Miracles do happen, in fact, I believe they happen all the time. I am not referring to parting of the sea, wine-changing- type of miracles; rather, I am talking about the little ones, the kind that you have to really be looking for to really notice at all.
These miracles are the kind where you end up asking yourself, “Why was I in this place, at just this time, because I was the only one who could solve that problem or right that wrong?” You might be a fire-fighter who just happens to be driving past a fire on his way home from running an errand. You decide to take a shortcut down a road you hardly ever travel…and then, there it is, a fire. Why did you take that shortcut tonight?
Maybe you are a nurse who reluctantly takes that free ticket to your local minor-league baseball game. The seats are terrific and you are in the first row, right behind the dugout, when a broken bat flies past you and strikes a small child in the head. You rush to her aid…and later they say you saved her life by your quick-thinking and rendering of immediate first aid. And this was the first time you ever attended one of that team’s games. coincidence, or a miracle?
Anyone who has ever participated or witnessed the birth of a child surely witnesses a miracle before their very eyes. I know that I when my children were born, I was there for both of their births, and I can testify that I was present at a true miracle. Granted, I understand the specifics, details and science behind childbirth, but when you see your child entering the world and taking their first breath, well, I think you most likely said words like, “That is a miracle!” Of course, your mother was most likely saying other words, prior to the birth, but, you both were present for one of the most remarkable miracles possible on this earth.
Just recently, I was a part of a small miracle. I walk every day in order to ward off the various diseases associated with aging and also because it really makes me feel better. I take the same route every day, past the same houses, the same roads, the same occasional wild animal or stray beast. I have come to know every turn, every bush, tree, pothole and obstacle. I know which dog will bark, which will rush out to greet me and which animals will run the other direction as I approach. This day, I was rounding my final turn in the road when two joggers ran toward me, yelling that there was a cat in the middle of the road, who would not come to them when called and was now sitting in the middle of the highway, endangering her well-being. I ran toward the cat, also yelling, but the small cat would not move. I approached her, and bending down, moved my fingers together in the time-honored tradition, known to many cat lovers, that felines must interpret as, “Here is some food, come and get it.” Well, that tiny cat, immediately came to me, I picked her up and carried her to our home and safety.
Dolly is now a permanent resident of our home. After checking every possible resource I could, after posting her picture and location online, in the media and in posters around our neighborhood, no one claimed her, and so she is now a welcome addition to our family. Oh, and did I mention that we discovered that Dolly is deaf? No wonder she did not move when people were yelling at her. Is it a miracle that I was there in just the right place, at just the correct time and knew that cat-calling trick? That is left for you to decide.
I have also discovered that small miracles are all around us. The dew on the ground in the morning, that magically appears and disappears so quietly and quickly. The tiny twinkle of the stars on a clear and moonlit night. The slow changing of the constellations as the earth moves throughout the heavens and the seasons quietly change. Tiny birds peak from behind bushes that you never noticed growing before. Traffic lights are suddenly in your favor just when you need them to be. An email arrives from a friend, precisely when you need it the most. A book you are reading emphasizes a point you need to hear at just that moment in your life.
Yes, miracles happen to us every day of our lives and we usually go merrily on our way, oblivious to what is happening all around us. Take the time to really listen, look in places you never thought to peek before, turn down a road you always wanted to take, but have not yet chosen. You never know when the next miracle will arrive. All I can guarantee you is that if you start seeking…you will soon be finding. Discover your own miracles. They are all around you every day of your life.