Where were we? Oh, yes. Guidance. When we had this big discussion with a few cobbers on the subject, none of us claimed to have covered it completely. To do that we’d need to quote some five hundred pages of the Bible, and most details from our rather lengthy lifespan.

That’s hard work. We’re just summarising, so we’ll keep it simple.

Much guidance is only obvious in hindsight. Some months ago, we told you about Terry. He was in the right place at the right time, and met the right bloke simply because he wanted a coffee at McDonalds. If you care to get all theological, it’s a hands-on, cutting-edge, state-of-the-art example of (quote) ‘We have the mind of Christ’. All very normal. Almost unspiritual.

Except that, for believers, for you and us, nothing is unspiritual. (Whatever that means.) Sure, we’ve heard challenging sermons on the Great Commission. Great. Well, this is a matter-of-fact article on the Great Apprenticeship. God signed you up at an historic moment known as ‘before the foundation of the world’. You started serving your time when the midwife snipped your umbilical cord. And you realised you’d been set up by the biggest family firm there is ‘when it pleased God to reveal His Son in you’.

So all life is designed as an interaction ‘twixt God and you. With others – believers, unbelievers, angels, demons – thrown in for good measure. The clever bit is to learn from hindsight, and to watch out for on-coming clues. Here’s the name of one set of clues:

Coincidences.

Don’t let your little rationalist friends fool you on this. You know the type – you tell them about something you needed and prayed about and God somehow supplied. ‘Coincidence’, they shrug.

Tell 'em to get real; get a life; get a dictionary.

Coincidence means, purely and simply, something that happens at the same place and time as something else. It does not (let’s shout that word: NOT) mean ‘accidental’. So it is up to you to decide that a coincidence is an Act of God. Get that one right and you’re onto a winner. Or, as scripture puts it more elegantly: ‘In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths’. Same difference.

So look for coincidences. We’re right in the slap-ban middle of a bit of the Lord’s leadings as we tap these words into the computer. It’ll be a full article when the dust settles, but as of now it’s like crossing a swirling river on stepping stones that appear just one at a time. Lots of fun. And with enough God-type clever twists to impress even hard-bitten old cynics like us.

(No – that was a joke; the sort where emailers put a smiley face to show they’re only kidding. The fact is, we’re still just kids, still impressed out of our socks at what the Boss does. Sure, we know that – technically – He can do everything from creating the universe to brewing gallons of grog for a local wedding, but when it involves us, as in personally, we tend to break into a tap-dance in the middle of the street. Crazy.)

Recognise the coincidences as they happen, and you build up your faith. You find the joy factor even in deep trouble. You don’t spook at setbacks. And (to a limited extent – because we still tend to grumble) you accept that there really is a purpose in some of the baffling tangles that life sometimes engineers – and one day (maybe not until that Day) you’ll say ‘Of course!’ and really understand.

You see, like we said, this is just the apprenticeship. We have to take on trust what big project we’ll be on once we qualify. Scripture only throws out somewhat breathless hints, like ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, what God has prepared for those who love Him’.

So, okay, there needn’t be any cute ’n’ corny Hollywood happy-ever-after in this life, because the real ta-dah, wow-ee, this-is-it must wait until Jesus returns to take the surrender of planet Earth. That’s when we qualify.

For example, think of Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat in Budapest during WWII. Instead of being content with the playboy life of an heir to an ancient European banking fortune, he totally dedicated himself to rescuing Jews from being deported to the Nazi death camps, even facing down the coldly calculating Adolph Eichman, entrusted by Hitler with the task of achieving the Final Solution.

Raoul Wallenberg and a small embassy staff produced documents to convince the Nazis that many Jews were in fact Swedish citizens. He requisitioned dozens of large buildings, making them Swedish - neutral – territory, thus legally out-of-bounds to German investigation.

Upwards of one hundred thousand Jews had their lives snatched from death by this man. We met the son of one such person: Tommy Lapid, the outspoken, larger-than-life MK (Israeli member of parliament).

Clearly, someone like Raoul Wallenberg who pushed his way into the stinking, overcrowded cattle trucks to thrust Swedish ID papers into desperate Jewish hands with a total disregard for his own safety – clearly such a man is slated for a reward from God. But that wasn't destined to happen when the war ended in 1945.

Raoul left the Swedish embassy, having survived Eichman’s threats and attempts on his life, only to be kidnapped by the Soviets and end his days jailed somewhere in Siberia.

The Russians claimed he died in 1947. Released prisoners report meeting him even in recent times. Some people still believe him to be alive.

But why, why, why?

Those who know the ways of the Lord better than we do, will say it’s ‘unfinished business’. And one day, Raoul Wallenberg and you and we will understand. We will say ‘Of course!’. We will rejoice at what makes complete sense.

John the Baptiser. Yrmiyahu, better known by us as Jeremiah. Early Christians under Nero. Latimer and Ridley.

And a Swede named Raoul.

Plus heaven knows how many others.

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