Serendipity

Serendipity means a "fortunate happenstance" or "pleasant surprise". It was coined by Horace Walpole in 1754. In a letter he wrote to a friend Walpole explained an unexpected discovery he had made by reference to a Persian fairy tale, The Three Princes of Serendip. The princes, he told his correspondent, were “always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of”. ( Source: Wikipedia)

I've often wondered whether as a Christian we should believe in serendipity. If God is sovereign over all our affairs, would it be more appropriate to say that it was in God's plans? Yet somehow it also seems a little over doing it to be saying that every little thing is God's plan. Yes that is something that I've not quite figured out yet.

But back to this picture. I would say that the chance of capturing it and in that sense any really good shot is serendipitous. It comes down to timing and chance.

The story of this shot that was taken at our recent church camp. It was at breakfast at the last day when we talked about taking a group shot of the mandarin ministry camp. I happened to spot my friend who is in our photography group in the church and asked him to come and take the picture for us. He said he would come after dropping his son off. While we were waiting for him we decided to put everyone in order first cos we knew that to move some really old folks may take a while. It also just happened that instead of standing at the back, I was told to come to the front and it was also that time that I bumped into both of them coming out of the bathroom. Hence the little boy was still around when we were taking the picture. It also happened that someone asked to take the picture with another camera which the little boy took up and at the particular angle it was also chance that I happened to see it and happened to take that picture. Totally unconsequential, achieve no great purpose other than to make a father really happy.

Yet if we go back to the inital question and ask if God is in control of all events, and planned so intricately that a father would be made happy with this particular shot? What more would He be in control of our more important events in life such as our career, our marriage, our health, our family?

Do Not Worry
22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!

This verse and the recent insights really help put the peace back into my heart. Though things haven't changed one bit and in fact have been rather more trying than usual, I'm grateful for the sense of peace. It's something money cannot buy.

Reading this from Scotty Smith really put what I was feeling into perspective

"  I’m also a bit weary from grieving the pain friends are carrying. Relationships are so complex, Father. No one knows that better than you. How I long for the Day when all brokenness will give way to the perfect blessedness of loving well in the new heaven and new earth. That Day cannot come a day too soon.

     Indeed, I SO look forward to an eternity of no more pettiness or self-pity; no more hard-heartedness or hair-trigger sensitivity; no more communicating in part or conflicting to win; no more passive aggressiveness or active indifference; no more innuendo or bravado or anything else that hides the beauty of Jesus."

http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/scottysmith/2015/06/17/a-prayer-for-receiving-gods-promise-of-refreshment/

Indeed my our actions reflect the glory of God to show others that He is the only one who can bring this peace.