Some call it coincidence, others karma – I call it a “God Thing” or “God Wink.” Whatever the term, it’s clear something unexplainable is going on and, in my opinion, it’s far beyond this immediate world.
God Winks have never been so evident to me than through the lives of my friends Chuck and Kelly Grafft. I met the Graffts while living in Japan, as I ordered our family’s favorite American food through the Foreign Buyers’ Club – a mail-order grocery store for expatriates that the Graffts launched in Kobe in 1987. As fledging new business owners, their needs were great. One came in the form of a refrigerator to store customer orders, which they could not afford. “We hit a tough spot and couldn’t buy it so we prayed,” Chuck said. Shortly after they arrived home to find something very unexpected in the parking garage. Someone wanting to get rid of a commercial-grade refrigerator had dumped it right in front of their parking spot! “The refrigerator was an answer to prayer,” Chuck said. This was just the beginning.
In fact, God Winks became so evident and so common that the FBC team came to expect a “Wonder of the Week” and “Miracle of the Month.” Prayer and leaning on God’s power became a part of the FBC way of life. Even when the problem was complex, they sought God’s wisdom through Scripture and prayer, trusting in the answer even when it sounded illogical. One day, after hours of troubleshooting, the technical staff was stumped in solving a database issue, so Chuck urged the team to pray and even asked a friend from church to join them. Soon the friend responded with a strange answer, “It’s 1362. The database is too big.” This odd message was passed on to the techies who later discovered that, indeed, there were too many files in the database. There was also a coding error – in line 1362.
Today, God Winks continue to abound at Foreign Buyers’ Club while they serve over 10,000 customers throughout Japan as well as other regions in Asia. Every step of the way, for over 25 years, Chuck and his team have relied upon God’s power. “We believe God can take care of everything. Every season has its struggles and opportunities where we can ask for help. We can choose to include God or not. Some of our best friends are made when we ask for help – God is my best friend,” Chuck said.
In my life, God Winks happen all the time, but often, as I lean into my own power, I miss the opportunity to allow God’s power to shine. Also, in my busyness I overlook them – a friend reaching out to me at exactly the moment I need it, an encounter with a stranger at the perfect time, an unexpected healing, a series of events that line up so precisely that they could only be orchestrated from above.
For me the question is not, “Is God really winking at me?” but “What is the appropriate response?” A wink back? A heavenly high five? It’s a question that begs some sinking into. If God, the Almighty maker of heaven and earth took time to be actively involved in the details of my life it would be a pretty big deal – it should be. A God Wink should be an epic moment, one that leaves us breathless and falling to the ground in awe. It should usher in an immediate response of gratitude and recognition with at least a “Thank You, God.”
How is God winking in your life? Lean into God’s power, be on the lookout, and be grateful!
The Grafft Family