I Must Meet This Man!!

As It Happened… Finding Myself in God’s Surprising Story

Ruth 2:3  So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.

i’ve always loved that line: “as it happened.” It’s so ordinary... almost accidental. Ruth just happened to wander into the right field, the one belonging to a man named Boaz, who just happened to be her future husband. A divine appointment disguised as a coincidence.

When I look back over my life, I can see a lot of “as it happened…” moments. Most of them didn’t feel divine at the time. Some were funny, some were painful, and some were so ordinary they almost slipped by unnoticed. But in hindsight? Each one was a breadcrumb of grace leading me somewhere I never expected.

As It Happened… A Softball, a Motorcycle, and a Sister at the Window

It was just another afternoon ball game. My brand-new Kawasaki motorcycle, with only 11 miles on it, was parked on the side of the field. I was In right field. The guy at first base (I won’t mention his name because Tom Miller will be embarrassed.) through the ball to home… Completely missed the catcher… The home plate… And the back stop and hit my brand new motorcycle and put a big dent in the gas tank.

Now, at that point, my “as it happened” moment didn’t feel very biblical. It felt like pain and a bad curveball. But somehow, I ended up in Tom’s driveway, working with him, trying to figure out how to get the dent out of the tank, while his sister peeked through the window at the guy outside with the dented motorcycle.

I can still picture that scene: me in the driveway, pretending to be okay, and her watching from the window, thinking, “I must meet this man!” Divine romance, with me trying to be kind to her dufus brother…

That sister, as it happened, would one day become my wife. Oh… and did I mention that TODAY marks 50 years I have been married to my beautiful bride!

As It Happened… A Job Change and a New Calling

Years later, another curveball came... this one from my dad. As it happened, he sold the family company. Overnight, my sense of direction (and job security) went out the window. I had no idea what was next.

But again, God was weaving. I “found myself” at a new company, surrounded by new people, and somehow—through conversations and coffee breaks—something unexpected began: a workplace ministry called COR TEAM.

That shift, which started as loss, became the birthplace of one of the most meaningful callings of my life. As it happened, what looked like an ending was really a launchpad.

As It Happened… In the Hard Seasons

Not all the “as it happened” moments were wrapped in humor or happy endings. Some came with tears and long nights of prayer.

As it happened, doors closed that I begged God to open.

As it happened, friendships drifted that I thought would last forever.

As it happened, health scares and disappointments forced me to stop pretending I had it all figured out.

Each time, I found myself somewhere unexpected... on my knees, in deeper dependence, with a clearer view of who God really is.

It turns out, His “fields” aren’t always easy places to glean. But they’re where grace grows best.

The Field You’re In

Looking back, I see a pattern: every “as it happened” moment... every stray softball, every job change, every heartbreak, every health struggle... wasn’t random at all. They were quiet invitations to trust that God was at work, even when I couldn’t see it.

Maybe you’ve got your own version of Ruth 2:3. Maybe you “happened” to meet someone, lose something, move somewhere, or start something you never planned.

If so, take heart: the God who guided Ruth into Boaz’s field... and a guy on a motorcycle into his future wife’s driveway... isn’t done writing your story either.