A popular myth tells the tale of a wealthy family who visited an even wealthier family in the 1930s to make use of their swimming pool. Their children were delighted, but on the last day tragedy struck. The smallest boy was drowning.

Alec, the gardener’s son, heard the children screaming and raced to the pool, dived in and saved the little boy. The boy’s father immediately went to Mr Fleming, the gardener, and asked, ’What can I do for you?’ The gardener replied. ‘We don’t want anything, sir. He was only doing his duty’. ‘Ah, but there must be something I can do for your boy?’ ‘Well,’ said the gardener, ‘Ever since he could talk he has always wanted to be a doctor.’ The gentleman shook Mr Fleming’s hand. ‘He shall have the best medical training Britain can provide.’

Many years later at the close of the 1943 Tehran Conference Winston Churchill was stricken with pneumonia and at risk of dying. The King of England sent Dr Alexander Fleming, who had a key role in the discovery of penicillin, to treat Churchill and he recovered fully.

Not long afterwards Churchill announced to the press that Dr Fleming had actually saved his life twice! Alexander Fleming was the gardener’s son who saved little Winston from drowning so many years before.

This story is disputed, but those of us who believe in God see apparent ‘coincidences’ like this differently. For us, life is not random. We are not mere puppets of fate. Each one of us has a God-given purpose and can play our part in a greater destiny.  

Written by John Pickering, www.onelight2beyond.com

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