Have you ever had one of those experiences where God so clearly and undeniably orchestrated a situation that it just made you smile? Those times are especially sweet when the circumstance is totally inconsequential. That’s when I envision our Heavenly Father looking down and blowing a little kiss from heaven, just for fun.

Recently I received a relatively lengthy Facebook message from a stranger. My mad speed-reading skills kicked in and at first glance all that registered was that her daughter is the adorable little blondie on the cover of Don’t Waste Your Time Homeschooling: 72 Things I Wish I’d Known.

Oddly, my first instinct was to panic. Had the very reputable and capable artist who designed the cover neglected to get copyright permissions for the photo? Was the mom an angry atheist demanding I remove her daughter’s face was from a Christian homeschooling book? When I slowed down just a bit and began to read the entire message, it became clear the fears were a waste of energy:

Cute story! Last month I searched for a book on Amazon for my cousin about homeschooling. Your book “Don’t Waste Your Time Homeschooling” came up third in my search! It caught me off-guard because who should be pictured on the front of your book but… our daughter!! My husband is a photographer who posted her image on a stock photo website years ago, and we have seen this photo pop up in multiple places. But the best part about seeing her on your front cover? She is homeschooled!!  Maybe you could somehow tell when you chose this photo?!? Of course I had to buy your book! We thought you might appreciate hearing this crazy story. God has a great sense of humor!

Indeed. God has a great sense of humor, and a way of making himself known in even the most minute ways. What are the odds? Neither the artist nor I had any way of knowing this little darling was homeschooled. An estimated three to four percent of students in the U.S. are homeschooled, but I can’t find any hard statistics about the worldwide numbers. (Stock photo sites usually include submissions from all over the world.) I am no mathematician, but this seems beyond coincidence.

The mom and I have exchanged a few messages, including her permission to share this great story, and the fact that the gorgeous puppy pictured on the cover is not theirs. They were at a party and a neighbor’s dog had simply wandered over to play when the shot was taken and homeschool history was made.

And if the doggie’s mom tracks me down, I’ll try not to panic.