God winks!

     Often times throughout my life I have heard my mother refer to those little events that happen in which there is no denying that someone is watching out for me as God Winks.  She says these are no coincidences, just God's way of reminding me that he has everything under control.  Most of the God winks I have experienced throughout my life have been more of a wink and a nudge, my stubbornness usually requires more than a wink to get my attention:)  Yesterday however I received a wink that not only made me smile, it verified once again that I am not just wandering along aimlessly through this life without His guidance!
     Most God winks are so subtle you almost have to luck out to even notice them, mine yesterday however lasted nearly all day.  It all started when Kelli and I got going for the day and she took off for work, since it's currently about a 45 minute commute(hopefully going to be drastically shortening next week!!) she usually calls me when she gets there just to let me know she made it okay.  Well yesterday I missed her call because I was still in the shower, I sent her a text telling her to have a good day and that I love her and set out for my day.  I went to my parents so Dad and I could run down to Dicks Sporting Goods to check out their selection of new drivers for his golf bag.  While at their house my mother passed by his office door and asked me if I was going to go to the AA meeting with dad later, I simply replied "sure why not" and didn't think anything of it.  It should be pointed out right here that I probably only attend 3-4 meetings a year if I'm lucky, only going with my dad whenever convenient because I've always felt like my system works for my sobriety.  Without going into too much detail, my system is simply seeing the scar on my neck every morning and reliving my accident has been enough to keep me sober for over ten years. 
     So dad and I headed out to Dicks and after thoroughly checking out their golf section we headed towards the AA meeting.  Without compromising the anonymity of the program I'm simply going to say that every time I attend one of these meetings I am moved by someones story and this day was no different.  I was surrounded by people who have been through some of the same struggles I have in life and it felt as though one of them was speaking directly to me!  He shared how like me he too once had over ten years of sobriety, unlike me though he relapsed and after getting his life back on track is now sober again.  His story moved me because the way he described how he felt after his ten years of sobriety is almost exactly how I feel today, like we have total control over our addiction.  As I left the meeting I had a slight feeling that maybe I had been directed this way by God for a reason, but it still didn't really register just how important this meeting was for me.  I still felt like as much as that guys story moved me, I still had total control over my drinking.
     After the meeting I went out to the Nagles to pick up dad's enclosed trailer so we can use it for the move.  It didn't take long before I had nearly forgotten about what I had listened to at the meeting.  Then on the way home with the trailer, Kelli called me while on her way home from work.  She began to explain to me what she had wanted to tell me in the morning when I had missed her call, her dream from the previous night.  In the dream I had gone out with friends while she was out of town for work and when she got home I nonchalantly told her I had a beer.  She was shocked that I didn't think this was an issue and she was furious when later on I admitted to her that I had more like 6 or 7!  She called my dad to inform him she didn't know what to do and couldn't handle the fact that I would lie to her like that about it so she packed a bag and left.  This prompted her to wake up from her dream abruptly. 
     Now I know this was just a dream, but I truly believe that God speaks to us all through our dreams, and when Kelli and I sat down last night to relive the day we were both in awe of how meaningless this entire day would have been had she gotten ahold of me in the morning.  I certainly would have forgotten about her dream by the time I went to the meeting, more than likely forgetting about what I'd heard at the meeting also.  Now I'm not saying in any way that I believe I would have drank had I not gone to the meeting, but I will say that everything truly does happen for a reason so who knows, maybe I would have.  One thing is for sure, I think I will be attending a few more AA meetings!
     Whether you've ever experienced a God wink like this or not, all I can tell you is the way Kelli and I both felt last night while discussing the days events have us believing even more than before that we truly are being looked after!  After a day like that I am more thankful than ever for the blessings I have in this life!

Remember, pay attention to the little things in life and you may be surprised just how many God Winks you get in a day:)