Choir Notes

Serendipity
From Music and the Spoken Word
Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell • Program 4178

The story is told of a young boy building a tree house with his father. For months they planned and prepared; they purchased supplies and mapped out details, and then with great anticipation and excitement they began building. Working side by side, they laid boards and hammered nails as the tree house slowly took shape.

After months of preparation and hard work, they basked in the sense of accomplishment that came from their father-son project. But it turned out that the boy didn’t spend much time in the tree house once it was built. Greater satisfaction seemed to have come from working, laughing, and learning alongside his father.

When they began the project, the father thought they were simply building a place for his son to play. But in reality they were building much more than that. It wasn’t only about lumber and nails, sawing wood, or laying shingles; it was also about spending time together. As the tree house took shape, so did their relationship.

Sometimes our well-laid plans lead to a deeper, more meaningful joy than we ever expected. Serendipity is a word that means “the accidental discovery of something pleasant, valuable, or useful."1 While the boy may not have spent much time in the tree house once it was built, both father and son would do it all over again for the serendipitous blessings that came from it.

As we learn a skill, gain knowledge, and spend time with someone, we may discover something far more important than what we intended. So open your heart to the unexpected blessings that come your way, and bask in their discovery.

1 Encarta World English Dictionary, http://encarts.msn.com/dictionary_1861717994.html.