SQuire Rushnell: The Wink of God

CBN.com MORE THAN JUST COINCIDENCE
When God Winks at You is a compilation of more real life stories about people and their "God winks." SQuire defines a "God wink" as a personal communication from God to an individual, which is usually a circumstance or event that seems like coincidence but is too personal to be so. They are messages of reassurance and encouragement from God throughout one's life to reassure an individual that he or she is on the right track. "God winks" are like sign posts -- sign posts usually don't direct you; they reassure you of where you are going. Sometimes we wonder if God really listens to us directly, and a "God wink" can be a direct response to that.

SQuire says one should take an archeological dig, so to speak, into his or her past. If one looks back at key moments, turning points, transitions in his or her life (new job, wedding, etc.), he or she can see "God winks." If one does dig into one's past, he or she can uncover "God winks," and these can unfold into the future. Skeptics can dismiss these coincidences, or "God winks," through math and science equations, but they still exist. What are the odds? We need hope in these times of uncertainty so that we can move toward certainty. SQuire says that the things that we are uncertain about are the things we worry about the most.

SQuire says on the road of one's life there will be traffic jams, accidents and things we can't explain why. These are different than "God winks." We have free will and things God has purposed for us – we use patience and perseverance to get around the road blocks, etc. and get on with our lives. But we have to step out in faith and we shouldn't live in fear. In the Bible, faith without action really isn't faith. SQuire urges people to get out there and head toward their destinies. Many times people will wait for their destiny to come to them, but people have to step out.

SQuire researched hundreds of coincidence stories in hopes that a new perspective on synchronistic events would help others to enrich their own lives. SQuire says that "God winks" are coincidences that occur in our lives that prove we are under the influence of a cosmic guidance system.

“God is watching us, and 'God winks' are messages of hope that come when we need them the most,” says SQuire. These little miracles, which often go by unnoticed, are usually turning-point memories that defy mathematical odds.

“Our lives are not random experiences taking us to destinations unknown,” says SQuire. “Our lives are part of a much greater plan.”

SQuire and his wife, Louise DuArt, met through a series of "God winks" that emerged as Louise reflected on her career.

PERSONAL GOD WINKS
SQuire says God leads him to most of the stories he finds. The story of Stasia Kelly was given to SQuire by Stasia's husband. Stasia is the daughter of the famous, sad-faced clown, Emmett Kelly. She was taking a plane from Denver bound for Sarasota. That morning, her father's face had been on the front page of the morning paper announcing his death.

The night before, she talked to him on the telephone. He had sounded out of character and was reminiscing about his life. He regarded the day he asked her mother to marry him and the day Stasia was born as the happiest days of his life. A photographer even captured the only picture of Emmett smiling, the day Stasia was born. Stasia knew that her father guarded his trademark frown so carefully that he never allowed himself to be photographed smiling, so this was a rare and special picture that was famous worldwide.

As Stasia was sitting on the plane, she had a copy of the morning paper and an old paper with the picture of her father smiling. She reflected about the picture of her father smiling and it struck her that he was smiling about her. She began to cry. The man on the plane next to her asked her if she was all right. She whispered "yes" and that her father died this morning. The man's face turned ashen as he told Stasia he was the man who took the picture. A peace suddenly overcame her and she felt that her father was by God's side smiling down at her. The photographer, Frank Beatty, and Stasia became good friends. He even was the photographer at her wedding.

Another story from When God Winks at You is the story of Ken Gaub. Ken was going through a period of uncertainty with his ministry. In the 1980's is family did an entertainment ministry that they would take to churches, schools, and the back roads of America traveling fifty-thousand miles a year. On one trip, a couple of his sons were driving. They kept in touch between the cars with a CB radio. One son told the other to stop at an exit. While his family went to a diner, Ken decided to take a walk. He walked by a gas station and an empty phone booth. The phone began to ring. Ken stopped and looked around, but the phone kept ringing. He thought it might be for the attendant or an emergency. Because he thought it may be an emergency, he picked up the phone. An operator on the line said it was a person to person call for him, Ken Gaub! He thought it was a joke, but continued. The operator repeated that the call was for him. Ken went ahead with the call. On the other end of the phone was a woman named Millie who had seen him on The 700 Club. She remembered his name and wrote it in the suicide note she was writing. When Ken asked her how she got the number, she said it just came to mind while she was writing her suicide note. Ken explained where he was, but then explained how God was watching over her, that her worries were temporary, and God was the only answer and she would find peace thru Jesus. After a few years, Ken met Millie face to face performing on the road. Today, Ken is still on the road.

GOD WINKS AT SQUIRE
God even winked with When God Winks, the previous book in the "God Winks" series. SQuire and Louise were praying to get the book on the Oprah Winfrey show in 2004. They were assigned a producer from the show, but it kept getting postponed. SQuire and Louise kept praying. SQuire got discouraged because nothing seemed to happen and it was almost time for the show to take a hiatus for the summer. Three days later, a friend of SQuire's and Louise's said she was watching the Oprah show and Oprah had just held up SQuire's book! Oprah had been giving a tour of her home and went to one of the bedrooms where there was a pile of books. She picked up the top one, which was SQuire's, and said how much she liked it. He started receiving calls because of Oprah's unsolicited plug of his book. His book was on the top seller at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. This showed the power of prayer and a God wink also because the Oprah show with his book happened to be pre-taped show. This was reaffirmation of the power of prayer and faith – God had a bigger plan and answered SQuire's and Louise's prayers weeks in advance.