On a bike ride in Evergreen, Colorado, I encountered the elk shown in the picture next to the statue of Saint Francis of Assisi. This was an amazing encounter because Saint Francis is the patron of animals. I wanted to take a photo of this scene. Since I am clumsy operating my phone, I was happy that the elk cooperated and stayed next to Saint Francis as I got closer and captured the scene. This was a serendipitous encounter that I enjoyed very much.
Serendipitous encounters are chance encounters that carry a special meaning. These encounters happen all the time. We meet somebody at work or while we are traveling, and they make a remark that touch us. A student in my class Science and Spirituality said after she came out of a meditation “I forgot there was a body attached to me.” This puts the “me” that she referred to in a completely different perspective. I once watched a movie in which Marcello Mastroianni spoke the words “life is a boomerang.” These words literally hit me in the face because it made me aware that life tends to return to us what we project into life. Once at the concourse of Salt Lake City Airport I encountered the painting “Joy of Creation” by Willamarie Huelskamp. The painting stopped me in my tracks and I was completely absorbed by the layers upon layers of creation that emerge from the mantle that Joy is wearing.
Serendipitous encounters happen all the time, but it takes attention and an open mind to notice them. It would have been easy to pass by the elk next to the statue of Saint Francis, I might have dismissed the comment of the student who came out of her meditation, and I could have hurried to my plane and overlooked Joy of Creation at the Salt Lake City Airport. We might not take the time to listen to somebody and take in their sharing. As we read a book, we might gloss over the messages that have the potential to speak to us or touch us in some way. Communication only happens when sender and receiver are attuned. Do you have an open mind and an open heart for the messages that come your way? If you do, you may discover that your path is full is meaning that is often cloaked as serendipitous encounters.
And here is an even more exciting thought. How can your words and actions be perceived as a serendipitous encounter by somebody else? Conveying meaning requires a sender and a receiver. What if you are the sender? You might not even know that you are!