God Showed Me Something Incredible

Something happened recently that totally blew me away. There are circumstances and events in life that seem random.

But sometimes, what seems random is actually God at work. For example, I feel like God keeps showing up to let me know, He’s doing things in my life.

Here is the backstory

I’m in a lot of Facebook groups. Various groups that attract writers, dreamers and entrepreneurs. Many of these communities have had a direct impact on the success of my book Dishonor.

Somehow, I was put into a drawing in which the prize was an awesome course called Tribe Writer’s. When I found out my name was selected as the recipient, I was so excited. It’s a course designed to help writers find their voice, establish a platform, expand their reach and get published. They added me to the accompanying Facebook group. It’s hard to explain what goes on in there if you’ve never experienced it, but it’s awesome. The members of the group will help to restore faith in humanity. I’m so grateful to Jeff Goins for creating the course and providing the opportunity for me to participate.

Even though I had been in the group for a couple years, this May I noticed group members were introducing themselves. Both new and more seasoned members were and sharing where they lived. A woman named Teresa mentioned that she lived in Ogallala, Nebraska. Being a Nebraska resident as well, I reached out to her.

After hearing about my testimony, she told me her son was in jail, waiting to be transferred to the Nebraska State Prison in Lincoln. He seemed like someone who would benefit from reading my book. I messaged her and asked if she would like me to send a copy of Dishonor to him. Because some generous individuals donated money to help me ship books to inmates, I told her all I needed was an address. She told me she would get it to me as soon as she had it.

Three months later…

Teresa let me know she’d heard from her son and provided me with his prisoner identification number, but no address. Still not having the address, I was not able to send a book to him right away. Another month passed and Teresa’s son was paroled and moved into a halfway house. She gave me her home address and I immediately shipped a book to her. After reading it herself, she planned on taking the copy directly to him.

Just recently, I received a message from Teresa: “Did you speak in North Platte around a year ago? My son thinks he saw you there with his halfway house group.”

Wait, what? 

My mind retraced the events…

My wife’s uncle Bob, who is a lawyer in North Platte, set up three speeches for me at the beginning of the year. The first talk was at his Kiwanis group. One of the gentlemen there was moved by my story. Bob told me after the speech that this man is involved with a halfway house in the same town.

He thought the guys there would benefit from hearing me talk, so he brought them to the local college that evening for my third appearance. After sharing my story, he purchased a copy of the book for the halfway house and wrote a check for one hundred dollars to ship books to other inmates.

Blown away…

Even though what happened next seems like a random coincidence, I believe it was God at work.

Teresa’s son was there that night and heard me share my testimony. I’m almost positive that he was in the front row.

I discussed the trouble I got into and how the guilt and shame of my actions was too much to bear. The end of my speech was about God’s redeeming work in my life and that in His eyes, my past was erased by the blood of Jesus.

It was this message, Teresa desired her son to know and that’s why she wanted him to read the book.

The crazy thing is when she told him about it, he said that he is currently reading the copy provided to him by the halfway house. This was provided the man who purchased a copy after my last speech.

God at Work

God is not restricted by time as we know it. He knew that Teresa would hear my story and would want her son to experience the same freedom that I discovered.

Even though we didn’t know all of this, God was working out His story in mine and theirs.

I just think it is so cool how God orchestrated this event in the way He did. Sometimes it’s difficult to see God’s plan in action. We wonder if what we are doing is effective or making a difference.

But that’s the beauty of God and faith, we don’t have to worry about it. God doesn’t need our help. He can use any situation to draw people to Himself. We only need to be who God created us to be. We only need to be faithful to God with the gifts and the time He’s given us.

And sometimes, He blesses us with a glimpse of His work in action, which helps to remind us that He’s got this!

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If you have an incarcerated friend or family member and want me to send a copy of Dishonor to them, contact me through social media.

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or email me at dilemmamike@gmail.com

If you are local and would like me to speak to your group, please contact me through any of the above links.

Bloggers and pod-casters, it would be an honor to share my story with your tribe.
If you have read Dishonor and haven’t left a review on Amazon, it’s not too late. Here is the link to leave a review. Thank you in advance.