Remember a few years back with all the talk regarding the book and movie The Secret? The basic premise involves a centuries old principle called The Law of Attraction. The Secret author Rhonda Byrne and her co-presenters maintained that everything that happens in our lives is a result of our thinking. So if you want a new Mercedes in your driveway, all you have to do is Ask, Believe and Receive. And the counterpart is that if you have a disaster in your life, 
something you were thinking attracted that event. So if you are walking under a tree and a bird poops on you, your thinking caused that to happen.
Some time ago Joanne and I were in New York City. After a busy day of meetings with my publishers we were strolling down Broadway when we came to the Neil Simon theatre where the famous show Hairspray was playing. Joanne had checked in advance and was told the tickets were sold out weeks in advance – and I didn’t want to pay the $110 per ticket anyway. But I suggested we walk over to the theatre just to check out the possibilities. There was a young guy out front who said no tickets were available – but added that they do have a drawing each evening for a few choice seats. The drawing takes place at 5:30. A quick glance at my watch let me know it was 5:26. Joanne and I quickly filled out a slip and dropped it in the container. We stepped back on the sidewalk and waited for 4 minutes.
Well, you can see where this is going. Yes, we got tickets – two of four, $25 each for front row center seats – for that night at 8:30. We then walked down to Ruby Foos for a wonderful dinner and came back to see the show.
Now, what happened there? Was it luck, fate, God’s providence, coincidence, positive thinking or an alignment of the stars? How do you explain the good things in your life? How do you understand the bad? Do you expect good things – or are you convinced bad things are going to happen?
I wish space permitted a fuller treatment of this important topic. Personally, I do expect good things to happen. But then I go to work to increase the chances. Perhaps getting tickets was just an example of the Biblical principle – You have not because you ask not. (James 4:2) Or Proverbs 23:7 where we are told: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” I’m going to keep expecting good things in my life. Show tickets are a small deal compared to some of the others I’ve got in my sights.
What are you expecting? How do you interpret The Law of Attraction?
