Recently, I was talking with a friend about the pregnancies of Mary and Elizabeth. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was visited by an angel who told her she was carrying the son of God. Elizabeth was also told by angels that she would birth a son who would pave the way for Christ. This had me thinking about the miracles these two women experienced. First, having angels talk to them and second, becoming pregnant when neither could have physically become pregnant on their own. My thoughts then switched over to wondering why we don’t experience miracles like this today.

During the 11 o’clock sermon that same morning, I was reminded of an experience from Ichthus (a very large christian music festival) that happened a few years ago. During the communion service on the main stage, hundreds of people were gathered as massive storm clouds moved in. As communion was being served, a miracle happened. The clouds opened up over the stage -a literal circle of clear sky overhead surrounded by dark storm clouds opened as all these people took communion and worshiped Christ.

When my father was a toddler, he was in an accident that left him in a coma and the expectation of being fully paralyzed. The doctors left my grandparents with little hope. My Grandmother went to the sanctuary at the hospital and prayed to God that her son would be healed. She swore that a voice told her very clearly not to worry, despite the doctors’ warnings, and that her son would be OK. Sure enough, my father got better, surpassed all the doctors’ expectations, and is still living a full life.

A few years back, I was in a car accident on 696. My vehicle hit the dividing wall head on and was totaled. I somehow managed to walk away with only a couple of bruised ribs. In addition to not being seriously hurt, there was a random stranger who helped me out of the car, spoke to the police with me, and waited with me until my dad arrived to pick me up. That stranger helped me in a time of need when others had kept on going and I still think of him from time to time.

Just this week, I was at the laundromat near our cabin up north. When I was ready to go, I was looking at the laundry that had to go out and my 2 month old daughter in her car seat. As I resigned myself to knowing I had to make 2 trips to the car carrying my daughter both times, a woman came over and offered to carry a basket so that I only needed to make one trip. 

Miracles can and do still happen everyday, we just need to be open to seeing them. They can be major, like miraculous healings, or simpler, like a stranger helping out in a time of need. I wanted to share this with you in the hopes that we can all start to recognize the small miracles that happen in our lives and thank God for being present even when we don’t acknowledge him. 

Beth Miller