--MYSTERIOUS WAYS --/ MORE THAN COINCIDENCE~~

--IT was January. The holiday season was over-- and our Bible study group was already gearing up for the next year's festivities. We organized a kind of prayer reminder, "Private Prayer." Each person in our group was randomly assigned another member of our large congregation. We were to pray for that person the whole year, then reveal our identity and give them a gift at the church's next Christmas party.

My 'Private Prayer' was someone I'd never met. That wasn't unusual in a church of our size, though. I studied the name on my card. Ana. Simple enough. But her last name was 11 letters long and mostly consonants. I had no idea how to pronounce it--but I was certain that God did. So I tucked the card into my wallet and prayed for her daily.

Then in May, I got some bad news. I needed surgery. The doctors didn't know how extensive it would be until I was in the operating room. I was admitted to the hospital the day before.
Initially I felt at ease about the operation. Then the sun set. My husband and kids hugged me and kissed me good-night before the nurses asked them to leave so that I could get my rest. As I lay alone in the dark, my thoughts started racing: What is going to happen tomorrow? Will the surgery go well?

I would've given anything to see a familiar face at that moment. I prayed, "God, I need a sign that everything will be alright."

A few minutes later, the night nurse came in to check on me. She was a tiny little thing with a calming presence. She got me an extra blanket and tucked me in, making sure I was comfortable.

"This is a pretty routine procedure you're having tomorrow," she assured me. "Your doctor is very experienced. It's all going to go just fine. Get your rest."

I appreciated the encouragement and the warm, confident smile that went along with it. They made me start to feel a little bit better about what the next day would bring.

I peered at her name tag. Her first name: Ana. I can remember that. And her last name? It was 11 letters long. I couldn't pronounce it, but I knew it almost as well as I knew my own. This was no stranger after all. Here, right in front of me--even though we'd never met before--was just the familiar face I needed. "Thank You, Lord." ~~

--Guideposts/GM