----MYSTERIOUS WAYS~~

--MORE THAN COINCIDENCES~~

--SUNDAY MORNING. The warm July breeze drifted in through the second-story windows of the farmhouse I shared with my husband, Eugene, and his parents, who lived on the first floor. I was the organist at our little country parish. Eugene and his father were finishing up their barn chores, the last of which was milking our cows. I got dressed for church. If Eugene wasn't back soon, I'd get a ride to church with his Mom, so I could warm up before the 10:30 A.M. service. His father had bad arthritis and would have to lie down after chores. His Mom might appreciate company on the drive. Just as I finished getting ready, Eugene burst through the door.

"I finished milking the cows, but then I saw that one of their drinking bowls isn't working. I'm going to have to stay and repair it. Sorry."

I sighed. With farm life, it's always something. "That's fine," I said, "I'll just ride with Mom."

He nodded and went back to the barn. Mom and I were about to leave when Eugene ran inside again.

"We got it back up and running. Turned out to be an easy fix," he said. "I can go now."

Mom decided to stay behind to finish up a few things. She'd meet us when the service began, she said. So Eugene and I drove off to church together.

I headed to the choir loft to sort out my music as people filtered in. I was just beginning the prelude when the wail of sirens overwhelmed the organ. What's wrong? I thought. I glanced over the railing and saw churchgoers craning their necks to look out the front door. Eugene went to investigate. He returned a few minutes later and came up to the choir loft, looking shaken.

"There's been an accident," he said. "Mom's okay, but her car isn't."

Our Church sits at the top of a hill, and it's hard to see traffic coming from the opposite direction. Apparently, when Mom had been making the left turn into the Church parking lot, a driver approaching the other way failed to see her until too late and T-boned her car. Mom was uninjured, thank the Lord.--

"The right side of her car is completely crushed," Eugene said. "The passenger side." Right where I would have been sitting if I hadn't made the last-minute choice to go with Eugene instead of Mom that day. ~~

--GUIDEPOSTS/SU~~