An Easter reflection on faith, coincidences, and open doors

I first went to church in 1996. It's easy to take three decades of good things for granted, so here's my attempt to pen them down, this Easter Sunday.

Starting from curiosity

Truth be told, I was merely intrigued by popular bible verses initially. Avid reader that I was, I thought they sounded really smart and full of wise nuggets.

So when a stranger approached me on the streets one day to visit a church, I said: sure.

It was only much later that I realised just how profound the Bible truly was. How the threads of so many seemingly disparate stories coalesced into a single, cohesive tapestry of God's plan for mankind.

God of coincidences

Some believe because of miraculous healings or answered prayers. For me, what stood out was how the coincidences kept piling up, until they stopped feeling like coincidences.

I'd loved technology since I was young and went on to study IT. I had no plan to become a writer. But a chance writing gig 18 years ago pulled me in a completely different direction. Looking back, so many doors opened at just the right time: editorial, marketing, and others. And I loved every bit of it. There's no way I could have planned it better.

Then there was the adjunct lecturer role I'd really wanted. They kept asking: what else can you show us? Stumped, I finally showed them a web project I had done just a few months earlier. It worked, and I was accepted. Later, I realised I was the least qualified, least experienced, and youngest of all the adjunct lecturers in that batch. That tough web gig I did to raise money for a church fundraiser? It got me through the door.

And there were many, many more.

Place of decision

I wasn't planning to write today. But 30 years of looking back changes how you look forward. You start to see the many coincidences, the seeming detours, the doors that opened at the right time. None of it was random.

When life puts you at a crossroads, there are really only three places you can stand.

• Regret: "If only."
• Fear: "What if."
• Faith: "Even if."

I know where I stand. Happy Easter.