Timely messages

Sometimes I am in the middle of a Godwink and don’t even realize it. Other times, it is evident from the start. The other day I was driving to Wilmington for military duty to promote an officer on the battleship. I knew it would be a beautiful day and something to witness. As I was driving for hours in the early morning, one of my retired Duke employees kept coming to mind. He lived in Wilmington, along with many other people I knew, but only his name would not leave my thoughts. I decided to send him a text message and see if he could join me or if we could meet for lunch. He responded immediately that he was in Virginia and would have to miss. His brother had gone in for emergency brain surgery the night before. The Godwink? I haven't spoken to him since he retired. Months have passed since we last connected. What are the odds that I would be driving down the road to Wilmington, a place I had not been to in many months, on that day and reach out to him at the exact time he needed prayer for him and his family? I shared the news with our old team and I immediately knew the prayer warriors would go into action, and they did. His brother is still in recovery but day by day he is getting better. As I chatted with my friend days later, I shared the same story and reminded him that only God makes those connections in the exact time and place when they are needed most. I reminded him he was not, and would never be alone and to reach out anytime. There are several version of Proverbs 25, the NIV states “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in network of silver” (Provers 25:11, ASV), but I think I like the Message version “The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry” (Proverbs 25:11, MSG).