'm married to Christ so I get to wear a ring on that finger).
Once it was on she reached across the counter and said, "For good health."
My jaw might have dropped, I'm not sure because I didn't ask to see the video surviellence in the store. But I'm quite certain that it must have dropped...to the ground. I asked her to repeat what she said. Again, she told me it was for my health.
How did this woman know that this particular ring, one that I hadn't described, was my ring.  And how did she know that this ring was a symbol of my renewed health through Christ and my restored body through the power of God?
Beloved, there are no coincidences. You might not believe that God cares about where you buy your jewelry. But he is intricately involved in even the most insignificant of details. He can show up at a church revival and he can show up in Iranian woman's jewelry store. He isn't confined to only the "Holy places" or your morning devotional. He wants to be with you everywhere. When you invite him to be your constant companion he will faithfully go forth with you, everywhere and always. He will come along for the ride no matter where it takes you. When he is your traveling companion you can be sure that the miraculous will occur in the middle of the mundane. The ordinary will be turned into something extraordinary.
I am still in awe as I reflect on those three simple words: for your health. These past three days have been a love letter from God celebrating the amazing work he has done in my spirit and body. This ringis a symbol of that glorious restoration.