Serendipity
March 14, 2010

All began when Horace Walpole read a Persian fairy tale, which brought to his face a bright radiant smile because he had discovered a ”thrilling approach to life.” The ancient fairy tale had to do with the three princes from the island of Ceylon. You may not know that the original name of Ceylon was Serendip from which the title of the
fascinating story about unanticipated surprises got its name, “The Three Princes of Serendip.” From which Horace Walpole expressed a new word serendipity.

Serendipity: think about what Walpole meant by that word. Each part of the word, Seren-dip-ity unlocks its exciting meaning.

• Serendipity happens when something wonderful and beautiful breaks into the dull and boring of life.
  
• The Serendipitous journey in life is marked by the ability to suddenly feel wonder and amazement. When we have lost our capacity to be surprised, then our life is in a big rut.
  
• The serendipitous journey is also marked by spontaneity: the behavior to see and seize the unexpected and respond with laughter and joy.
  

The serendipitous journey will bring back happiness and enthusiasm for life.

The challenge to all of us at Heritage is to experience the Life of Serendip as Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote:

“Earth’s Crammed with heaven
And every common bush afire with God:
But only “those” who see take off “their” shoes.”

It is vital that we at Heritage remain open and sensitive to the Holy Spirit as He speaks and guides us in the selection of a new Pastor. Remember God does not often shout but most often whispers. Let us not be in a “rush,” but neither let us not hear our God when He speaks.

Remember, our God can speak from and through the unusual:

• He was a murderer hiding in the desert tending sheep when God spoke to him through a burning bush. The “serendipity” of something wonderful for God’s people was about to happen, deliverance from slavery.
• He was just a teenager and was taking some food to his older brothers down on the battlefield. There was a giant (evil) humiliating God’s people. David went from delivering food (dull) to a giant-fighter (exciting). God was about to do something wonderful. The serendipity of God guiding a stone from a sling shot to slay a giant.

God said it the best when He promised in Isaiah 43:19:

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”

God is always up to something great, a new thing, He says. He does not lie ...so something wonderful and beautiful is beginning to break through at Heritage-
A serendipity, something wonderful!

I can hardly wait!

Woodrow Hudson