You know those moments when something happens that makes you think deeply about life, the Universe, and the divine power of God? Those moments when you stop and think, “No way...that just happened! What are the odds?" Or, something happens and truth suddenly resonates in your heart and every cell in your body.
Maybe it is a moment where you think, “Was that just a coincidence or does it mean something more?”
Most of us have, at some point or another, experienced certain coincidences, messages, or signs that are so unusual or remarkable that we start to wonder about their significance or purpose. Is there really a deeper meaning for our lives or was it simply a chance event?
Random encounters seem to be “signs” that something significant is at work.
People will interpret random encounters based on their own core values and beliefs. There are different ways to explain why these remarkable events happen. Psychologists might call these moments coincidences, synchronicity, serendipity, fate, or destiny. These explanations tend to mix the spiritual world and the scientific world. Others who study the paranormal world may categorize these moments as clairvoyance, premonitions, and messages from spirit guides. People of faith may explain these moments on a biblical level. They believe there is a connection between a feeling, an intuition or a sense of knowing. They also believe in the act of divine power and messages from heaven and angels.
What is a coincidence?
A coincidence is a random connection of two or more things. It is often something that is easily disregarded. How often do we say things like, "it is just a coincidence" or "that was merely a coincidence". The words just and merely suggest that it is not significant. Many people relate coincidences to dumb luck or chance. Science and statistics show that coincidences are random and not meaningfully related. They happen all of the time. For example, being a room with 50 people and sharing the same birthday with someone else, or running into the same person two or three times in a short period of time. Science can explain the probability of these events happening.
What is Synchronicity?
Synchronicity is a bridge between the scientific world and the spiritual world. It is the idea that events can be related in meaning or purpose, where there is no clear common cause. The term synchronicity was first coined by the Swiss psychologist Carl Jung to describe a meaningful coincidence which seems to defy probability and “normal” explanations. There is a presence of a deeper intelligence at work and shifts the motion of your life. If you experience an outside coincidence, even if it is outlandish, it needs to match up to something on the inside. If it does not then is simply an amazing coincidence. If it means something to you, then it can be amazingly instructive. Synchronicities are minor miracles that point a bigger miracle that we are a part of.
The bottom line is that people have surprising connective experiences, and they either create meaning out of them, or they don’t.
Ever since I received my diagnosis of Ocular Melanoma my heart and mind seem open to recognizing connective experiences. I fall into the category of people that understand the science side of coincidences and synchronicities but I truly believe they are orchestrated by God. God is always speaking to us, sending us little messages, reminding us to stop, look around, and to believe in something else and something more.
I had three remarkable moments happen recently that I believe deep in my heart are messages from God.
Getting a Will
The first moment happened when I was at the doctor just after I received the news of my diagnosis. My mom and I were going through treatment details with the nurse and she mentioned that it would be a good time to get my Living Will and Power of Attorney paperwork ready. I was struck at the moment because Rick and I had just met with an attorney two weeks prior to get a Trust/Will set up. We have talked about doing this for more than 5 years and for some reason we never made it happen. We discussed the importance of having a Will many times but always seemed to push it on the back burner and never made it a priority.
What made Rick get the ball rolling and make an appointment at this time in our lives?
Starting my new blog
The next moment happened less than one week before my diagnosis. I was thinking about my One Year Booze Snooze Blog and that in a couple of months my year-long goal will be complete. I was thinking about how I didn’t want to stop writing so I started planning for a new blog that would begin in April. I brainstormed hundreds of names and ended up buying four domain names. I bought four because I wanted to use the next couple of months to pick one that would work with my future goals. My favorite domain name out of the four was Mindset Momma. After I received my diagnosis, I knew instantly that would be the perfect name for my blog. My future success in living with this disease is going to depend on having the right mindset.
What made me come home from work one random day and just decide to buy up these domains? What made me do this one week before my appointment?
One Year Booze Snooze
The last moment happened the night of my diagnosis when I was researching the disease and learning more about the risks of Metastasis. I had the most epic “Ah Ha” moment. I realized that maybe the reason I started my One Year Booze Snooze last April was actually more than I knew at the time. I think I have been unknowingly preparing my body to be in the best possible condition for my surgery and to prepare me for a life of healthy living moving forward. During my research, I have learned that 50 percent of Ocular Melanoma patients experience metastasis and of that group, 80 percent will metastasize to the liver first. For the last 285 days I must have been cleaning up my liver and getting it in tip-top shape so no yucky melanoma cells can live there in the future. Of my three remarkable experiences I think this one is the most significant. I think it is true synchronicity created by God. At the time I started the One Year Booze Snooze there was not common cause to Ocular Melanoma. But now I recognize the meaning or purpose because it matches up to something on the inside of me. I can learn from this connection.
Romans 8:28- And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose
For me, the only explanation for these three amazing moments of coincidence and synchronicity is God. I believe that God interacts with all His creation and He is always trying to tell us something. He uses everything and everyone to communicate with us and is the great connection maker. I know that I should be listening at all times, however, I think it tends to be more likely for people to listen when they are extremely sad, angry, anxious or going through difficult times. The painful things in our minds seem to seep out into the world around us and make us more vulnerable but open to the messages. It would be powerful if we could stay conscious of all that is going on around and within us at all times, and make the connections from God's messages
While I think these recent experiences are remarkable, I won't get carried away with looking for coincidences, synchronicities, or signs in my life. If I do come across them I will try not to take them too seriously or literally. Instead, I will see them as a learning opportunity to become more connected to all things.
