How much influence, if any, do you think those not of this world have with the living?
Serendipitous things often happen in my life that leave me wondering. The following consequences of a certain set of miscellaneous circumstances, though not life-saving, were nonetheless profoundly important to me in the moment. And it makes me feel humble to think of the effort that may have gone into arranging them for my benefit.
Let me explain.
Recently, I had a very bad week worrying and praying about a certain difficulty in my life that was causing me much sadness. Though I rationally believe God loves me and that things should work out in the end, I was still depressed over the particulars of a problem over which I felt I had no control.
Then a series of events happened to place me in the right place, and the right time, to hear exactly what I needed to hear in order to to feel better.
I was scheduled to end a trip on a Saturday afternoon in Salt Lake City and start another on Sunday afternoon (I'm a flight attendant) and would not be able to go home to Cedar City in the interim.
At the last minute, my husband needed to go to St. George and it was decided I could fly there, see him and still get back in time for my Sunday shift. Yea! On the flight back Sunday morning there was another flight attendant I knew, yet rarely saw, who listened to my problem and tried to quote Joseph Smith with a message to cheer me. The message sounded too good to be true and I shrugged it off as being misquoted. In Salt Lake, we were both scheduled to start our different trips at noon and she talked me into going to a Sacrament meeting near the airport. In 10 years of flying in an out of Salt Lake, I've never done this, choosing instead to read my scriptures quietly until my shift begins. At the meeting, the speaker just happened to give the same quote, in full, that she had been trying to tell me. These words of the Prophet have completely relieved my anxiety. Every time I begin to worry again, I pull it out and read it and it is enough. It quells my fears and reminds me that my fears are misdirected.
It seems to me there was a lot of organization that went into getting me where I needed to be, to hear what I needed to hear. If my husband hadn't needed to go to St. George, if I had decided to stay in Salt Lake for the night instead (I was very tired), if the other flight attendant had driven to Salt Lake like she usually did, instead of driving to St. George and flying up, if she hadn't decided to go to an unfamiliar ward in Salt Lake and drag me along, (and there were several Sacrament meetings to choose from), if I'd have decided to just stay at the airport and read my scriptures before starting my 12 hour shift, if the Sacrament meeting speaker had chosen any other topic, or used any other quote, other than this one that hit me so powerfully…
It just makes me wonder how many legion of people and spirits Heavenly Father has at His disposal and to what lengths He will go to organize the most minute detail of things that we need.
It's kind of like a king worrying about what color frosting is on his daughters birthday cake during war time. How can I be that important. I feel so in awe.
We often see the building blocks that led to big events in our lives, such as our conversion to the gospel or meeting our husbands. But I think their are things going on all the time, even with seemingly smaller events. I wonder if I had missed that sacrament meeting would the wheels be set in motion for the next opportunity to reach me? I was still praying for an answer. If I proved to be a bit daft in my listening skills, what then? I envision a Heavenly Relief Society coordinator (in this case a deceased friend of mine) behind the scenes organizing her troops for the next opportunity to get through my thick head.
Darcee! What a wonderful post. Thanks for sharing your experience. I wonder how often this happens and we don’t recognize it because we are so used to a Heavenly Father who sets serendipitous things in motion for us. I believe it happens more often than we recognize. Certainly than I do. I’ll bet the more we look for it the more we’ll see it. And the more we see, the more we’ll be able to receive.
Thank you for your insight.
Darcee, the same thing has happened to me on occasion. The smallest little thing that was on my mind, then seemingly many things lined up to teach me or to reinforce what I had been taught. I believe that God, the Spirit, the Heavenly Organization, however it is constituted, uses what you call serendipitous moments to teach us all the time. I really don’t believe there was a Spirit World correlation meeting to see how they could slip that one in for you at the right time. But simply, the speaker at the moment was touched by the spirit, or had been touched by the spirit, to include that in for you. All things are Present to the Lord. And things happen for your good if you are able to listen. I agree with Janiel. It happens more often than we recognize.
I like the song, “Everything is Holy” by Peter Mayer. When you know what to look for, you will see your Father’s hand in everything around you. And we can see the face of God when we know what to look for. Thanks for your post.
Southern Man- thanks for your comments. I don’t pretend to really know how it happens. I just know that it does. Over and over again. And I am grateful.
I agree that these serendipitous events happen far more often than we realize. The thing I find amazing is how Heavenly Father can guide us in these moments, yet still allow us agency to choose what we will do with these moments and how we will live our lives.
Great post, Darcee. I’d love to hear more about your experiences as a flight attendant. I bet you have stories to tell… 🙂
Michelle- thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Regarding your comment:
“yet still allow us agency to choose what we will do with these moments and how we will live our lives.”
I think this is my point- although I may only be realizing it now. He does allow us our free agency.
I think at any time in the whole scenario- I could have been in attendance at that meeting —-or not. But, I was praying for an answer. That was a choice. The problem was all consuming to me that week, it captured my every leisure thought- therefore I think I was more receptive to guidance in my choices than I may have been at other times. My friend, who shall be remain nameless, IS ALWAYS led by the spirit, or it looks that way to me. And bless my dear husband for feeling the need to go to St. George as well.
I’m always praying for the Holy Spirit to touch the hearts of the unbelievers that the may come to a knowledge of Christ and his atonement. And those people I know personally or have a strong emotional attachment to in this life are upper most in my thoughts.
I feel frustrated sometimes wondering why the spirit doesn’t talk louder, So they can hear!! I’m beginning to think there may be numerous times that similar scenarios are ‘set up’ to testify to them, but they have to be at the right place and right time and right frame of mind to ‘hear’ it. And that’s where the free agency comes in.