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When I experience a synchronicity, my arms are covered with goosebumps, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention! A synchronicity is one of those magical moments when there are simply too many coincidences in a situation to be merely a coincidence. I love the saying, “coincidences are God’s way of staying anonymous.” God, the Divine, is the architect of these events – and He designs them for a purpose.

Let me share one of mine. My husband and I were scheduled to visit Italy the week after hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast. Troubled by the ongoing needs of our fellow citizens, we wrestled with our vacation plans. One evening, we decided to look into volunteer opportunities to determine if we should change our plans. During our internet research, we hit one roadblock after another. We saw it as a sign to stick with our original plans. After a few days in Rome, we arrived in Florence and checked into our hotel. Quickly unpacking our bags, we prepared to do some sightseeing before dark. I pulled out a hooded sweatshirt I’d purchased a few months earlier – and had already worn many times. I laid it on the bed, straightening it, to tie around my shoulders. For the first time, I noticed the subtly-colored graphics on it. The drawings were flowered Italian doorways with the word “Firenze” written across the top. This word means Florence! I was blown away! My first thought was: God is telling us we are exactly where we are supposed to be. Over the next days, I continued to meditate on this amazing occurrence. This vacation had several other spiritual messages for us, especially regarding our role in helping other people.

Synchronicities are meaningful, even when the reasons for them may not be immediately apparent. As we are often encumbered by the difficult realities of life on earth, God demonstrates another reality. This reality is based in the unlimited possibilities of Divine unconditional love. Carl Jung, the famous Swiss psychologist, was the first person to identify and name these events “synchronicities.” He defined a synchronicity as a situation in which apparently unrelated events converge to form a momentous experience for those person(s) experiencing it.

One of the most exciting aspects of synchronicities is that the more you recognize them and strive to understand their purpose, the more synchronicities will come into your life. There is some quantum physics involved here (and I certainly am not an expert), but I do know wherever we place our attention and energy, we attract similar situations into our lives.

Responding to synchronicities with grace entails the following: Recognize the synchronicity. Show your appreciation by expressing gratitude to God for orchestrating all the details to create this event. Explore your thoughts and feelings, to find the true meaning behind the event. Most importantly, live out the purpose of the message. And, more synchronicities will come your way….