There Are No Coincidences

Lots of spiritual practices talk about looking for “signs” or “reading the tea leaves.” We look for Jesus in loaves of bread or for the Lord in a gust of wind. Cynics the world over have a hard time seeing such efforts as anything less than cockamamie (a great word, by the way), but I’m not sure there’s any harm in making meaning out of the events that unfold in our lives or seeking guidance and validation outside of ourselves. 

I can attest that when we’re tuned in to the Universe and preoccupying ourselves with prayer and meditation, rather than hopelessness and rumination, it is true that there are basically NO coincidences. You would not believe the insanely wonderful things that have happened to me this week alone that have turned the tables on difficult situations and reinforced my faith, just because I was mindful, patient, prayerful, and paying attention. 

The fact is that faith often has hope, affirmations, positive self-talk, and mindfulness kind of built into it. It’s hard to walk around saying prayers with real commitment without exercising some self-restraint to see if God or Good can handle a sticky situation better than we can. That little extra time and patience we allow goes a long way in improving outcomes or gaining a new perspective. If we’re willing to believe Good is working in our favor, that alone is a form of positive self-talk, and the benefits are real. 

So, is it true that the tea leaves really are telling us something about ourselves or the future? Or is it just that if we’re operating from a place of faith in Good and the potential for positive outcomes, we’re more willing to chose the more hopeful path, a more positive reading of a situation, and more willing to interpret any outcomes as something that benefits us in the long run? 

This is what I love about seeking and finding faith. The ends really do justify the means. There is no wrong way to do it, but the mechanism primarily appears to be just endless benefits to having a willingness to reframe anything with meaning, positivity, a sense of support, and hope for the future. Isn’t that all any of us really want and need in life? Isn’t the goal to just enjoy the ride and have the ability to interpret events through a lens of hope and faith in a better future? 

If seeing the face of God in a buttered biscuit reinforces our faith or validates a choice we make, even if that choice leads to a difficult life lesson, if we keep believing we deserve Good, won’t it lead to better choices and more hope for the future? Why are we not allowed to live in a world full of serendipity and opportunity? Why shouldn’t we allow ourselves some signs and faith in God’s good works? What’s the harm in having faith and letting it become so pervasive that we even see it in the little things?