Issue 7.13
Serendipity is defined as….fate, destiny, providence, chance, luck, a natural gift for making useful discoveries by accident. Other words that I’d use are: coincidence, inspiration, intuition, hunches, answers to prayers, etc. Here are some examples of serendipity in my life.
One day at church I sat by a new couple. Instead of ignoring them, I decided to keep my New Year’s resolution of reaching out to others. After introducing myself, I asked a few questions to get to know them better. Because our church group had been divided, many are us were new to each other. With only a few minutes to converse before our class began, I was happy to have done something rather than nothing by getting out of my comfort zone. When I went to my next meeting imagine my surprise and delight to discover that I had been assigned to visit teach none other than the stranger I had just met. Life is truly interesting. Look for serendipity in your everyday life.
Don’t you love it when happy little accidents occur? When you meet special people and feel an instant friendship like you’ve known this person for a long time. Working on a new book entitled Discover Your Voice After Divorce, I needed someone with therapy experience with divorced individuals to assist me. So, who should I meet at church but––a new woman just moved into our area who is a retired therapist with a wealth of experience to share and TIME! She and her husband sat next to us. She and I later met and brainstormed for 2.5 hours on ideas for my book. What an unexpected blessing, plus a new friend. Serendipity at work!
It can happen anywhere, not just in a church setting. It’s amazing to review how you met your companion or that special friend that has been a big influence on your life or how you came to move to a certain neighborhood or were hired for a job that became a fulfilling career. Much of this can only be described as divine intervention or happy accidents or SERENDIPITY. I met my husband, who lived in New Mexico at the time, at a singles dance in Provo, Utah where I lived then. He was visiting his daughter at BYU and just happened to come to the same dance I was attending. We met, started long distance dating and were married nine months later. Serendipity! NEXT TIME: Networking. Want some new ideas for family home evenings, try Lin’s book FHE for Empty Nesters and Singles available in print for $10 or e-book format from amazon.com for $4.99. Contact Lin for more info 628-8522 or lin@sunrivertoday.com