The other kind of miracle

Dear God, this is Kelley.

You work miracles, but they aren’t what we think they are. We grow up thinking miracles are something that happens outside of the natural order of things — like You walking on water, feeding thousands, and making water rush out of a rock. I suppose You have your reasons for doing such things “back then.” I suppose You still do them every now and then. But that’s not the miracles I’ve been privy too.

Other kinds of miracle are all around us, but we haven’t been taught how to see them. We don’t tend to see You in them. Too often, we take the credit for ourselves. I’ve seen plenty of these miracles. These miracles take place over long periods of time. They require our participation, our effort, our daily choice to come to be. What was not possible before becomes possible.

Oh, we want to see the other, the instant fix, the supernatural occurrence! We don’t want to think we have to fight our way through, working right beside You. It’s hard. It’s painful. But how else would You put muscle on us? How else would You form character within us?

I may still ask for the quick kind of miracle. But when that doesn’t happen, give me the grace to keep looking. The miracle may be coming, and my effort may be required to bring it about.

Reflection

Which kind of miracles do you ask of God? Given this new view of God’s miracles, how many have you helped God bring about?

Prayer

Oh, God, help me to consider this new understanding of your miracles. I may have thought You did not answer me when I looked for, begged for my suffering to end. Help me to see how You accompanied me, encouraged me, and enabled me. Help me to see how You move. Amen.