Coincidence or Miracle??

by Chaplain Cox

In 1991 I was arrested for drug trafficking and eventually sentenced to 10 years in Federal Prison. I was a drug dealer, a drug addict, and an alcoholic.

I had a hard head and a hard heart. I believed in God, but I wanted to be god of my world and I didn't want any competition.

However, the first week in the county jail, while I was waiting to go to trial, I had a supernatural life changing experience with Jesus. I was caught up in a vision and Jesus showed me the sin in my life. It was heartbreaking to see all the terrible things that I had done, but I could feel the overwhelming love of Jesus wooing me to Him. I asked Jesus to forgive me and I gave my life to Him. My addictions were instantly broken and I was set free behind bars. That's been thirty-two years ago and I've never been the same since.

While in prison, among other miracles, God healed me from an incurable disease and the last six months in prison I wrote a book about the miracles that God has done in my life.

A few years after prison I got my book published. At first, I just gave a few copies to my close friends, but I never really had a marketing plan for the book.

I mailed a copy to Bob who is one of my best friends and lives in Dallas, Texas. I'm sure he was the only one in the whole state of Texas that had a copy. He said he loved the book. Even though everybody that read my book said they really liked it, I was going through a time when I questioned God about the book. I wanted God to touch thousands of lives through the book, but it wasn't happening fast enough for me. So, I prayed and asked God to give me a sign that He was going to use the book in some miraculous way.

A few years after I mailed a copy of my book to Bob, he called me and told me that a friend of his had read my book and really wanted to talk to me. He gave me the number of a man named Mark and told me to call him. I really didn't want to talk to this guy Mark, but I took the number anyway. I asked him what it was about and he just said I had to call him and find out.

Eventually I called Mark and at first we just had small talk. He told me he had read my book and it changed his life. I told him I was a little down about the book because I felt like it just wasn't reaching people fast enough to bring them the faith and hope through the miracles that God has done in my life.

Then, very casually, Mark began to tell me a story. My wife and I have 4 beautiful daughters. About a year and a half ago my wife and I were worship leaders in my home church in a little town close to Dallas, Texas. Life was good. But for some reason I began to do drugs and drink and hide it from my wife. Eventually she found out and the church found out. The church made us step down as worship leaders and my heartbroken wife asked me to move out and told me not to call and I could not visit my daughters. She refused to even discuss it. My marriage was destroyed.

I packed my bags and found a cheap motel in the Dallas area. I found a job in the place your friend Bob works. I made many attempts to talk to my wife, but she wouldn't answer. I was crushed. After about a week at work, I finally felt comfortable enough to discuss my problems with Bob. He was patient and let me tell my whole story.

This was a Thursday. Then, the next day, on a Friday, he brought your book to work and said, "my friend from Illinois wrote this book while he was in prison; It's awesome and you need to read it." I took the book and thanked him, but I really had no intention of reading it.

After work I took the book back to the dismal hotel I was living in and sat on the bed with your book next to me. I tried to call my wife again and again there was no answer. I had lost everything and I felt like my only course of action was to commit suicide. That way I wouldn't have to face the pain and shame any longer.

I began to think of how I could take my life. Maybe I would hang myself, or just get in the tub and cut my wrists and bleed out. My forehead was sweaty and my hands were clammy just thinking about death.

Then I looked down and I saw your book. I thought I would just read a few pages while I decided how to end my miserable life.

The book seemed to immediately draw me in. I was fascinated by it. I laughed and I cried throughout the book. Before I knew it, I was reading the last sentence of the book. I looked at my watch and it was now 1 a.m. in the morning.

I got on my knees before God and I said, "Lord, if you can do miracles for Danny, even while he was in prison, you can do miracles in my life too. I give my life to you and I believe You for a miracle for my family."

I tried my wife again that weekend and again no answer. Then, the following week, out of nowhere, my phone rang and it was her. She wasn't very friendly, but she said that I could see the girls for a half hour at a McDonalds near where she lived. I wept before the Lord and thanked him for the opportunity to see my wife and daughters.

The visit was sketchy at best, but I did get some time to completely come clean with my wife to start the healing process. We set another time to meet and then another. Finally, I was able to move back home with my family.

Then, he asked me a question. Do you know where I am now? I said "no." He said, "I'm in Chicago, Illinois with my family. Do you know what I'm doing here?" I said "no" again. He said, "I'm in seminary. God has called me into the ministry. I will graduate in a year and then I will begin to pastor a church."

He continued, "while you were in Illinois worrying about your book not touching anyone's life, it was saving my life at a fleabag motel in Dallas Texas. "

I was speechless and tears were running down my cheeks. We prayed together and hung up. It took me a moment to process what I had just heard.

Tell me, do you think it was a coincidence that Mark wound up at the same place my only friend in Texas worked to get a job? Do you think it was a coincidence that my friend Bob would give Mark the only copy of my book in the whole state of Texas?

No, that was God working miracles anonymously and He's still in the miracle working business today.

Mark needed a miracle, but to receive one he needed to hear about one so he would have the faith to believe for one.

I pray that this story will bring you hope and faith to receive your miracle too.