I’m wondering this morning a bit how synchronicity/grace/”good luck” works. As I posted on Facebook this morning:
This morning I was awakened by a call from my friend Trish, rapidly followed by a call from my friend Bill – both of whom called to report that someone was hit at the train station in my town and thus the commuter train would be massively delayed today. I have a big job interview in the city and was planning to take the train.
- Receptivity. I am receptive to, in my world view, having God be the Boss of Me. So I look for Her direction. There’s a Bob Dylan line that relates to a love affair, but fits here: “I’ll see you in the stars above, in the tall grass, in the ones I love” – like that. Being open to miracles increases our chance of encountering them
- Preparing the field. I meditate – not as often as I want to or would benefit from, but I still take time to open up to All That Is. I think that helps.
- Belief. A woman I dated several years ago said to me “Does everything HAVE to mean something?” I thought to myself “well, everything DOES – we can choose to see it or not….” I believe that if I’m still and listen I will be guided. And so I am.
- Trust that God has my highest good in mind. I had NO plans to drive to the city. I LOVE taking the train – I truly do. It’s quiet time, I can get things done, or just lollygag - but it’s zero stress. Now in addition to the stress of interviewing I have Chicago traffic. Not what I had planned for today. At all. But it’s a way better day for me than the person who got hit or that poor train engineer. And for me, I trust God has some higher good in mind for me, even it is only to learn patience. She CLEARLY thinks I’m a remedial student in that class – Patience – as She keeps sending me back to school for another lesson there.
I’ll be praying today for those people – the one who got hit, his/her family, the train engineer, the people who are stuck at train stations all up and down the tracks and will be hours late for wherever they are going.
And I’ll trust that my day – including my Big Deal Job Interview will go exactly as it should. Even if it doesn’t go exactly as The Great Me has planned. Thank goodness I’m not driving this bus alone!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Diane. You are so right, I believe it is through openness, willingness and gratitude that we receive what is best for us. My “Great Me” is similar to yours, when I try to do it alone and think I know all the answers, nothing works out.
Well, Rae Ann you and I have heard the phrase “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans” – so it often is! If I just remember that there is a God and it isn’t me, things go so much better! Thanks for popping in – please come back and visit!
I hope your day went better than how the morning started Diane! I agree so much with what you said about being open to the good, and seeing the miracles as well!
Hey Kim – the morning, for me, was a blessing. For the young 17-year-old high school who stepped out on to the railroad tracks at 6 AM – who knows for him? but for his parents and that engineer – ouch! Big ouch.
I was, and am blessed! Thanks for coming by!
Thinking about the person who was killed and about the train engineer instead of about how this event upset your day was truly an act of unselfishness and concern for others that few of us practice these days.
Bill -
If ever there were a human being who exemplifies kindness in action, it is your own dear self. As they say in circles in which I travel “if you spot it, you got it” – so thanks — and look in the mirror, St. Bill!
We ARE blessed. Each one of us. And life truly is miraculous.
I love this post Diane and I completely believe in your receptivity factors. I find that listening and paying attention really opens the opportunity to see the synchronicity that surrounds us. Like you, I try hard to take that quiet meditation time in the mornings and think it really helps. Have you read the book Experiencing God?
Tammy – No, I haven’t read Experiencing God – tell us more! Sounds like just my type of book. Right now I’m reading a book my niece gave me, An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor – it’s really good. I have a new Wayne Muller, A Life of Being, Doing and Having Enough waiting in the wings. But Experiencing God is new to me (the book, not the concept – been on top of that since I was about 7 or 8!). Tell us more!