When God Winks at You: How God Speaks Directly to You through the Power of Coincidence Book

This was a very enjoyable book. The anecdotes throughout were fun to read and inspirational. This book was given to me as a Christmas gift. When I read the title, I had to laugh. Someone once told me that "Coincidences are God's way of remaining anonymous." I have repeated that quote to so many people in my day! This would have been a 5-star book for me except for a few things. The first was that I didn't think it was necessary to have so many famous people in it. Does that give credibility to the stories? I think not. Perhaps those stories could have been collected for a separate book about Godwinks and famous people. The other is that there was a bit of redundancy. The author kept saying to reflect on your own life. He didn't have to say that or could have said it just once.

I have had many, many "Godwinks" in my life, but two really stand out.

The first happened when I was driving my son home from kindergarten. Driving home, I actually passed our street! When I did it, it was the strangest thing. How on earth could I have passed my own street?! As I prepared to make a u-turn, I noticed an elderly man walking on the opposite sidewalk. As I turned I saw him trip and fall, hitting his head! I quickly u-turned and pulled over, telling my son to wait while I helped this man. He was on the ground when I approached him, looking dazed. I asked him if he was OK, and he kept asking me what happened. He was clearly confused. Another man stopped to help. We decided it was best to call 9-1-1 because the man was so disoriented and didn't seem to know where he lived. The paramedics were wonderful. They decided that he needed to go to the hospital but were very honest with us: it was going to cost the man a lot of money either with or without insurance. They wondered if one of us would be willing to take him. I took him to the hospital and, with my 6-year-old son, waited until a family member arrived. I have absolutely no doubt God wanted me there to help this man! It was an amazing, spiritual experience that has stuck with me throughout my life.

The second happened when I was going to an interview for a teaching job. My parents had given me a nice, leather briefcase when I had graduated with my credential years and years ago. I used this same briefcase for many interviews throughout the years. I had been thinking of my dad who had passed away several years earlier. A very skilled writer, he used to help me with letters of application and resumes before he died of prostate cancer. Although my dad and I were not super close, this was one area where he was a wonderful parent and always gave great advice. The second thing you need to know about my dad is that he was notorious for leaving price tags on gifts. It was pretty much a family joke. On the way to the interview, I was praying for confidence and the appropriate words to come to mind throughout the interview. Nothing would be worse in an interview than having one of those days when you can't think of words! I parked at the school, brushed my hair, checked in the mirror to make sure I didn't have anything on my face or in my teeth. I got out, opened the trunk of my car, and reached for my briefcase. Something caught my eye on the inside of one of the briefcase handles. Darned if there wasn't a receipt sticker!!! How on earth had I gone that many years without ever seeing it? I was flooded with happiness! It was just the Godwink I needed to give me a confidence boost right before the interview. And yes, I got the job!

This book is all about perspective and recognizing when God has given you a direct message. I can't wait for my next Godwink!!!