Seven years ago this St. Patrick’s Day, a woman named Cathy posted a selfie wearing a green shirt emblazoned with a shamrock and the words, “Looking for my Lucky Charm.” That day, her eternal companion entered her life. I saw her post and sent her a friend request. We became Facebook friends on St. Patrick’s in 2016, so St. Patrick’s Day is truly our lucky day!
Zig Ziglar was fond of saying that “success is where preparation meets opportunity.” We would add to that the idea that, “success is where preparation meets opportunity and agency.” Cathy made her light-hearted St. Patrick’s Day post knowing that some people might think it was silly or criticize her for “trying too hard.” When she posted it, she even had the thought that “this isn’t very likely to work!” However, she put it out there anyway that she was interested in finding a partner — and she found one. Some people might look at our relationship say, “she was lucky,” yet she used her agency to set her intentions and prepare.
The element of “opportunity” is where luck comes in. We have to leave that part to God. As Horace Walpole said, “What is called chance is the instrument of Providence.” Even so, Cathy made an honest bid for what her heart desired when she could have chosen to play it safe and pretend, like so many do, that she didn’t really care very much about finding a partner. If you pretend you don’t want a partner, the chances that you will find one will be vastly diminished.
St. Patrick himself provided an illustrative example of how we can maintain faith and hope amid crisis. St. Patrick was not, in fact, Irish. He was born in fourth century Roman Britain, and he died on March 17 (now observed as St. Patrick’s Day), 460 A. D. At the age of 16, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders and was kept as a slave; much like Joseph of old was captured and sold into slavery in Egypt. Patrick spent six years in captivity before he escaped and returned home to England. During his captivity, Patrick was often isolated in solitary pursuits and his pondering led him to develop a deep Christian faith.
Six years into his captivity, an angel appeared to Patrick, telling him “You have fasted well. Very soon you will return to your native country.” The angel also told him where a ship would be docked that would take him back to his home country. He walked over 200 miles to reach the port.
Patrick later experienced another vision, which told him to return to Ireland and walk among the people there. During his mission to Ireland, Patrick baptized druid priests, chieftains, and other aristocrats by the thousands. He ultimately led the nation to Christianity. Like Joseph of old, Patrick led his adopted nation to a new path as a result of being sold there as a slave.
Sometimes the opportunities we are presented with are not what we expect. Sometimes they come to us looking like tragedies. Sometimes they are painful. But we should never give up believing that God has good things in store for us. He knows how to prepare us and to do His own work with us. Often, He sets things in motion and then waits. Waiting is the callisthenic of the soul. It is useless to stand over our garden and shout at our plants to grow faster. Often, they are growing, but we can’t see it happening because they have not YET pushed through the surface.
When Cathy posted her selfie seven years ago, she set something in motion and then waited. It took us more than two years after she posted that selfie to make it to the altar together. But what a sweet blessing it is to both of us and the family we are building. It took time and patience to work out what we were going to mean to each other. That is the way of it. We put ourselves out there and do our best and trust the Lord to do the rest. He might make us wait longer than we wish for the results, but His promises are sure. Why not plant the seed of your desire on St. Patrick’s Day? You may just find your lucky charm!
NEW PODCAST & VIDEOS
LILY Pod: Flips & Flops in Life & Relationships
LILY Tube: St. Patrick’s – Looking for Green Flags
LILY Short: Comparison is the Thief of Joy
Interested in our “Life Design After Divorce” 12-week Course? To receive access to the entire course and join us for the next 5 LIVE workshops and coaching sessions, REGISTER HERE: lilywebinars.com/order-page
Discover how LILY Coaching can support you. Simply email us at
li**@lo**************.com
to request FREE consultation with Jeff or Cathy. We look forward to meeting with you personally!
Get a copy of “Intentional Courtship” on Amazon to heal from relationship loss and create more love in your life: Order Intentional Courtship
If you enjoy this letter, forward to a friend. Our goal is to support as many mid-singles and later-married couples as possible!
FEATURED THIS WEEK
We help those who have experienced divorce, especially within our faith, to actively recover and reclaim their lives. Enjoy our Life Design After Divorce FREE WEBINAR.
About the Author
Jeff Teichert, and his wife Cathy Butler Teichert, are the founders of “Love in Later Years,” which ministers to Latter-day Saint single adults seeking peace, healing, and more joyful relationships. They are co-authors of the Amazon bestseller Intentional Courtship: A Mid-Singles Guide to Peace, Progress and Pairing Up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jeff and Cathy each spent nearly a decade in the mid-singles community and they use that experience to provide counsel and hope to mid-singles and later married couples through written articles, podcasts, and videos. Jeff and Cathy are both Advanced Certified Life Coaches and have university degrees in Family & Human Development. They are the parents of a blended family that includes four handsome sons, one lovely daughter-in-law, and a sweet baby granddaughter.
Purchase Jeff & Cathy’s book Intentional Courtship:
Connect with Jeff & Cathy:
Website: http://www.loveinlateryears.com/
Podcast: https://anchor.fm/loveinlateryears
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/loveinlateryears
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LoveInLaterYears
Instagram: http://instagram.com/loveinlateryears/
Email:
lo**************@gm***.com
