We’re always looking for some direct divine intervention to help us get the miracle we need for ourselves, but are we looking in the right places for them to come our way?
It’s impressive to have the faith that we will always get a miracle exactly the way our perception feels it needs to come to us, but how many times have we had emotional or financial lows that feel like we’re stuck in place with no way out and cried, “Why? Where is my miracle, God?”
Amanda sat that morning looking at her paycheck stub and the stack of bills waiting to be paid. She couldn’t find the energy to add them up, knowing there wasn’t enough money to even catch them up, let alone pay them off. Her daily ritual of scanning the job ads in the paper had become a story that was taking her to a place of serious doubt for a reprieve from her misery.
Today was her day to visit the Social Security office and turn in this week’s list of places she had applied for jobs – a place that seemed to validate her, being among others who were in the same financial boat. She took a ticket to wait for the counselor who held the power of approval to continue letting her receive an unemployment check. A lady waiting for her husband to finish with his counselor sat down beside her with a small child.
The young boy kept smiling and reaching to hold Amanda’s hand, even though his grandmother quickly pulled him away, telling him to stop bothering the young lady. A determined youngster, he kept wanting to hold her hand and the young lady smiled back, so a conversation ensued with the grandmother asking her if she was looking for a job. The young boy starting begging her to make Amanda his babysitter; the grandmother chuckled and asked the young woman if she had any experience working with children. She answered “no” so quickly that the grandmother asked if she did not like children. Of course she loved children, but was looking for something else that would offer her the ability to be promoted and grow with a company.
The grandmother took that as a clue to stop trying to recruit her for the opening at the church playschool she was managing, just as the grandfather walked up. The little boy was almost out the door with his grandparents, then ran back to give the young woman a big hug and looked at her with those big brown eyes and said with a very determined voice, “God loves you very much and so do I!” She watched him run out the door and realized he had given her heart a warm rush of peace. There was something in that child’s actions and those eyes, she just couldn’t get them out of her mind all day.
The next morning she had received her check and was taking her bills to the post office, having decided to walk and save the gas for more important errands. Along her way she noticed a group of small children playing in a fenced area at a church. Thinking about the young boy again, she looked up and saw the sign in the front yard of the church advertising for a preschool attendant. She smiled, thinking of the boy with the big brown eyes, remembering what he had said,” God loves you and so do I.”
Without even thinking, the next mindful moment she was standing in the church office asking about the preschool attendant position. A lady handed her an application to fill out, where the last question on the form was, “How did you hear about us or the position?” Without a second thought, she wrote “An adorable little boy with big brown eyes.”
She handed the form back to the secretary and was asked to please take a seat, that someone would be with her in a moment. She was looking at the children’s artwork on the walls and one drawing stood out, warming her heart with love and calmness as she read the words, “God loves you and I do, too.” She knew she had been guided to this church by that beautiful little brown-eyed boy, as she sat there remembering his big smile and hug. The secretary asked her to come in, saying, “The director of the preschool will see you now.” As she walked in, she looked up and there was the woman from the Social Security office offering her a seat with a large grin on her face.
Continuing to smile, the director told Amanda she felt that somehow she would see her again, after her grandson went running back to give her a hug at the Social Security office. She shared what his viewpoint of her situation was after they were in the car. He told his grandfather about the nice lady they met while waiting for him, with those bright brown eyes shining, “I gave that nice lady a miracle today, Grandpa, just like they told us to do at school. We can give a miracle away every day by being nice. She’s going to be my teacher someday and be happy. I did just like God wants us to do, and help people out.” His grandfather gave him a big hug and smile, assuring him that he did indeed give out a miracle.
You see, that little boy knew about miracles because he was taught to believe and trust they really exist. He learned that being kind and showing someone they were loved could help them find their way when they looked sad, and change them to be happy. He knew all he needed to do was just give them a hug and God would do the rest.
So the story goes like you would think – the girl got the job, paid her bills, and she is now happy and loves her job, right? Well, it went a little bit further. Amanda also worked hard to get that promotion and found a new man in her life; she is married and expecting a little boy in a few months. Maybe a little brown-eyed boy full of grace who has a direct contact with God’s miracles.
The woman was leaving the vet with her young son clutching her deceased dog’s collar as I was coming in the door for Gracie’s CBC report. The powerful pain this woman and young son was feeling was enormous and as I placed my hand on her arm giving her a little squeeze, she grabbed me sobbing uncontrollable.
