I remember patterns in my life. Until that day, I hadn’t much thought about the “Pattern of Three,” but from then on, I felt as if I had been given a “message” of sorts.
If two things (good or bad) happen within a 24-hour period, I need to pay attention to the second one, as it may be the pattern that saves my life. (It HAS happened, but I’m not willing to discuss it today.)
Sometimes, one has to be alert to the forces that control us. We can’t stop the blinker arm from breaking if it has been subjected to desert heat, but if it breaks, we need to be aware that there may be a reason why we cannot use it that day.
To me, it was, “What the...?” And then I headed into the pharmacy. Was I really supposed to go there?
No. Why? I don’t know.
But I listen to things that most people don’t. Years before, we lived in Olympia, WA, while Igor was in Saudi Arabia. We purchased a lot at Ocean Shores Outdoor Recreation Club. We had a 19’ trailer there, and spent every weekend we could out there. (The two kids and I.)
One Sunday, as we were driving back to Oly in drizzle, following a tanker truck and one car, my son said he needed to stop at a service station. I was (am) a believer in the “third time’s a charm” so I said, “OK,” and kept driving.
A few minutes later, still following the tanker and the car, he told me again that he had to go. Again, I said, “OK,” and kept driving through Aberdeen.
The third time, however, I pulled into a service station and let him use the restroom. I eased back into traffic in the pouring rain, following the road around the town, and as we headed for the road through “the rain forest,” we had to slow down for an accident.
The tanker truck and car we had been following for 16 miles or more had met up across the highway on the way out of Aberdeen. The car we had been behind was under the tanker and the car that had been behind us was an accent to them both.
Had I not stopped to let my son relieve himself, there is no doubt in my mind that I would not be here today to tell of it.
As for having “a really hard life,” look for patterns in your past and see if they may fit in your future. God has subtle ways of telling us it is not our time, or that we have overlooked something, or that we really need to pay attention.
I never scoff at anything that might be, in reality, a means of saving myself. Even “Patterns of Three.” “Patterns” are there for a reason.
However, what you have described is not pattern recognition, but it is called by other names: intuition, precognition, 6th sense. You have indicated your religious faith informs your "pattern of three" beliefs. I am not one to argue the pros and cons of anyone else's religious faith. But the fact of the matter is that almost every situation we encounter is similar to an immense number of previous situations going back to our earliest infancy. Every day of our lives is a learning experience, and our brains build on everything we have ever learned to inform us moment by moment throughout our lives.
You believe as you do because of the unique set of experiences that make up the sum total of your unique life. The same is true of every individual on the planet.
As for the topic of this thread -- a celebrity death -- and whether they come in threes, empirical evidence resoundingly says no. You are, of course, free to believe as you wish, but if you are at all interested in facts, you might consider looking here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_in_2010
This month of May 2010, alone, 276 notable people have died, and we still have three days left in the month. That averages out to just over 10 notable people per day. They ranged in age from 17 to 114, with the average age at time of death being 73. They were actors, politicians, sports figures, authors, coaches, scientists, educators, and other notables. Worldwide, approximately 56 to 57 million human beings die each year. We don't see the deaths occurring around us every day, so are unaware of the scale of passings annually. The news media informs us of only a tiny fraction of the deaths, even of notable people. So again, whether or not you have a pattern of three in your own life is for you to decide. But empirically, when it comes to celebrity deaths, there is no such pattern. There is only myth.
As far as the patterning, there is no question it is God or an external force usually smacking me upside the head :-). Believe it or not your comments tonight was one of those patterns. As far as knowing things before they happen. I am deeply intuitive and sensitive and life can feel overwhelming because of this. So I have to live with knowing I have a gift that can wear me down or that I can use to be of service.
There are also a lot more patterns and an increase in them lately (since 9/11) in the outside world (meaning worlds not just mine such as media etc and media figures.)