Luck. Most of us have a working definition—some blend of randomness, chance, and timing. For many, it explains the great disparities in life. Why did she get the opportunity? Why did he end up with that burden?
On the flip side, others see life soley through the lens of personal responsibility. Success or struggle is the result of choices. “He brought that on himself,” or in the words of Donna Summer, “She works hard for the money.”
This isn’t the moment for a deep dive into either school of thought. But—what if there’s another possibility?
Divine serendipity.
Divine serendipity is the belief that some unexpected blessings or life turns aren’t random at all, but divinely orchestrated. It’s the sense that what feels like coincidence is actually meaningful…intentional…orchestrated—that there’s a higher purpose behind it all, even when we can’t see it in the moment.
Why?
I mean—WHY?!
It’s a question as old as time. Perplexing? Yes. New? Not at all.
In 9th chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus’ disciples ask Him a question we’ve all quietly pondered: Why is this man blind? What’s his story? Who sinned—him or his parents? In their minds, someone must be responsible. Someone had to be blamed.
But Jesus answers in a way that undoubtedly surprised them. “Neither he nor his parents. This happened so that God’s mighty works might be displayed in him.” (John 9:3, CEB)
Not bad luck. Not poor choices. Divine purpose. Divine serendipity.
Now, does this mean personal responsibility doesn’t matter? Of course not. But it does mean that not everything painful is punishment, and not everything good is earned. Sometimes, what looks like chaos is actually divine choreography.
Recently, I had the honor of officiating the burial of a dear friend’s mother. As I offered words of comfort and hope, I noticed a man nearby, sitting on the grass…alone…tenderly caressing a gravestone…sobbing.
After the service, I walked over to him. He said that he heard the words I shared with my friend and that it helped with his struggle to make sense of the death of his sister, his best friend. “Why my sister?” he asked through tears. “She was so good. Why her? Why now? Why?!”
The why’s can be relentless. Why her death? Why his grief at the very moment another family was grieving and celebrating? Why this overlap of sorrow and sacredness? Why?
I’ve lived long enough to know: the search for clean answers can leave you more tangled than before. Like Job, we long to understand what sometimes defies explanation. But also like Job, we may one day move from hearsay to firsthand faith.
As he eventually confessed:
“I admit I once lived by rumors of you;
now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears.
I’m sorry—forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise!
I’ll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor.”
(Job 42:5–6, MSG)
Perhaps that’s the quiet work of divine serendipity—not handing us all the answers, but gently training our eyes to recognize God’s hand in what once felt like mere coincidence. A conversation born at the intersection of two lives—and two losses—that seemed unrelated until grace revealed the connection.
And maybe the real challenge?
Learning to rest in the in-between.
Categories: Acts17seventeen Christian Christianity Community Follower Of Jesus God's time Hurt Prayer
Pastor Mark
Mark, the eighth of nine children born to Reuben and Henrietta Meeks—dedicated church planters with nearly 30 congregations established across California’s Central Valley—is a preacher's kid who grew up immersed in faith and service. With over forty years of experience teaching, discipling, and ministering to communities, including the hospitalized and incarcerated, Mark responded to God's call to pastoral ministry. He holds degrees in civil engineering and public administration, as well as a Master’s in Theology from Fuller Seminary, equipping him to serve with both practical insight and spiritual depth.
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