Serendipity they say...

Things happen during our lifetime in a manner that make us raise our eyebrows, and go "Whaaat?!". Most people shrug these instances off as "serendipity," "happenstance," "chance," "luck," "coincidence," "fate," "destiny," "circumstances," and as "good fortune." I have unwittingly done this many times too.

After hearing someone express "Oh,it was just a coincidence!" one too many times in the same day, when referring to their good fortune, I'd had it, and decided to look up each of these words to see what ol' man Webster had to say about it:

1. serendipity: the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for.



2. happenstance: a circumstance especially that is due to chance.



3. chance: something that happens unpredictably without discernible human intention or observable cause.



4. luck: a): a force that brings good fortune or adversity
   b): the events or circumstances that operate for or against an individual.



5. coincidence: the occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection.



6. fate: the principle or determining cause or will by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are or events to happen as they do



7. destiny: a predetermined course of events often held to be an irresistible power or agency



8. circumstance: a): a condition, fact, or event accompanying, conditioning, or determining another b):the sum of essential and environmental factors
   



9. good fortune: often capitalized : a hypothetical force or personified power that unpredictably determines events and issues favorably or unfavorably.
   

To me it seems that most of these definitions have some attributes that we normally attribute to God. Hmmmm...quite interesting, huh? We can't control most things in our lives, and if we were completely honest, we'd admit that we can't actually control anything.

The Word says that our steps are ordered; our hairs on our heads are numbered; He knew us before we were born, not to worry about what to eat or drink- He will provide for us, He does not show favoritism. Then there's my all time favorite verse,
Romans 8:28:

And we know that in ALL THINGS God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose."

and let's consider Ephesians 1:11 NIV

"In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will."

This tells us that He is behind the scenes of every act and curtain call of our lives. If He did not directly DO it, He still ALLOWED it, working out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will. How can we as Christians shrug off anything and not give Him the glory and honor and praise? Something to think about, huh?

\o/