God’s Serendipities

Serendipity: the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

I love the word, “serendipity.” Doesn’t it sound cheery?! My only objection to the use of this word is that the definition says “by chance.” Scripture tells us that “all things work together for good to those who love Him (God) and are called according to His purpose.” This does away with the idea of chance, coincidence, or happenstance. When things align perfectly with the unexpected happening in a beautiful way, it says clearly that God is at work, and I smile. Sometimes I even laugh. I love that our God works in our world and wants us to see Him at work. He loves us so much that it brings Him joy when His workings make us smile.

Today is the last full day of the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. I arrived Sunday full of conflicting emotion. Surprise that God would push me in this direction. Excitement at being with real people in the year of COVID. Anxiety at what type of people I would meet. Writers? What type of people are writers?!

The three days have been exhausting and wonderful, all at the same time. The attendees are unique, as are all people, yet are really the same as me. People feeling that God has given them a story to share. They come from all walks of life. The neurologist who has seen too many hurting souls affected by brain diseases and who now wants to share her story. The physicist who redirected her life to study history and wants to write historical fiction now. The pastor who began writing to encourage his church and now writes to encourage the world of writers. The missionary to Honduras who was kidnapped seven years ago with her son but who chooses to still live and minister in that country. The woman rescued by God out of the biker world, now living a life of grace and joy. So many people, so many stories.

Our backgrounds are different. Our path to this place is different. But what we all have in common is knowing that our God is a God of wonder and grace. He is at work, and we are privileged to be witnesses of His power and love. When God works in large ways, people tend to take notice. But God also works in small ways and these are the serendipities I love to encounter. They are not the great stories that are yet to be written. They are the little things that happen to remind me that God is leading and has a purpose for me.

When I first thought about coming to this conference, I did the only rational thing to do. I did NOT sign up! But since the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference had a Facebook page, I thought I would join that and check things out from afar. To join, you had to give your name and tell what type of things you like to write. I wrote something on that form and they accepted me. Shortly after I joined the group, a pastor from Griffin, Georgia, posted a notice that he had a book on book marketing. If anyone was interested in reading the book and writing a review on Amazon, he would send the PDF version of the book. I can read, so why not offer?

Did you know God even controls Amazon? It turns out that Tim Riordan’s new book had launched two days before Georgia shut down from the pandemic. Amazon, for some reason, began giving him trouble with his book reviews. So he posted his Facebook notice just when I was ready to see it. And the book read as if it were written just for me. Oh, I don’t have a book to market yet, but there is so much more that can be and should be done before then. Tim’s book gave info I needed to hear. If Amazon hadn’t messed up showing reviews on his book, I would have missed this important link in my story. With so much already happening, I did the only rational thing I knew to do next. I registered for the conference!

Arriving at Ridgecrest Sunday afternoon, I chose to sit at supper with a couple who have since become good friends. Just as Dave and Cyndi were getting up to leave, a man sat down at our table. He looked at me. I recognized him immediately from his web site photo. Before I could speak, he introduced himself, “Hi, I’m Tim.” With a big smile, loving how God works, I replied, “I know. I’m Carolyn.” More visits have happened over the three days, but that initial encounter reminded me that my loving Father is here and keeps working!

Monday morning, after the joint session, I looked at the books on the tables at the back of the auditorium. Only the conference faculty’s books were for sale. As I walked around the table, I was stunned to see a familiar book by a familiar author. Well, familiar as of about three weeks ago. For my sister’s birthday earlier in November, she requested more books by Steven James. I had never heard of him, but she had just read his book, Synapse, and figured she would enjoy more by that author. There on the table were copies of Synapse and The Quest for Celestia, the only two of his books that he brought with him. Synapse she had read. The Quest for Celestia I gave her on her birthday.

Since the conference faculty mingles well with the attendees, I ate lunch that day with Steven James. Still smiling and nearly laughing inside, I took his photo to send to my sisters. “Look who I had lunch with today!” While Steven is a great guy and evidently a great author, I would have paid him little attention had the timing been different. That is what makes a serendipity for me. Had I not seen Tim’s offer to read his book and interacted with him a few times via email before the conference, his sitting at my table that first night here would have meant little. But when God allows “occurrences and development of events ‘by chance’ in a happy and beneficial way,” that is a God serendipity for me, and I smile. Personally, I think God smiles, too.

May you have a wonderful week watching for God’s serendipities in your world. “As for God, His way is perfect.” Enjoy walking with Jesus this week and watching our God work!

#serendipity #watchingGodwork