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SERENDIPITY
By Uriah J. Fields
Serendipity is a good word to know because it is about a special good or surprise bonus that we all would do well to know about.
The Webster's Dictionary defines serendipity as "The gift of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for." The Random House Dictionary defines serendipity "The faculty for making desirable discovery by accident." It was Horace Walpole who so named a faculty possessed by the heroes of the tale called The Three Princes of Serendip (Serendip + ity). But serendipity is not nearly so much a discovery by accident as it is by providence. And, it is not intuition, mother's wit, luck (not even good luck), coincidence, will power, wisdom, knowledge, skill, courage, faith or love.
Serendipity is a factor that consists of both "inner ability" and "cosmic connection" which produces personal good that's unexpected and does not result from any direct effort or planning. It is as if some unanticipated positive delight occurred during a propitious moment of a person's life from which he derived high meaning. The blessing received may be ordinary or extraordinary, private or public, but it is always personal.
An example of serendipity for this writer occurred during his late teens when he was a soldier in the United States Army. Black and white soldiers and some white civilians were fighting in a town near an Army base that discriminated against Blacks. On this particular night when a near race riot erupted in the town and Army chaplain talked with a group of black and white soldiers who were feuding and fuming as their emotions went wild. Then as the other soldiers began to disperse the Chaplain looked into my eyes and said, "I would like for you to serve as my assistant" (Chaplain's Assistant). Subsequently, I became his assistant. Later I became interested in the ministry, pastor of a church and a kingdom pastor (activist-minister in the streets) in contrast to to a church pastor. The ministry has provided me with unique opportunities, challenges, and compensations. And, I attribute this, in no small degree to the serendipity that came to me through a military chaplain who on that night when I was vengeance-possessed and faced with what appeared to be imminent confinement in the stockade invited me to serve as his chaplain's assistant.
Serendipity is a miracle of life. But it is not just a single miracle to be experience once in a lifetime. A person may experience serendipity again and again and again. Indeed, one's life may be saturated with serendipity. Wow!
While it appears that everyone has this serendipitous factor most people do not actually experience serendipity with any degree of frequency in their lives. For most people it appears far less than does a peak experience. Of course, serendipity and peak experience are not synonymos.
Why then do most people, even though they possess serendipity as a latent or dormant factor, fail to experience it? There are three obvious reasons for this lack of manifested serendipity in the lives of people:
1. Our expectations. Expectation is an enemy of serendipity. Serendipity, not being attuned to or governed by rules, needs and wants are suppressed or denied expression by expectations. Because expectations involve obsession intensity of determination and demand, they prevent serendipity from manifesting itself or, should it occur, the expecting person may not be aware of it. B.S. Rajneesh stated a truth that is worthy of our acceptance when he said, "Expect nothing be ready for everything." Be ready for serendipity.
2. We must know. Our need to know at all cost, by whatever means necessary, instantly, if possible, is a second enemy of serendipity. Driven or pulled by the need to know we fabricate the truth distort reality, and embrace illusions all in the name of "our right to know." But what do we really know? Do we know how many apples there are in an apple seed even after counting the seeds in an apple?
I recall that when I was a boy I heard an elderly preacher, in his nineties, say, "I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future." At that time I felt he had to know much about a lot of things to survive so long so well, but over the years it has become increasingly clear to me that to know is not life's supreme or essential asset. to be in the cosmic process is the true purpose and it should be the supreme attraction of human beings who dare to live in keeping with their human-divine nature. Our desperate demand to know broadens the gap between the unknown and the known and support polarities which produce destructiveness rather than unity which promotes health.
3. Living in the past or future. Not living in the now where all present reality exists we hitch on to the past or fantasize about the future. We are bound to the past by guilt and frightened of the future by anxiety. These two debilitating forces guilt and anxiety, involving us so all-encompasingly with yesterdays and tomorrows prevent - and even greater power - love from manifesting itself in present reality, the only place which it operates. And to the degree that love is suppressed serendipity is denied. Yet, serendipity, as we said earlier, is not love even though it travels the love way.
Serendipity is not for a special group or privileged people. It is a gift from the Creator for and within the reach of everyone. In a real sense the gift of life itself is serendipity. Knowing that serendipity is not consciousness which enables a person to detect and receive good gifts that come his way, gifts that do not result from any effort of his own and come while he aimlessly drifts in life's process without any purpose other than an awareness that he has a right to be himself and for no other reason than he wants to be and feels good in just being himself, should enable a person to experience serendipity. It is also significant to realize that receiving, not giving, is an essential aspect of serendipity.
Serendipity is not something we strive for or work at. Working at serendipity doesn't work. It is at that point of one's existence when he is most surrendered and at ease, most adrift in the cosmic process and most in a state of oneness with all - all that is and all that is not (Being and Nothingness) that he is surprised by joy - the gift of serendipity.
Finally, let us reiterate: the entire universe unites with the person whose serendipitous tendencies are not blocked by the enemies of serendipity which we have enumerated above in a benevolent act to bestow upon him an uncommon good which does not conform to cause and effect and which comes into existence without the recipient having any fore-knowledge that he will receive such blessing or gift.
Serendipity Is Coming Your Way
Refrain
Something good is goin' to happen to
you, happen to you, happen to you.
Something good is goin' to happen to you;
Serendipity is coming your way.
1. Expect nothing just be ready to receive
your good, Unmerited, and unexpected
blessings await you.
2. When you're flowing in the river of
freedom and grace, Unsuspected and
beautiful surprises will greet you.
3. Divine love says that no good thing will
be kept from you.Oh precious one who,
in living love attracts miracles.
(Begin by singing the "Refrain"
and sing it after each verse.)
Copyright by Uriah J. Fields 1983 & 2015
(To view music for "Serendipity" visit:
http://uriahfields.com. Next click on
"Download" and select this song.)
(From "Be the Best: Do It Easy, Do It Now"
by Uriah J. Fields, pp. 53-55)
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