An Unbinding Coincidence

(Editor’s note: English Lutheran Church is in the second week of our small group experience of “Unbinding Your Heart.” Groups meet weekly and members are encouraged to meet with a prayer partner from that group.)

I met with my prayer partner for the first time last night. Part of me was excited. Most of me was nervous and scared. I’ve known “of” my prayer partner and have had a few interactions throughout the years. Most of them surface conversations where we’ve attended the same event, seen each other on Sundays or had other church business to conduct. I knew for sure, being a second-time participant, that I would connect with my prayer partner… but never in a million years did I know that it would happen in the blink of an eye.

The second chapter of Unbinding Your Heart mentions “coincidence.” In the second story, there is a pastor and his wife that attend a week-long training event. He went to the leadership events; his wife signed up for prayer workshops. She helped change their whole congregation. People were praying more – they even had “Prayer Walkers” that would roam during events like Vacation Bible School and a Halloween party. When the author of the book asked this particular pastor how prayer had changed his church, he said “The spirit of the church is different. There are ‘coincidences’ that I know are answered prayer.”

Coincidence, huh? Our group drew names to pair up with our prayer partners. On the surface, it looks like pure happenstance. Luck of the draw. But was it really? After meeting with my partner for the first time, I am seriously having a hard time believing that. Maybe all of these things that we think are “chance” is really God trying to speak to us, to help us open our hearts to a bigger picture.

My prayer partner and I shared stories last night that are so similar, it’s almost scary. We both had past relationships that were not healthy – with issues like depression and substance abuse. We both stuck out the relationships with the hope that something better would come out of it. We both ended those relationships with a God moment – but while mine was a true, startling “What are you doing? End this!” voice from God, hers was more quiet and in the rough. Coincidence? Probably not. We both realized that God was truly with us as those relationships ended. And we both looked at each other, sort of shaking our heads. I don’t think it was a fluke. I can’t speak for her, but I think she’d agree: God placed us together for a reason. We shared our stories. We shared what touched us from the book. We shared which prayer journal exercises were meaningful to us. We talked about knowing the light in the darkness and how He was there through our darkest moments, whether we liked it or not (Psalm 139). We prayed. Out loud. For each other. And promised to keep each other lifted throughout the next week. It's an amazing feeling to draw someone into your personal faith life with you.

Sharing is caring, in the words of my elementary-aged son. Sharing is also downright terrifying. You’re thrown into these groups. You might not know a single soul there. You might at least be able to place a name with a face. Maybe your best friend is in your group. My two experiences in this whole Unbinding event were that you were allowed to participate however you felt comfortable. It becomes an intimate group right from the start. There is a certain amount of trust and courage that comes with Unbinding Your Heart, both figuratively and literally speaking. Your heart WILL unbind… you’ll find yourself praying more, not only for yourself, but for those around you, the whole church, the whole WORLD. That is not a coincidence; that is God lovingly inviting you to a more personal relationship with Him. And that relationship is what will shine through you, to bring others to a life in Christ.

My prayer for this week is simple: Lord, I ask that you gather us all into your loving arms. Help us to unbind our hearts, to share and pray with and for each other. Keep us aware that all coincidences have your hand in them, no matter how small. Thank you for walking with us, through each day and night, keeping us embraced in your Spirit. Amen.

~Jen