I Think God May Have Intervened Today

I coach the 6th and 7th grade girls basketball team at my school. I am taking the place of a guy whose wife had some type of stroke. She is doing much better (Thank you, God!), however, he needs to be home with his kids and wife right now. No one else would step up to the plate to help him out, so I did. I always think, "What if that was my family, and no one would help me out?" I guess I did the right thing. I don't know. My heart was telling me to help out, and if my heart is telling me that well it is probably God or the Holy Spirit or does that mean both of them (?) saying, "Get your butt out there and do some good!" Despite my hesitancy, despite my lack of self-confidence, despite a lot of things, I felt smacked upside the head today by God who seemed to tell me that I need to trust in Him no matter what, and I will be able to help people like I want to. I was reviewing chapters 1 through 3 in Bruce Wilkinson's book, You Were Born For This, for my small group meeting. In them, he talks of God wanting to use everyday people to do his good work. We just have to be open and willing and trust that God is in control.
Our first game was tonight, and I woke up irritable and nervous. While I was getting ready, I prayed to God. I said, "God, please help me to calm down. To trust myself and know that I will do the best job I can. God, please use me today to perform some small miracle...no matter how small. I don't care. Just use me to do some good deeds and help others." After I said that prayer, I felt better. Calmer. Ready to start the day.
The day flew by, and before I knew it, lunch was being served. Before I went to the lounge to eat my yogurt and grapes, I filled out the basketball book and marked in the starters. All morning, I was deciding between two girls. One was taller. The other shorter and a little quicker. I went with the shorter one. I am not sure why really. I think it had to do with her constant effort at practice. With her drive to succeed. With her knowledge of the plays compared to others. I was proud of her, and I knew I wanted to reward her for her hard work. During study hall with my homeroom students, the boys were trying to guess who the starters were. One boy guessed them all correctly on the first try. I asked him why he would choose the girl I had chosen, 'M'. He said, "Not sure, really." Besides the fact that 'M' works hard, I didn't have a much better reason. It just felt right. I can't really explain it, but I knew I was making the right decision. Not three hours later in the gym, the girls and I were getting ready to run through plays one last time. I told them who the starters were and 'M' goes, "Really! I am starting! YES!YES!YES!" Now I am not one to let bragging slide by, so I asked her why she reacted that way. She proceeded to tell me the following (to the best of my memory)...
Miss Cioni, you won't believe this. Oh, I am so happy right now. Okay, well, my dad promised me...well, all my life my dad has smoked. He smoked cigarettes since he was like 18. He went to work this morning, and then called my mom around 6:00 or 6:30. Well, he told my mom that if I started tonight he was going to QUIT SMOKING.
[I am not sure of the look on my face, but I can't imagine how hard it is to quit smoking, and I really hope he can do it. Not only for M, but also for his own health.)
"Really, M? Wow. I just want you to know that it is super hard to quit smoking, and there will be ups and downs with it. Good days and Bad days. But we will help him through it okay? Sometimes people just need a reason. And hey, darling, you're it. Couldn't have a better reason, huh!"
She beamed, and she continues.
I am so excited. I can't believe this!

At that moment, I was just happy for her and knew I made the right decision. We were practicing plays, and I was focused on other things. So after the game, I talked to M's mom. We discussed the situation, and she asked me if I knew about it. I told her I didn't know a thing about it until M told me, and...I stopped there. When I began again, I had a new perspective. In about two seconds, fifty thoughts flashed across my brain. Was this God? Did he nudge me in the direction of M starting? What were my reasons for starting her? If someone else was coaching, would she have started ?(I'm not so sure that she would have even though she deserved to.) Did this have something to do with my prayer? and a million other thoughts!

Did God SHOW UP today? To see the smile on that little girl's face, I can't tell you how incredible it feels. I didn't know that her dad just called on a whim. I didn't know! That is what makes it so cool. I used to be one of those people who would say it is a coincidence. Well, now I think it is a 'Godincidence' completely orchestrated by Him.

If this is the reason I am coaching basketball this year...to help this dad quit smoking so he can be healthier for his family and himself, so he can make great memories with her as she gets older, so he can live a full, LONGER life...then it is totally worth it.
Hey, we all have things we want to work on. I know I have a few habits I need to kick very badly, so M, you and your dad inspired me too.

Is this what Bruce Wilkinson is talking about? Is this a miracle?