For Good Luck

Some school of thoughts are thought of as strengthening agents to the vague notion that there is no such thing a bad luck … but only missed opportunities. It goes without saying then that if we do not slip opportunities through our fingers, so to speak, then we are indeed always flooded with good luck! To the mindful and well-humoured, those who would not want opportunities to slip through their fingers, they would indeed then wallow in good luck and good fortune. John in 10:10 had this to say about this, too, when he stated what our Lord Jesus said, “ …I have come so that you might have life and life in all its fullness.” ‘Life in all its fullness’, in essence, could be interpreted as enveloped in good fortune, richness, abundance of worldly properties and money, joys, friendships and all earthly physiological needs in accordance with God’s plans. Some people do not consider this notion, bad luck or missed opportunities as something bad for they in themselves are true and good teachers. They make us realise that things could have turned out better if only we could have ‘turned the screw tighter, or othertwise, looser, by one more turn of the screw driver’. They make us reflect, “If I were given the opportunity to do this thing all over again, what would I do differently?” On the other hand, good luck is not at all vague but quite apparent, almost tangible, being there somewhere, to be scrutinised and be seen clearly, to be touched, to be plucked, for they may only be within arm-reach! All one had to do was to stretch out one’s hand, so to speak, and grab them. Good things that come by or that happen are generally considered by human standard as good luck. As expressly rather than impliedly mentioned in the celebrant’s invocation prayers during the Holy Mass, all good things come from God the Almighty. Human thinking may then sidestep to wonder as to why unfortunate things indeed do happen to all God’s creation, even among God’s good people. Remember the incident when quite a number of the priests’ vehicles were smashed up by a certain local individual at a resort retreat centre? It was discerned that that was God’s language. He is communicating Himself with everyone who knows about the incident. The degree of how much one knows about the story is the measure of a divine communicative message one would get. But, God has also said that His ways are not men’s ways, that men’s wisdoms are folly to God. Coming to think of God’s thoughts and ways, the conflict with Israel and Palestine nowadays dates back to more than 2009 years ago. I remembered having been told a story of how young David, an Israelite, killed a full-fledged warrior Goliath, a giant Palestinian, using a stone sling. David was with God and it was not established whether Goliath was not close by to God’s ways. But, if you are given an orange during the the Chinese New Year season, do not think twice, take it for it is said it’s for good luck. It is said that it’s good luck for both the giver and the receiver. If you are given a red packet with an Ang Pau inside, take it, for it is said it’s for good luck. If you are given a red packet with a considerable amount of Ang Pau money inside, as it had happened to me, take it in glee and with thanks for it is not only for good luck, but it is indeed in itself and by itself applied good luck! The good luck which it would bring would then be almost quaranteed. A case of double good luck.