Coincidence?

Do you believe in coincidences? The unplanned, accidental moments or events in our lives that we can't explain?

It may seem like coincidences happen all the time. I've often said, "What a total coincidence!" and thought to myself how cool it was. But as I've grown older, I've come to a deeper realization about these occurrences—I don't think they are random. I believe there is a larger force at play.

For example, back in 2013, I was traveling to Singapore alone and desperately needed a place to stay. What are the chances that someone—also from Utah but a total stranger—learned of my predicament and offered their guest house to me?

Or what are the odds that the one time I was unexpectedly upgraded to first class, I ended up sitting next to a business owner who provided exactly what I had been searching for? We talked the entire flight and discovered we had so much more in common than just the service I needed.

How do you explain those moments when people come into your life at just the right time and place? Or when you need something, and it seemingly falls right into your lap?

While serving a mission for my church in Mesa, Arizona, I had the opportunity to learn Spanish. Learning another language comes with many nuances, including wordplay. In Spanish, the word for coincidence is "coincidencia," while the word for God is "Dios." Instead of saying that everything is a "coincidencia," some people say it is a "Diosidencia."

This perspective suggests that things don’t happen randomly; rather, they are God-inspired events. Every time we think we’re just lucky or say, "What a coincidence," it could actually be God orchestrating these interactions and events in our lives.

We can choose to find purpose in all things, or we can believe that everything is completely random. I have decided to believe that all coincidences are little blessings—"Diosidencias"—that happen all the time.

Moral of the Story: Pay attention to the "coincidences" in your life. When these moments happen, ask yourself if they were truly random or if a greater force was at play. Seeing life from this perspective reveals just how blessed we truly are and how much can work in our favor if we choose to recognize it.

Cheers!

Erica ❤️🌺