journey onWord with us

Each day is filled with a myriad of people, activities, thoughts, expectations and a good dose of the unexpected. How often have you thought to yourself, “This day certainly didn’t turn out the way I had planned.”?  It’s interesting to me how, amid all the twists and turns of each day, I can easily miss lessons from God — moments with Him and miracles from His hand. It’s easy for me (and you) to want Him to part our Red Sea, write His will in the sky or dramatically heal someone whom we love. And in the process of wanting Him to fit into our plans, we miss moments and miracles from the Father’s hand. Often, we look for the BIG moments and miracles. Today, be reminded with me of the day-by-day moments and miracles.

It has been three years now since my wife Genel was called to her aunt and uncle’s home due to a serious illness. Her uncle was taking care of his wife, who was near the end of a nine-year battle with cancer. He couldn’t handle the physical part alone any longer and reached out to Genel. Her first visit to the home lasted about forty-five minutes and was very stressful. Later the same week, Genel spent another couple of hours in the house preparing to receive a hospital bed and organizing things for her aunt to come home. A few days later, her aunt fell and Genel spent the night on a sofa beside her. I am sure many of you reading this article have done the very same things, but helping a family member was not the miracle or moment of which I am speaking.

If you knew my wife well, you would know that she is highly allergic to cats. She can be in a room with a feline for as little as five minutes and be highly congested, sneezing with her eyes watering. Do you relate?  Genel’s aunt and uncle have always loved cats and two of them rule their house!  I had expressed concern to my wife about her severe allergy, but we both knew she was going to step in and help anyway.  The cats even seemed to take a liking to her.  On the evening mentioned above, as she spent the night sleeping on a sofa beside her aunt, Genel woke to find a cat lying beside her head and the other on a close-by chair! Amazingly, during that stressful time, when Genel had to be taking the lead on serious life issues, her allergies basically went away!  No sneezing!  No itching eyes! Nothing! But in the emotion-filled days before her aunt’s passing, we missed seeing God’s miraculous protection and provision.

After the passing of her aunt, Genel visited her uncle in his home … with the cats. Within five minutes of her arrival, Genel’s allergies flared severely. She had to get out quick! It was then when Genel realized what God had done during that critical time when He needed her to provide grace and help to her aunt and uncle. After living her entire life with cat allergies, Genel knew God had gifted a miracle.  And we almost missed it!

You may call it a coincidence or no big deal, but for my wife it was nothing short of miraculous.  And in God’s timing, the allergy returned. Never forget that He is in control! No detail is beyond His notice or ability to provide.  He wants us to see Him in the myriad of activities, stresses, and unexpected twists of life. Nothing is too small for us to sense His presence and see His miracles. Note the words of encouragement written by Frederick Buechner in his book, The Alphabet of Grace:

“Morning, afternoon, evening—the hours of the day, of any day, of your day and my day. The alphabet of grace. If there is a God who speaks anywhere, surely he speaks here: through waking up and working, through going away and coming back again, through people you meet and books you read, through falling asleep in the dark.”

Today, don’t miss the special moments, and even miracles, God may give you!