Coincidence or God Acting Anonymously?

What do you call it when something occurs in your life, and you wonder how or why did that happen? Like seeing someone unexpectedly you had been thinking about, or receiving  telephone call or text message from someone you had  been wanting to talk with; or seeing a certain saying or something along the street or in your home that especially resonates with you, bringing back good memories, and perhaps even motivating you to some meaningful action.  Perhaps the experience gives you a feeling of being connected, excited, or  inspired  with a feeling that something bigger is happening out there than what we can see or logically explain.

 We may call our meaningful events a coincidence, chance, synchronicity, or God acting anonymously, and perhaps feel  intrigued with the feeling of magic, mystery, and surprise when life hands us something we can’t explain.

 About three years ago I attended a lecture by Carol Lynn Pearson .  She talked about her new book, “Embracing Coincidence”  She tells us when we experience meaningful coincidences that get our attention, they help us contact the magical, spiritual side of our lives, and she encourages us to be open, to pay attention and to have gratitude for each day.

Whenever my sister and I see a coin, especially a penny, on the ground, we always pick it up and say a big hello to our mom.  Our mother died a few years ago, but when she was alive whenever she saw a coin on the ground, she picked it up,  and reminded us in an excited voice, that it was good luck and it was a reminder to “Keep smiling.”

When our mom’s mind was kidnapped by Alzheimer Disease, she would still get a kick out of finding a coin on the ground, and the smile on her face as she bent over to pick up her treasure, was a treat to my sister and me.

It has been a fun and rewarding to me many times over the  past few  years when I have been at a place in my life when I felt overwhelmed, sad, and even vulnerable, to  find a coin on the ground.  As I pick it up , the magic works.  I say, “Hi Mom thank you!”

Talking with friends and family about their experiences with chance, coincidence, or whatever term you choose to label special happenings, is an interesting topic.  A few weeks ago a friend of mine, Greg,  told me a story about an experience he had recently.  He was on a road trip with a couple of friends, and they drove through a small seaside town, and a church with a tall steeple stood out from the other buildings.  Greg’s  father had died a few months ago, and   he had been dealing with the normal feelings of life review and loss, so when he saw the church  he wanted to go inside and say a prayer.  One of the other people with Greg is going through chemotherapy, and she was more than happy with the idea of taking time to visit the church.  They were pleased to find the front door open.  Inside,  they saw a  small altar with an arrangement of votive candles for the offering of prayers.  Greg lit a candle and then sat down to say a prayer.  As he was praying, he became aware of a patch of sunlight streaming in through the tall narrow stain glass windows.  He looked up towards the sunlight, and read the donor’s name at the bottom of the colorful window.  The first two names,  Thomas Robert , are Greg’s father’s first and middle name.

Greg said he felt like he received a message telling him everything was fine with his dad, and he felt  a sense of calmness and love.  I asked him if he told his mother about his experience, and he said, “Oh yes, I called her that evening.”

Carol Lynn Pearson believes that we need to be open and alert for those special coincidences in our lives.  I think the season of Advent is a perfect time for us to be reminded to have gratitude and be more aware of everyday events ,  to be in the moment,  and to nurture the spiritual side of our lives, living our faith. 

If a meaningful coincidence happens to me, and I can’t explain how it happened, that’s fine with me.  I say, take the moment, and wrap your heart around it . 

Terry Tempest Williams states,

“Faith is the centerpiece of a connected life.  It allows us to live by the grace of invisible strands.  It is a belief in a wisdom superior to our own.  Faith becomes a teacher in the absence of fact.”

Blessings,
Connie I. Clark