Serendipities

I received a letter from a friend.
She told me that she wanted to share one of God’s Whispers with me.
It warmed my heart to think that listening for Whispers seems to be catching on.
She knew that I had been searching my heart this entire summer.

She knew that I have spent months listening.
Listening in order to still the din of the world.
Listening to the sounds of each day.
Listening to my own heart.

She sent me a copy of a devotional by Chuck Swindoll.
I read it thoughtfully.
I related to the piece that she sent to me more than she ever imagined.
It seemed to open a window with a fresh perspective blowing through.

It had been a long time since Harold Walpole smiled. Too long. Life for him had become as drab as the weather in dreary old England. Then, on a grim winter day in 1754, while reading a Persian fairy tale, his smile returned. He wrote his longtime friend, Horace Mann, telling him of the “thrilling approach to life” he had discovered from the folk tale. The ancient tale told of three princes from the island of Ceylon who set out on a pursuit of great treasures. They never found that for which they searched, but en route they were continually surprised by delights they had never anticipated. While looking for one thing, they found another.
(Taken from, Day by Day with Charles Swindoll)

It was noted that the original name of Ceylon was Serendip.
From that original name, Walpole coined the word, serendipity.
Serendipity is a fortunate happenstance or a pleasant surprise.
Swindoll says that it is when something beautiful breaks into the monotonous and the mundane.

Walpole discovered his joy when he learned to live a serendipitous life.
A spontaneous life.
A rut-less life.
A life of wonder.

I have been pondering a serendipitous life ever since I received the letter from my friend.
Pondering and experiencing are two vastly different things.
But today it happened.
It happened on my walk.

It was a lovely morning.
No humidity and a cool breeze made this a welcome change from the dog days of summer.
Our driveway was sealed-coated the day before.
A neon pink barrier was staked in the ground and fastened to our mailbox on the other end.

I knew that I had to walk across the front lawn to get to the street for my walk.
Our cars were parked under the large clump of trees.
I forgot about the morning dew, so my sneakers were wet before I reached the street.
Some of our neighbors were getting their lawns cut, so the grass was flying through the air.

I was not in the mood for a walk.
It seemed that today this walk would be more of a have to instead of a want to.
It is important for me to walk, so I set off.
I set off in wet sneakers.

As I made the loop around my neighborhood, I entered the cul-de-sac.
The cul-de-sac, which turns me towards home.
Something moved in front of me.
Something was in the brush right along the tree line.

It was a wild turkey.
A beautiful, plump wild turkey.
Something else moved.
It was another wild turkey.

I stopped and stood perfectly still.
I watched the two turkeys walk with their neck moving back and forth.
I heard the small gobble sound that every child imitates yet so rarely hears.
I noticed more movement.

I counted.
One, Two, Three…Six, Seven, Eight…Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen.
Fourteen wild turkeys roosting in the brush.
Some were babies, as I watched them follow their mother.

One large, wild turkey was obviously the leader of the group.
I affectionately called him, Tom.
They must have heard me as my foot moved some gravel.
They walked as quickly as a wild turkey can walk toward the cover of the brush.

I watched the Tom turkey stand there until all the rest went into the brush.
I personified him and imagined that he stood there with arms folded across his chest.
After all were safe, he entered the brush as well.
I had never seen a wild turkey so close before.

God sprinkles our days with serendipities.
He surprises us.
He causes us to stop and enjoy what could easily be missed.
He caused a flock of wild turkeys to literally cross my path.

I walked my second mile and came back to the cul-de-sac.
I looked ahead of me where I had seen the turkeys before but the brush was empty.
I turned towards home and saw the wild turkeys again.
Some were lying in the brush, camouflaged so perfectly as only God could do.

They heard me before they saw me.
Tom turkey stood there with his metaphorical arms across his chest.
The other thirteen turkeys walked on as quickly as turkeys can walk.
The necks were moving back and forth and the small gobble sound could be heard.

Serendipity.
Something beautiful and unexpected broke through the monotonous and the mundane.
The “have to” walk became a walk of wonder.
The joy that was hiding in my wet sneakers came to the surface.

I praised God in the cul-de-sac.
I thanked Him for sending this serendipitous delight.
I walked home refreshed.
I walked home in awe of the wonder all around me.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing!
(Isaiah 43:18,19)

God is doing a new thing.
He allowed me to experience it!
What I had been pondering became very real to me.
A serendipitous life is possible with eyes that can see and ears that can hear.

Look for serendipities in your day.
Listen for them.
Be amazed.
Never lose your sense of wonder.

 

2 responses to “Serendipities”

1. Thanks so much for the encouragement… life can be mundane and we just go through the motions , that is when we miss so many of God’s blessings.. I am praying that my eyes and ears can be on alert each day for what the Lord has in store for that moment..

   Reply

   • Janet,
     I need to remember as well. God sends us serendipities each day and delights when we find them.
     Gina

     Reply