22 December 2015

Unexpected Coincidence?

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I'm old enough, wise enough, and experienced enough that I no longer believe in coincidence. However, something completely unexpected happened today. As I walked through the parking lot to go over for some lunch, an envelope blew towards me and stopped against my leg. My first reaction was one of sorrow for the person who lost their Christmas card, but curiosity overcame me, and perhaps a little greed, so I opened the flap, removed the card, and read its surprising contents. I think it was a message from God.

Below, you can see some very low-resolution images of the card, taken with my Motorola V3 RAZR phone.

Here is what the card reads:
Hope Christmas brings the things that make you smile (printed from Hallmark)
You're perfect just the way you are Happy Holidays! (obviously written by a woman)
With kindness, pass it on (in cursive, by another writer)

As I stood there holding the card in my hand, an indescribable feeling washed over me. Sunday, I was talking with a member of my congregation after church about how I paradoxically have low self esteem but come across as arrogant and haughty. I know I'm awesome. I really like myself. There is nothing I would change about my life that is in my power to change. There is only one thing I don't expect for Christmas that would make me smile. I'm spending it with my parents, my kid sister, and my brother's family from Texas. Family time is the best gift.

I knew when I read the first comment that God made sure the card found its way to me. I know that if anyone wanted me to know that I'm perfect just the way I am, He would. I know I'm not literally perfect, and I know that's not what it means. I know what it really means is that there is nothing wrong with who I am, how I'm living, what I'm thinking, or how I chose in the circumstances placed before me. If Karma really exists, if good things come to those who wait, if right things work out, I know it's only a matter of time before I come into my own.

The card achieved its goal and already gave me a thing about which to smile. I don't know who lost this card, where they lost it, or how long it's been circulating, but I'm glad I came in to work today or else I would have missed this message. Of course, God knows where I will be, when I will be there, what I will be doing, and that I'm likely to pick up things like this, and I made an unscheduled course correction that took me by this bush for the first time in weeks. Otherwise, I would never have even seen the card let alone read it and got the message. I didn't expect it, but I also don't believe in coincidence, only the illusion of coincidence. Everything happens for a reason, and I'm glad this happened. As for other things that made me smile, I'm hoping for a particular thing this Christmas that happened once for a good reason and certainly made me smile. That was the best year of my life. I hope 2016 is also awesomesauce.

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