Today is the two-year anniversary of Lunch-Break Miracles! I’ve had such a blast writing about miracles and looking at the world with eyes of wonder these past two years. And I’ve learned quite a bit about God’s mysterious ways along the way.
So I decided to put together a little list of my “miracle learnings.” What would you add to the list?
1) Miracles can be super small.
It’s easy to dismiss a miracle if it’s not on the scale of parting a major body of water! But maybe miracles are God’s way of communicating with us. And that includes small talk. Like a monogrammed napkin ring or a strange name “coincidence.”
2) God is a creative genius!
Seriously, I’m constantly amazed by his miraculous designs–from cliffs that look like wedding cake to a fire rainbow. Even something as ordinary as cabbage is wondrous when you examine it closely.
3) Love uncovers the miraculous.
It’s no surprise that many miracles involve sweethearts or family members (and especially, it seems, mothers!). There’s just something about the bond of love that brings wonder to light, whether it’s premature twins holding hands or a mother speaking to her daughter through a cherished cartoon clock.
4) Miracles don’t always look like miracles.
Sometimes you don’t realize wonder has occurred under after the fact. That’s something I learned while stuck on an elevator. And, from my parents, who met in the first grade but didn’t end up connecting until much later. Isn’t it amazing to think of all the “miracles in progress” unfolding at this very moment?
5) Prayer is powerful.
I’ve noticed that prayer often comes before a miracle. That’s not to say you pray and instantly wonder unfolds. But keeping an open dialog with God is key. Like the young girl who asked God for a miracle on Good Friday.
6) God uses people as miracles.
I’ve been blown away by the number of times another person has participated in the wonder in my life. Like my friend Gladys, whose words reached me at just the right time.
7) Miracles are completely surprising.
You can beg for them, plead for them. But they always seem to happen when you least expect them. Take the story of a widower who stumbled upon a dollar bill from his deceased wife. Or, the musician who ended up writing a book of prayer doodles based on her struggle with depression.
8) Sometimes you gotta think like a kid.
Stop asking questions and put on your inner-child wonder vision. That’s what I did last September when I followed a series of signs to Ireland. (Although, I’m still trying to figure out exactly why God led me there!)
9) Miracles often happen at low points.
As C.S. Lewis said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain.” In moments of darkness, God swoops in with a nudge or sign to remind you He’s got your back.
10) It’s all about perspective.
What’s a miracle for you might not be for someone else. In April, I asked readers to submit photos of what miracles looked like. The submissions ranged from a sobriety ring to a spider’s web. God speaks to you in your own language. And He’ll use whatever is meaningful to you, not someone else.
