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My atheist friend doesn't believe it was God who helped me. How can I explain clearer to her?

When I first came to the United States, I planned to obtain my green card. Me and my atheist friend came to the united states at the same time. " I am going to look for an American guy to do business marriage with," my atheist friend told me. " Alright," I replied. "Are you going to search for one as well?" she asked. "No," I replied. " How will you get your green card then?" she asked. "God will give it to me," I replied. " Good luck with that," she responded. While I was on my 4 month vacation in the USA, I blessingly found a job, a babysitting job. And the people I worked for, and still working for, are doctors. I explained to them that I ran away from my former country as a result of poverty and would like to apply for my green card here in the USA. The doctors told me that they wish me the very best. I spoke to the Lord about this. I told him I don't want to get married for the green card. I want the green card through Christ and not men. 4 months later, the doctors I work for told me that they both have discussed my case and decided to help me. They loan me some heavy money so that I could apply for my green card, and they took care of the rest for me, such as signed papers and all of that. In simple words, they sponsored me. My atheist friend found a man, married him, and got turned down by the immigration 5 times. She couldn't understand why... 2 years later after having applied for my green card, I was contacted by the immigration. And yes, II got my green card!!! " Seems like you are very lucky," my atheist friend said referring to how fast I got my green card. " No, I was not lucky. I knew I would have gotten it, because I took my concern to the Lord," I eplied. " There is no evidence that God exists. Therefore, there is no God," she said. " Alright. You can always keep saying that while I go work myself some cash and get closer to my God," I told her. She didn't reply. However, I still wanted her to know that God was the one who helped me, but I just couldn't come up with a better explanation. How can I explain to my atheist friend that God was who indeed gave me the green card?

Public Comments

1. (Miku!) If you're being completely serious, someone who does not believe in the existence of God will NEVER believe you.
2. I smell a troll.
3. You made a positive impression on secular powers, and they granted your green card. End of story.
4. and your question is? this whole entire thing is a statement, I don't even feel like trolling in our question, thats how lame it is
5. I believe in God but I feel bad for that lovely couple who helped you , when you give all the credit to someone else
6. Your friend is correct. Listen to her. The USCIS gave you a green card. Check the return address on the envelope.
7. If God gave you your green card, then why were you dealing with INS? On the contrary, isn't it INS who gave you the green card, because you did the right thing (unlike your friend, marrying for a green card is a crime) which was to work hard and show you planned to be a productive member of society? You know, when you said "God gave you your green card" I was expecting you to say he'd reached out from the heavens, hand extended to you, some booming voice said, "You are my child, here is your green card!" Hardly a miracle to open a letter from INS and get your green card, you know?
8. She doesn't understand because she has denied his existence. You have to experience him to know he's there, and he won't be there in tangible ways for people who deny him.
9. I'm sure your compassionate doctors would really appreciate that all their work on your behalf wasn't necessary, since "God" pretty much had things in hand.
10. that has nothing to do with god. it has everything to do with our immigration system. employer sponsorship is a bureaucratic process which takes its time but in the end it's guaranteed. unlike spousal sponsorship which is more of an interrogation process plus the legal process. once the department of labor accepts your application the immigration has no reason to deny you the green card. a marriage application is almost always treated with suspicion from the immigration officials. if you think that your god would let people starve to death while he watches them die in agony but looks out for your immigration status then your god is a worthless piece of crap that doesn't deserve any worship.
11. This sounds as fake as this other story you wrote: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AoCe7mHpHgy_kH_zi2GH0e_ty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20091120134928AANIzsO&show=7#profile-info-iPmMsyLPaa I don't know how to convince your "friend" God is real, but I suggest that making up stories and trying to pass them off as real is a pretty bad way to do it. Your friend will likely see through the poorly constructed strawmen.
12. So you getting your green card had nothing to do with the doctors who hired you, your own hard work, some fortunate circumstances, etc. -- "god" did it? Let me ask you this, then: supposedly "god" is really big on free will -- we humans have free will to do as we please, and "god" won't ever violate that, right? Yet if "god" influenced those doctors to sponsor you, that "godly" influence violated their free will. Oops...contradiction. One of many in christianity and every other religion. You found nice people, you worked hard, and you got lucky. Magical "gods" had nothing to do with it. Peace.
13. First... Congratulations on getting your green card. Also, I like that you weren't afraid to let your friend know that God indeed blessed you. Now, I would love to tell you a thing or two that could help your friend believe, but no matter what you say... your friend will not understand. Unless that person has experienced God and his truth for themselves, you can not tell them anything... Why? Because they will not listen. The best thing you can do for you friend, is to pray and ask God to show her the truth. Ask God to let his light shine through you, so that you can be an example for your friend... God bless...:)
14. Get God to tell her it was him. Good luck with that.
15. she's thinking about it.. let her be.
16. Your story is called an anecdote. No matter how much your believe and how good what happened to you was it doesn't prove anything. People have had good things happen to them regardless of which god they believed in and people who believe in no gods such as myself have had wonderful things happen to them! Your experience isn't proof of anything but your own indoctrination into your religion. Plenty of people who believe in various gods and no gods have had horrible things happen to them as well and that equally proves nothing in regard to the existence of the supernatural, in fact it proves the opposite, that you have to make your own good luck, that random things happen to everyone, and there's no reason to think one god or any god exists nor cares about you nor hears nor obeys your prayers. If you could control a god by prayer then you would be a god yourself! In regard to your specific example, I'm an atheist and my wife is a non-practicing catholic with almost no religious indoctrination, and she was in Indonesia and I in the US and we met online, fell in love via webcam, I maxed out my credit card to fly 8000 miles to meet her, brought her back to the US, got married and we've been together for over six years. Prayer had nothing to do with it. I did it.
17. " Alright. You can always keep saying that while I go work myself some cash and get closer to my God," Did you just say that cash brings you closer to God? It wasn't god that got you a green card. It was two human beings who chose to help you. Your friend didn't get her green card because she went about it in a dishonest fashion.