“Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous”

Do you believe in luck?  A lot of people do, otherwise there wouldn’t be so many casinos! 

I don’t believe in luck.  But I do believe in Divine Coincidence.  Or Guided Serendipity.  God working behind the scenes in seemingly ironic ways that result in inexplicable life occasions. It’s those little oddities in life that make me scratch what hair is left on my head and bolster my belief in God.   Last Saturday provided an example of this.

It was the annual festival of the Hilltop Weaver’s Guild in Allenspark.  Their name is descriptive, for the cabin which houses their looms and serves at times as a community center, is perched on a rounded peak atop which one can enjoy the majestic view of Mt. Meeker, reflecting the glory of the glistening sun in the summer and the howling winds in the winter.

The focal point of the festival are the wondrous hand-woven treasures, rugs, placemats, and other assorted artifacts, lovingly created during the many hours spent hunched over their looms.  Available for purchase are quilts, crocheted items, jams, all sorts of sweets and desserts, and other delectable items.  Curiosity compelled me to take the trek up the mountain to experience what appeared to be a little step back to a simpler time. 

After strolling past the various booths with the wide variety of sundries on display, I sat down in a chair on the large front porch which had a Cracker Barrel-like feel to it.  As I watched the curious shoppers and eavesdropped on the casual conversations a young couple passed by.  They were noticeable due to the fact that the woman was quite pregnant, and they had a beautiful golden retriever in tow.  It looked remarkably similar to the one that makes its home with my oldest daughter and her family.  They made their way close to where I was sitting, and as they did so I thought I heard them call their dog “Lady”, which is the same name of my daughter’s dog. 

“Excuse me, that’s a beautiful dog, what’s its name?” I asked. 

“Lady”, the young man answered.

“You’re kidding”, I replied, “My daughter’s family also has a Golden Retriever named Lady.”

“By chance does she live in Louisville?”, the young man inquired.

My incredulity was compounded by this query.

“Yes!  How did you know?”  I asked in astonishment.

“Because not long ago I was at the library there with my daughter for a children’s program.  We were waiting in line together and she told me that she had a dog just like mine.  We started talking about how gentle Goldens are with children, and she said that hers is named Lady also.”

Now what are the odds?  How likely was it for us to meet at that bazaar, in that place, and at that precise time?  Think about all the idiosyncratic events that had to align in perfect harmony in order not only for my daughter to meet them at the library the first time, but for our paths to cross in that little bazaar in the mountains just a few weeks later. It was an occasion of grace, Divine Coincidence, or Guided Serendipity.  Call it what you will, it reinforces my conviction that there is Someone and Something at work that is much bigger than we are. 

I’ll bet these types of things have happened to you, haven’t they?  Probably repeatedly.  Some of them we’re aware of, and many others we aren’t.  It can be a little disconcerting at times, but it’s also somehow comforting to know that somehow Someone bigger than we are is orchestrating events, inexplicable though they may be, to create a grand scheme that plays out regularly in creation. 

It also reassures us that all the events that have occurred that weren’t part of our plan were quite likely but of a bigger part of a Divine Plan, in which we’ve been graciously granted a part to play.