Pronoia is the opposite of paranoia. It is the belief that the universe is conspiring for our benefit.

A friend is going through a rough patch. Work is stressful and her husband may lose his job. Their kids are flailing in their own ways and it's like a bad juggling act just to get dinner on the table. They prayed about it without expecting much.

Then a bunch of families got together to give them a surprise for each of the twelve days before Christmas. Life swiveled from dragging themselves out of bed to anticipation of what would show up. Coincidence? Nope. Pronoia.

A woman who is wrestling with health issues can barely get her kids dressed and out the door in the morning. Her husband reached out to her friends and within hours a schedule of meals evolved that will last into next month.

A couple that couldn't even agree about weekend chores joined our marriage group last year. Being in the presence of five other moderately functional couples one evening a week helped them reboot. She told me recently that they took on a small renovation project together and she is having a ball. Their skills are complimentary and creativity is the new normal.