Hello World!!!
Somes friends and I have decided that this year we are going to hold each other accountable for our resolutions, dreams, goals, etc. for 2009. I have yet to decide upon mine for this year. It usually takes me the whole month of January to come up with a reasonable list. I know many people think that coming up with yearly resolutions is pointless, but I think if you consult God and ask for His guidance, you stand half a chance of actually achieving them. God’s word states that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philipians 4:13
So how do you know that God is guiding you to a specific resolution, goal, dream, etc.? An anonymous commenter on my last post “,Doubt,” said that one way that he or she knows that God is real is through coincidence. I think I know what this commenter means. Sometimes a string of mysterious events happen that seem to magically point to a certain result. I call this synchronicity aka magic! I first learned about synchronicity in an “The Artist’s Way” class I took one summer. It a class designed to “discover and recover your creative self.” Taking that class was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in life! I cannot begin to tell you all that I learned.
But I will share one life-altering realization I had as a result of taking that class. I realized that I wanted to pursue a freelance writing/book writing business. I named this endeavor Selah Communications. Selah means to pause. Since I lost my job earlier that year, I had a lot of time to pause. I also decided that my business would be based on the Psalm 4: 4-5. “When you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord.” That year, I spent many hours lying on my bed pondering my future. (So dramatic, I swear.) I determined that I would try to live a righteous life and trust the Lord was leading me in spite of my circumstances.
So I am getting to the point. I am…for real. That New Year’s Eve, the pastor actually preached on the same verses that I decided would be my guiding force for Selah Communications. Out of all of the verses in the Bible, the pastor chose the same two that I chose earlier that summer. Synchronicity at its best! And since then, I’ve been able to pursue freelance writing/book writing. (Aside: I do wonder when or if my book, “After the Altar Call,” will be published, but I’m still yet holding on and trusting in the Lord. 🙂 )
The following quote perfectly sums up the synchronicity principle:
Evoking the Soul
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one that would otherwise never have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of incidents and meetings and material assistance which no person would have believed would have come their way. Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, grace and power in it.
Goethe
Great quote, huh? I first read it in the “The Artist’s Way” book by Julia Cameron. I have a sign with this quote on it in my office. I think synchronicity is one of the ways that God’s leads us to the right dream, resolution, goal, person, etc. I have described one example in this post, but I’ve experience synchronicity countless times in my life. If if my book is published, you can read about more of my synchronistic experiences…
Have you experienced synchronicity in your life? One of the reasons that I love blogging is because it gives people a forum to share their experiences. So please tell me about your personal magic… (Also, here is a great article about synchronicity that explains it even better than I have, I think.)
Any thoughts?
P.S. You must know that is was synchronistic that President-Elect Barack Obama offically accepted the Democratic party nomination on the same day that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech 45 years earlier. Don’t tell me that God isn’t real, as father likes to say…
Wow, synchronicities in my life have been too numerous to count. I think one of their distinguishing factors is they have peculiar significance for you–the individual. The same sequence of events unfolding in the life of somebody else might not have the same meaning.
Here is one example out of my own life. I got a piece of email spam–of which, of course, we all get hundreds every week. But what intrigued about this particular email message was that it contained both my nickname and my legal first name, which not many people know. Very unusual to find the two together in the same email!
So after running my antivirus software, I opened the email (kids, don’t try this at home) and after reading it, suspected that it had been sent from a “spoofed” address (i.e. made to look like it had come from a legitimate domain, instead of from a spammer).
Curious, I typed in the domain name, http://www.ianua.org, in my web browser (again, turning my security settings to ensure maximum protection) and what should come up but an amazing, beautiful blog chronicling one woman’s spiritual journey.
Renee has been through childhood abuse, sexual assault as an adult, and a life-threatening battle with depression. She blogs about all her experiences with power, grace, and above all, honesty. She also has a book out, “Stumbling Toward Faith,” which I highly recommend.
Anyway, I’ve been following her blog for about three years now. It was exactly what I needed to find at that time, and there is no way I would have found it through rational, systematic investigation. That’s my definition of synchronicity.
Beautifully said.
As of late the synchronities in my life have been unbelievable. And I thank God for them every time. Each one improves my life, my circumstances, and makes me feel better about myself. Its just amazing when you live right, how fantastic things can happen. I know I have begun to appreciate these synchronicities more as I get older. And I realize that everyone is either not getting these blessings, or better yet, not recognizing or taking advantage of them. Thanks for the post. jd