By Divine Design

By Elder Ronald A. Rasband, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (excerpts from his Oct 2017 general conference address)

Elder Neal A. Maxwell once explained: "You and I may call these intersectings ‘coincidence’ ... but coincidence is not an appropriate word to describe the workings of an omniscient God. He does not do things by ‘coincidence’ but … by ‘divine design.’”
Our lives are like a chessboard, and the Lord moves us from one place to another—if we are responsive to spiritual promptings. Looking back, we can see His hand in our lives.
President Thomas S. Monson said, "“There is a guiding hand above all things. Often when things happen, it’s not by accident. One day, when we look back at the seeming coincidences of our lives, we will realize that perhaps they weren’t so coincidental after all.”
Through the experience of my own life’s journey, I know that the Lord will move us on that seeming chessboard to do His work. What may appear to be a random chance is, in fact, overseen by a loving Father in Heaven, who can number the hairs of every head.  ...The Lord is in the small details of our lives, and those incidents and opportunities are to prepare us to lift our families and others as we build the kingdom of God on earth. 
The Lord placed me in a home with loving parents. By the world’s standards, they were very ordinary people; my father, a devoted man, was a truck driver; my angel mother, a stay-at-home mom. The Lord helped me find my lovely wife, Melanie; He prompted a businessman, who became a dear friend, to give me an employment opportunity. The Lord called me to serve in the mission field, both as a young man and as a mission president; He called me to the Quorum of the Seventy; and now He has called me as an Apostle. Looking back, I realize I did not orchestrate any of those moves; the Lord did, just as He is orchestrating important moves for you and for those you love.
What should you be looking for in your own life? What are God’s miracles that remind you that He is close, saying, “I am right here”? Think of those times, some daily, when the Lord has acted in your life—and then acted again. Treasure them as moments the Lord has shown confidence in you and in your choices. But allow Him to make more of you than you can make of yourself on your own. Treasure His involvement. Sometimes we consider changes in our plans as missteps on our journey. Think of them more as first steps to being “on the Lord’s errand.”
Heavenly Father can put us in situations with specific intent in mind. He has done so in my life, and He is doing so in yours.
“I know with all my heart that Heavenly Father knows each of us and that He continues to place us in each other’s paths for a reason."
When we see God working through us and with us, may we be encouraged, even grateful for that guidance. 
The Lord’s hand is guiding you. By “divine design,” He is in the small details of your life as well as the major milestones. 

Take a moment to write up a time when the Lord showed you a tender mercy (as evidenced by the timing and consequences that it was no coincidence!)