Is a serendipity a thing? My friends, nothing happens by chance. God is always in control.
I found two definitions for serendipity.
- From Merriam Webster: the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for.
- From Google: the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
As I said, I don’t believe anything happens by chance or, closely related to serendipity, dumb luck. The authors won’t be happy, but I’m throwing out the parts about “phenomenon” and “by chance.”
I don’t know about you, but I like what’s left in the Google definition much better, especially the part about “a happy or beneficial way.” Isn’t that what we would all like? Life fitting together like a beautiful mosaic, without cracked or missing pieces. And many vibrant colors presenting a magnificent scene. Or maybe something more peaceful and serene is your preference.
When we look at these beautiful works of art, you can believe that they didn’t come together by chance. The artist found a place to install it, drew out the design, gathered materials, and may have hired artisans to help. The artist was in control of the outcome.
Our lives are also like those mosaics pieced together over time, sometimes the design doesn’t seem right. We might feel unfulfilled as if something is lacking, bland, and void of vibrance. Or we could feel like we live in chaos with jagged edges and a whirlwind of activity overwhelming our senses at every turn.
Patience, friend, God isn’t finished yet.
What is a serendipitist?
A serendipitist is “one who finds valuable or agreeable things not sought for.”
The serendipitist is not intentional. From the definition, we see that these “things are not sought for.” They aren’t looking but simply seeing the best.
- Could it be they are paying attention to the details?
- Do they approach life from a positive, open, and expectant perspective, allowing them to recognize the valuable or agreeable others might miss?
- How does one become a serendipitist?
Okay, by now, you’ve figured out that I like this new word, serendipitist, but that doesn’t mean that believe in serendipity.
Nope. Not yet.
Let’s look at this from a spiritual perspective
I believe that God is in control and that He has a plan waiting for each one of us to live out (Jerimiah 29:11). With that in mind, we can be intentional by choosing:
- to seek out the happy or beneficial way of each experience,
- by trusting God, and
- believing He will complete what He began in us (Philippians 1:6)
With a spiritual rather than serendipitous perspective, we begin to see what God has done sooner or later. The pieces come together to form a beautiful story with sparkling rays of light and, yes, even some dark shadows. But all of it comes together, revealing the full concept with which the Artist began.
Not only to have a relationship with us, giving us a future and hope. But also to experience joy and peace in a harsh world. And finally, to spend eternity in heaven with Him.
What’s not to smile about! Be joyful, my friends, and intentionally seek God’s happy, beneficial, valuable, and agreeable gifts.
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
— Matthew 7:7
Joyful reflections
- How does having a spiritual outlook lend greater insight for finding the happy or beneficial path? The valuable and agreeable?
- Look back over your life with intentionality to identify the valuable and beneficial aspects of a specific experience.
- Take some time in prayer this week, asking God to reveal what you can’t yet see about His plan for your life, and trust Him to reveal it to you (1 John 5:14-15)
This post is part of the #Write28Days writing challenge. The prompt today is SERENDIPITY. Check out the other great writers participating in this challenge. Thanks to Anita Ojeda for hosting the event.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serendipity
Google (definition)
Photo credit: https://blog.mozaico.com/the-most-famous-mosaic-artists/; https://blog.mozaico.com/mosaic-art-ethnic-designs/
