Coincidence

Does anything really ever happen by coincidence? Before I began my search for God my answer to this may have been a rather firm yes. But looking back over the past year of my life I can only come to one conclusion: nothing is coincidence. It was this time last year when I met my best friend in a class the last year of my high school career. I'd almost not taken the class at all, and the chances of her sitting beside me after not having ever really talked to me the past three years of high school were slim to none. It was in that class that her and began our journey to the friendship we have now. There are so many factors that made up our meeting, so many things that could have gone differently and if they had would have changed everything. This brings up the age old question: do we have free will or is there a higher force, a fate if you will, controlling our every action. My personal belief is that both are true. Yes, I know you're probably tilting your head at me, giving the screen that "what have you been smoking?" look, but bear with me. I believe that we have free will, it's something that God granted us, something not even he can take away. But that doesn't mean he can't guide us, whisper words of love and advice in our ears. We have the freewill to decide not to follow his advice, to take another path, but when we follow that advice, whether we realize we're doing it or not, good things, incredible things, can happen. I know I probably sound like a preacher on a hot Sunday afternoon where the only thing everyone can think of is a nice tall glass of lemonade, but that's not the message I'm trying to convey to you. I'm not trying to tell you that you should start listening to voices in your head, I'm telling you to open yourself to him. It's harder said than done, I know from experience, but it's worth whatever you have to go through to get there. The first time you feel God's presence, truly feel his presence just overwhelm you is a truly amazing (to put it into mild terms) thing. Too many things have happened in my life for me to believe in coincidence. The circumstances under which I met the love of my life is another one of those "if just one thing had gone differently" experiences. If just one little detail had been different we never would have met each other, we never would have known the other existed. I can't imagine not having him in my life, I can't imagine never having met him, and I thank God everyday that he's mine, and yes I mean that literally. I do look towards the heavens and thank him for what we have. Coincidence is not something I believe in, I can't after everything I've experienced.

side note: I very much enjoy a good debate, so if anyone out there wants to I'm completely open for it on anything I discuss or any good topics you have.