When Life Changes Course

God intervenes in our lives in very real, very direct, and very visible ways. They aremoments when something happens, big or small, that causes a Course Change.

You experienced a Moment of Grace when you picked up this book.

There are many ways that The Divine moves in our lives, especially when we open to thepossibility of miracles. Once we have unlocked the door in our psyche to the potentiality ofbeing touched by God in ways we could only imagine in our dreams, then those dreamsbegin to come true.

A few years ago I wrote a book called Conversations with God which captured attentionthroughout the world. I believe that book was directly inspired by God during Moments ofGrace. And I am very clear that I am not the only one receiving such inspirations andexperiencing such moments. For if Conversations with God taught us anything, it is thatGod talks to all of us, all of the time. Yet we can hear God only when we are open tolistening.

Let those who have ears to hear, listen.

But now here is the startling news. God not only has conversations with us, God visits usevery day, in person.

This book is all about such visits. It will create a course change in your life because it isabout real people, just like you. It is not the story of masters or gurus or saints or sages,but about ordinary folk who have had a "run in with God"—and never forgot it. Because itis about real people living lives just like yours and mine, it is very convincing on thequestion of whether there is Another Force at work in our lives.

In my own mind that Force is called God. You may call it anything you wish. Whatever youcall it—coincidence, serendipity, synchronicity, luck, intuition, inspiration—you will find itvery difficult, after reading this book, to deny that it is there. Right there. In our lives. Everyday. Working miracles. Making magic. Changing everything.

It happens in everyone's life. Janice Tooke, 43, of Herkimer, New York, says it happenedin her life this way ...

My 11-year-old son and I were on our way downstate to camp and sail on the HudsonRiver. During the two-hour drive we listened, as we always do when we are in the cartogether, to Conversations with God.

On this warm sunshine-filled August afternoon we noted that we had seen many, manymonarch butterflies during our trip. Feeling full of light and love as we sailed lazily along, Ienvisioned Jesus in my mind, standing in a field, arms outstretched, calling forth manybutterflies. They came as bidden, orange and black and beautiful, and covered him fully,alighting on his arms, his hands, and his head. It was a beautiful image, and it broughtcalmness to my heart.

Feeling in that moment that I was one with God, I also imagined myself calling forth thebutterflies in much the same manner. It was a beautiful moment in my mind. I wanted it tocontinue. I wanted it to never end.

Then my human doubts crept in. Maybe I'm making it all up, I thought. All these feelingsand visions are nothing but creations of my own imagination. I felt frustrated. I wishedthere was some way that I could know that God is real, and that I am part of Him.

At that moment, I asked God to show me a sign and reveal Himself to me in a tangibleway during this trip. I didn't want to have to wait any longer. I wanted it to happen duringthis trip, right here, right now. I even used "I Am" words to call it forth. I said, "I Am going tobe given a sign."

That evening we camped on an island. The next morning brought a beautiful sunrise tothe river. The sunshine sparkled off the water into my eyes as I shook myself awake.While I sat at the picnic table watching waves on the beach, a large monarch butterflyswooped own out of nowhere and began dancing in front of my face. It startled me as itcircled once around the top of the tent in which my son was still sleeping.

I immediately said, "Oh, how beautiful you are. Come and see me!" Reaching out myhand, I watched, astonished, as the butterfly alit there!

It was so beautiful! Its orange and black wings were huge and perfect, and it sat still forseveral seconds there in the palm of my hand. My son awoke hearing my voice, andsticking his head out of the tent, saw the butterfly on my hand.

We were both amazed.

Of course, I knew who sent this gift. I have the knowing because I called it forth. And Iknow that I can call it forth, and that we all can, in moments of gratitude and praise, andpure at-one-ment with All That Is.

Now if you're not careful you could look right past the magnificence of that moment. Oryou could agree that it was kind of neat, but that it proved nothing, and that Janice isstretching things to say that it did.

But what would you tell Bill Colson, of Ogden, Utah?

My father's breathing had become difficult, labored. He'd been lingering between life anddeath for days. The whole family was there, keeping the vigil.

Wracked by cancer, Dad's weakened body—which seemed to be disappearing right infront of our eyes—shook now and then with what I could only assume were spasms ofpain. He'd gone past any ability to complain about it, not having spoken a word, noropened his eyes, in 72 hours.

"My God," my mother said softly at one point, sitting at the side of his bed, "how long canthis go on?"

It was after one o'clock in the morning, and the poor dear was exhausted. We all were. Butthey'd been married 61 years, and there was nothing and no one going to take Mom awayfrom that bedside now.

That's when I had my conversation with God.

"Must he suffer like this?" I asked Him, silently, urgently, in my heart. "He's been a goodman, God. And he's finished his work here. There's nothing left undone, there's nothingmore to complete. Please. Won't You take him now? Won't You stop his pain? If You'rehere, God—and I know You are—please, let this end."

At that instant, Dad's breathing became less labored. Within three minutes he slippedaway. Gently. Like falling into a deeper sleep.

My eyes filled with tears. I never doubted God before. I'll certainly never, ever doubt Himagain.

Coincidence? Synchronicity? I don't think so.

A Moment of Grace? Yes.

Moments of Grace are those times when God intervenes in our lives in very real, verydirect, and very visible ways. They are moments when something happens, big or small,that causes a Course Change.

You experienced a Moment of Grace when you picked up this book.

There Are Many...