I have a friend who is an atheist, and so our shared language has evolved in an interesting way. She doesn’t so much believe in God, but does believe in a Higher Power, and she acknowledges miracles. I think it’s more that she’s been burned by Christianity, and I don’t know the specifics, but I accept her “special feature,” she accepts my Catholicism, and we have amazing conversations.
One of the things we discuss is the Universe Aligning. For me, this is God working in Mysterious Ways, little things I try to keep track of. For her, this is the Higher Power making good things happen when an individual follows their “Bliss,” or that which is inside them and will lead to something Great and Amazing. (If you’re rolling your eyes, it’s probably best to stop reading now. It will only get worse.)
God is always at work in my life, I know that. I’m just not always so good at catching the signs of it, or of acknowledging it as such. When I email this friend, I sometimes list the little things that feel like the Universe Aligning, because it brings them to the fore of my mind, and it makes me pay attention. Recently, I’ve even started a prayer journal, and although I have been trying to avoid this for years, I’m seeing what a help it is for my paying attention to the little things.
You see, God has big plans for each of us. The problem I have is that he doesn’t always use a Super Bowl commercial to tell me just what that plan holds. He doesn’t use lightening to spell it out in the sky. It’s that still, small voice; a little coincidence that isn’t really a coincidence at all; a moment of ah-ha surrounded by normal, everyday events.
