Miracles......

"People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child -- our own two eyes. All is a miracle."Thich Hanh

What is a miracle?  We use the word all the time, but do we really stop to think about the meaning or the implication of what the word means?  The definition of miracle is:

mir·a·cle  /ˈmɪrəkəl/  [mir-uh-kuhl]  –noun

1. an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.

2. such an effect or event manifesting or considered as a work of god.

3. a wonder; marvel.

My name is Pam, and I am a recovering skeptic.  The scientist in me questions everything.  The theologian in me asks the question; "Is it coincidental or providential?" and "if it happened for them, why didn't it happen for those?"

At the root of my heart, I want to believe in miracles, but I do have trouble with anything I can't explain--it is part of my genetic make-up.

The Scripture of each religious institution teaches that miracles happen.  In my own tradition, the scripture says....

"Jesus walked on water, turned the water into wine, caused the blind to see, the lame to walk and even states he himself rose up from the dead."  Every time I read it or preach it, I have this internal moment where I say, "Really? How could that be?"

But then I remember that there are many things that I don't understand in our world today.  How do cell phones work or electrons move through my wall to cause my lights to work?  How does the wind blow?  So there are many things that are

"miracles" that I wrestle with because I don't understand them.

Do I believe in miracles?

Even in my wrestling and unknowing,

intuitively there is something in my

DNA that recognizes the MYSTERY OF THE DIVINE

brings us many offerings.  I am often too busy or too caught up in my own "junk" to recognize the sacred that meets the secular in every moment.
Miracles do happen...
I don't understand them or know how they work,
I say they come from God....
the energy of the Universe...
and
I am thankful for the wonder of life
and all the amazing aspects of what life encompasses.  Richard Crawshaw says:  “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” So for today...
in this moment...
this recovering skeptic will admit it and claim it....
miracles do happen every day...
in the love that flows to and from my husband and children,
in the seed opening up to shoot forth roots and leaves to the sky that will eventually provide food for the world,
in the water that I drink,
the rain that falls from the sky,
the grass under my feet,
in the bird's eggs waiting to hatch underneath my deck.
in the birth of a child and in the sound of laughter,
yeah....miracles happen...
Life itself is a miracle...
i just have trouble understanding and accepting...

My favorite line from the movie, Bruce Almighty comes from God speaking to Bruce in the coffee shop after Bruce parts the bowl of tomato soup.  God says, "Parting a soup is not a miracle, Bruce. It's a magic trick. A single mom who's working two jobs, and still finds time to take her son to soccer practice, that's a miracle. A teenager who says no to drugs and yes to an education, that's a miracle. People want me to do everything for them. What they don't realize is *they* have the power. You want to see a miracle, son? Be the miracle."

So as members of "they" the human race...

let's live into that...

let's use our power,

the authentic power inside us...

and

let's be the miracle....

or

do a miracle...

Blessings to all of you today...

take a moment,

look around

and

see the miracle you are and are living in

and

be thankful.

I am today!

hugs to all of you....