Meaningful Coincidences

I picked up a book during lunch in the staff room the other day. It was called Consider the Butterfly. It looked like my best choice from the selections, and I hate not to have something to read while I eat, so I took it.

It looked a bit new-agey for my taste, but I figured I could always put it back. I don't care for books that pussy-foot around or ignore the religious aspect of life. Oh, they'll say "spiritual" but meaning it comes from your own spirit, or they'll refer to "the Universe" making something happen instead of God. Yeah, not my thing.

This book however mentioned God right off the bat, so that was ok. The subtitle is "Transforming Your Life Through Meaningful Coincidence", and she does refer to "the Universe", but I forgive her that since it's obvious she's one of faith.

The book is a collection of "synchronicities" in her life. Little things that have all come together and given her a message or reassurance or added to her faith. We all have things like this that happen. She points out that we should write them down, share them, act on them, enjoy them.

I've had many times of meaningful coincidences and now I want to look back and start remembering them. A lot of time I find synchronicities in numbers. Just last week I had many leading up to my teaching a lesson at church on "Service":

1. Happening upon a newspaper article about vandalism to a local cemetary and how a day was set aside to try to restore it, and how it was expected that a handful of volunteers would show, and 130 people showed up.

2. Taking my girls to their Church activity where they made cookies and valentines to give, and the lesson was on service.

3. We had a substitute in our classroom, and when she found out we desperately needed art supplies she cleaned out her storage and arrived the next day with boxes and boxes of wonderful things for our kids to create with.

4. And then having a youth speaker on Sunday give a talk on serving others just before it was time for me to teach my lesson.

Synchronicity. Gotta love it. I know it is our Heavenly Father taking care of us, answering prayers, helping us, giving us hope, knowledge, laughter, faith.

Oh and the author's name is Carol Lynn Pearson. I ALMOST named my little Nat, Carolynn. "Carol" after my mom, and "Lynn" for my sister's middle name. She got Carol as her middle name instead and was born on my sister's birthday, but this very tiny meaningful coincidence wasn't lost on me.