Feeling Lucky?

As I was completing a training activity at work, an advertisement came on over the radio that said, "Luck is what happens when hard work and opportunity meet." I stopped for a minute to reflect on the message of this unexpected interruption. I found that I completely agree with the statement and believe that it provides a definition of luck that more accurately captures what it means to be "Lucky".

The American Heritage Dictionary definition of the word lucky reads, "Occurring by chance". This meaning would definitely apply to winning the lottery or hitting a jackpot at the casino, but I do not think that it should be applied to the unbelievable events that occur everyday. People all too often rely on this term to provide an explanation for the otherwise inexplicable taking away from the real reason why things turned out the way they did.

I have been called lucky many times in my life. However, I am reluctant to admit that I am lucky. I refuse to accept that my life experiences have "occurred by chance" as the dictionary definition states. I believe that everything happens for a reason and put my trust in God who is always in control. I know that he is inspiring my hard work and providing the opportunities that lead to my good fortune. Therefore, I would rather refer to myself as blessed and give God the praise that he deserves.

I encourage everyone to think twice before attributing the next amazing situation/result to being lucky. It may help to step back and take a good look at everything that went into making it happen. I am confident that we will find that it really wasn't luck that put us in the right place at the right time... that produced an amazing series of events... that made us feel like something was meant to be... it was God working in our lives.