Ordinary Miracles

Do you remember the story in Exodus where God parts the sea for the Israelites to walk across and escape from the nation that has enslaved them and was looking to kill them? Or, how about the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Three guys with strange names who followed God and were thrown into a fiery furnace and came out alive and unscathed. Do you remember that one? Or, what about Jesus’ life? On the daily He did incredible things – healed the lame, made the blind see, turned water into wine, multiplied a few loves and some fish to feed thousands, walked on water . . . and more! There are even modern day examples of things that can’t be explained. Times where God intervenes and brings people back to life, heals illness, and provides for people’s needs. We read about it. We hear about it.

We all want to see and experience the big, miraculous things of God. And I believe, that as our God is the same yesterday, today and forever that we could very well experience a miracle or see a big act of God TODAY. A few years ago while I was playing on my recreational soccer team, I hurt my right knee. Now, for those who know me, you know that I had knee surgery twelve years ago to repair a torn ACL in my right knee. This was also a soccer injury. But the incident I am referring to was only about five years ago. While on the field, my foot collided on the ball with another person’s foot at the same time which caused my foot to stop with the power of the kick and my knee and thigh to continue moving with their momentum. In other words . . . not good! I heard a strange pop from my knee and immediate pain. I limped off of the field and sat down on my team’s bench – in pain and frustrated. I could barely move my knee and all of the feelings of what I remember from when I had been injured years before this came flooding back. It all felt so familiar. I remember crying out to God: “Please, not again!” The recovery from the first injury was so difficult and all I could remember was trying to learn how to walk and use my leg again. My husband (who at this time was just a teammate and friend) came over to sit next to me. He asked if he could pray for me. He put his hand on my knee and prayed for God to heal me. As he was praying I remember feeling anticipation for what God could do for me. I know there are times when we pray and what we have asked for does not come out to be – but I felt like I should stand up and test out my leg. And so I did. The pain was gone. I could walk around. I was filled with gratitude for God’s goodness and healing in my life that day. I have first hand witnessed a miracle from God. Have you?

These stories are the kinds of things we want to happen daily. I often find that it’s these BIG miracles that we want to see and experience so that we can confirm to ourselves, yet again, that God is real. Because we seek out these big, flashy moments we often will miss out on and take for granted the small, every day, seemingly ordinary miracles. Similarly, when we are waiting for God to speak to us by booming down from Heaven or from a burning bush (you know, the flashy way!), we will often miss His still, small whisper. God is constantly working and moving and doing miracles and sometimes the ‘big’ ones we seek to see – a miraculous healing of an injured knee – are actually some of the small miracles. Wait . . . how is that small? That story is amazing and wonderful! Yes, friends. That’s true. And it’s not really small because our big God is the one who makes it happen. But, let me give some examples of the ordinary miracles that I have been struck by lately . . . miracles that we take for granted daily because they are happening around us all of the time. I hope that you can take time to consider these miracles today – making today not so ordinary but maybe a bit more miraculous!

The first ordinary miracle that I have been struck by lately is life transformation. When we accept Jesus and put the claim of “Christian” on our lives, part of that process is our invitation for the Holy Spirit, God Himself, to come and to work a miracle in our lives by changing us. Over the course of our lives He will transform us, sanctify us and make us more and more like Jesus. Now, this work in us is not something that is ever complete here on earth – but it is something God is doing daily in our lives and in the lives of those around us. When is the last time you’ve take the time to notice?

“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 1:6

This is one of the coolest miracles that Jesus has been showing me lately. It’s not necessarily that I have been looking for it – but I have heard the whisper of the Holy Spirit in my heart pulling my gaze to recognize when someone does something different than they normally would. In the last month I have noticed patience in someone who often tries to get everything done themselves, their way and on their terms. Someone else who often thinks of themselves and their needs above others chose, on multiple occasions, to put their own feelings aside for the sake and love of other people. Another person who never opens up and shares about their life, opened up and shared the intimate and challenging things that God is teaching them. Life change is miraculous.

In Matthew 9, Jesus meets a paralyzed man on the road. Many people were watching and the Pharisees – the ones who doubted Him – were looking to criticize Him. Jesus looked down at the man, lying helpless on His mat, the dust of the road covering His atrophied legs and Jesus said to him: “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” The people around scoffed and doubted. They did not recognize the miracle of a changed life that lay in front of them . . . Jesus knew they needed to SEE something else. Their hearts were too hard to recognize the miracle of life-change. So, Jesus said: “Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?'” The answer to His question is that it is easier for Him to say “Get up and walk.” The miracle of the physical healing was miraculous, but the miracle of a changed life – a forgiven life – is even more. An ordinary, every day miracle. Look around. Do you see it?

The second ordinary miracle is the human life. This has been on my mind this week because a friend recently told me she is pregnant. After she shared her exciting news, I just couldn’t stop thinking about how God made each of us and how God is creating a little tiny human inside of her – not just their little body, but their soul, their personality and their gifts. He knows this baby so well! He created them. He is creating them . . . right now! There are new humans being formed by our creator’s hand daily and I don’t often take the time let that miracle sink in.

“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast the sum of them!”

Psalm 139:13-17

God’s hand will be on my friend’s body intimately over the next nine months and He will be creating a human inside her. We must remember that was once each of us! The fact we are even here on earth right now is a walking miracle. Do you see the miracle in the ordinary?

Lastly, I have been struck by the ordinary, every day miracle of God’s creation. A month ago I was putting together family packages for my Children’s Ministry families at church to drop off at their houses. In the packages I had a fun surprise for the kids along with a devotional and family activity for the families to connect with God together while doing this summer activity. I packed each back with some dirt, a small pot and seeds. As I was pouring the mixed seed package out in my hand and separating them into bags for each family I was struck with all of the different shapes, sizes and coloured seeds in my hand. And then, I started thinking about how somehow, plants grow out of that little tiny seed! That’s incredible! When you think about how each towering cedar grew from a tiny seed do you ever think about the miracle that has occurred to grow that tree into what it is? Next time you see a tree, or better yet, a forest, stand back in awe by the fact that each of those trees started out as a tiny seed. Next time when you plant a flower or tend your garden think about the ordinary miracle of the seed and God’s creativity and His creation power!

“Then God said, ‘Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them’; and it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plans yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, and their kind; and God saw that it was good.”

Genesis 1:11-12

This isn’t a miracle that God created thousands of years ago – that’s when it first happened! But this every day miracle of plants coming from seeds and then growing and flourishing is something that He still does today.

Miracles are all around us, happening every day and reminding us not only that God is real (because science proves the presence of God – not His absence!) but they also show us that God is here. He is working and moving, creating and growing, and performing extraordinary miracles in front of our eyes daily. We will only miss these things and deem them ordinary because we grow accustom to seeing these miracles every day. Because of this we forget that they are truly miraculous. Should we still ask for the big, flashy miracles of healing, parting sea, calming storms and multiplying food? Yes! But let’s not lose sight of the many miracles that are happening right now. We need to ask Jesus to open our eyes to not take these miracles for granted. We need to ask to be filled with a fresh and deep ‘awe’ at the sight of all that He is doing. What ordinary miracles have you encountered recently?

Written by: Justine Joy