Lately, I've been doing some pondering about miracles. These wonderings and wanderings of my mind have been brought on by the fact that I have a birthday coming up. To some, this may seem silly. "A birthday makes you ponder miracles?" Why yes, yes it does. Because when I was twenty-one I laid on an emergency room gurney with the full belief that I was going to die. No more life for me. No more dancing around the kitchen with my dog, no more riding around an arena on my horses. No more hugs and kisses, no more giggles and oh-my-word-I'm-going-to-pee-myself laughter. No more watching my niece grow up, taking trips down memory lane with my sister, or listening to my parents get sillier as time passes. No more growing older, no more dreams of being a mommy, no more discoveries about myself. No more holidays spent surrounded by family, no more excitement of shopping for the right gifts for my loved ones. No more birthday celebrations because no more birthdays for me. No more this, no more that. No more me.
Maybe now you can understand why the fact that I'm about to celebrate my twenty-fifth birthday leads to my miracle musings.
*My wonderful husband and I on Christmas Eve, 2013
Miracles. Just the word itself is beautiful, but the actual happening of one? Now that is…well, miraculous!
Sadly, in this century and culture, it's really become more of just a word. It's just something we say, like a sentence filler. Our phrases need something encouraging and uplifting, so we throw in the word miracle and let it spruce up it's surrounding words a bit.
Miracles. We pray for them but sometimes we pray out of obligation, not belief. We mention a miracle in our prayers because that's what we've been taught to do, not understanding what it is we're truly asking for. We ask for a miracle because we're desperate, not because we truly believe we'll receive one. We ask but often expect to be ignored. We don't always do it consciously or intentionally, we've just become so enmeshed in the world's way of seeing things that we've started to forget the powerfulness of our God.
Miracles. I grew up learning about some pretty amazing ones...
An angel intervened when a man was fed to some lions (Daniel 6)
The King protected three men thrown into a fiery furnace (Daniel 3)
A mere shepherd boy defeated a giant (1 Samuel 17)
A man and his family were saved from a flood (Genesis 5)
God spoke to a man through a burning bush (Exodus 3)
Our whole world was created in seven days (Genesis 1)
Freedom was gained by two prisoners singing praises (Acts 16)
A man hung out in the belly of a fish (Jonah 1&2)
The King gave up His throne to come to us as a baby (Luke 2)
Love hung on a cross so we could be redeemed (John 19)
Death was defeated (Mark 16)
*Photo found on Pinterest
Miracles. When we read through the Bible we encounter countless occasions where miracles were performed. In the New Testament, we find account after account of Jesus doing miracles. People who had only ever seen black had their eyes opened to the vast beauty that surrounded them. Those who had never been able to even walk began to run and leap, dancing in the street. People who'd been subject to silence could now hear their children's laughter, their friends' hellos, and their loved ones' I love yous. Those who had never been able to let their voices be heard were now speaking and singing, laughing with joy. Even some who had died were brought back to life!
Isn't it sad that when we read through that list, it's like reading through our grocery list? Tomatoes, lettuce, rice, lame leaping, mute speaking, dead living, our Savior saving, bananas, chicken breast, and oh - oreos!!
We've heard the stories so many times that the wonder of it all has worn off. We no longer stand in awe as we should. We're no longer left amazed at the miraculous things He has done nor the ones He's still doing.
The tests that come back clean and leave the doctors baffled
The survivors who walked away from a horrible accident
The soldier who survived having both of his legs blown off
The baby that survived the abortion attempt
They're not always what we'd call big miracles though. Our life is actually full of daily miracles, we're just too complacent to notice them all. We have fallen asleep amidst God's wonders and it's time we wake up and again recognize His power.
A baby being formed in its mother's womb.
Fingers and toes, arms and legs, lungs and a heart, kidneys and a brain…
God-written love stories
The neigh of a horse, the chirp of a bird, the bark of a dog…
The changing of the seasons - each snowflake, every leaf, all the raindrops and rainbows
The crops swaying in the breeze as they grow in the fields
Thunder rumbling
Lightening flashing
Sun shining
Moon beaming
Dancers dancing
Singers singing
Artists creating
Mothers loving
Fathers protecting
Babies giggling
Children growing
Our Savior still saving
Miracles. For the past four years I've become much more aware of the miracles in my life. He used the aforementioned ER experience to help open my eyes and make me more attuned to my daily miracles, both big and small. From walking out of every emergency room I end up in to walking outside to feed the horses. From coming out of the severe attacks to waking up to a new day. My siblings and I liking each other (that's rare in this day and age.) My parents who've always been able to look past the sickness and just see me. A husband who adores me and holds my hand through every day we encounter. Being able to eat more than just potatoes (that's another story in itself.)
*Photo found on Pinterest
Life is full of miracles. It's up to us to open our eyes and see them. God hasn't stopped performing them, we've stopped recognizing them. Heavens ears are open and our prayers are being heard. So go ahead and ask for those miracles you so desperately need, confident in the knowledge that your Father is listening. Just don't get so caught up in the asking that you fail to see the miracles He's already given you…
Grace bestowed
Mercy extended
Sins erased
Forgiveness given
Redemption rendered
And let us never forget -
Our Savior Who's still saving
"Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'" - Matthew 19:26NIV
