Everyday Miracles

When you opened your eyes this morning, did you see it?  Did you see how God provided another miracle for you?  Did you see?

Or if you could not see, when you woke to the sounds of the morning – the alarm, or perhaps bird song, or traffic, or a loved one’s voice, did you hear it?  Did you hear how God provided another miracle for you?  Did you hear?

When I woke this morning, I smelled another miracle.  I smelled the miracle of coffee.  God provided that ability.  How does your morning smell today?

Are you amazed at how God provides the senses and blessings we enjoy each moment?  If we aren’t amazed, if we don’t marvel at every sunrise, sunset, shower, sound or sight, we’re sure missing out on the beauty of our creator’s imagination.  We’re missing out on reminders of God’s love for us, his children.

I started this with some everyday blessings, sight, sound, smell.  Most of us have at least some of those blessing show up daily in our lives, and if I don’t appreciate those miracles, well, I wonder if I really believe they come from the hand of our Father.  Everyday miracles don’t become less miraculous.  To me the every-day-ness of them makes them even more special because that reminds me that He is with me, providing for me, walking with me every day.

Today I woke to rain and cloud

I felt the thunder roll.

And the sound of God’s brass orchestra

brought drum beats to my soul.

I Remember days when morning brought

icy winds and snow

and the beauty of each tiny flake

brought splendor in my soul.

And if I wake on sunny morns

those days too, help me know

that my Creator, God most kind

loves me with heart and soul.

Diane

A Word Softly Spoken

 

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

This morning at breakfast I became convinced that, when I get upset at people for upsetting other people it doesn't do God’s will to grumble about it.

Now, I’d better start from the beginning.  Or maybe I should start with a question.  Have you ever gone into a situation with a positive, upbeat attitude only to confront a person, or people who find fault with everything they encountered?

"The food was cold! The tea never came!  The service was slow!  The egg casserole didn’t have any sausage in it, as promised!"

Do you get the picture?  It gets worse.  Spread the word.  Spread the discontent and tell everyone within earshot of the entitlement  you didn’t receive.  In fact get up and go to the next table and help them understand your disappointment. 

Ok.  What did you do about that?  I hope you wouldn’t  have done what I did?  Yes, I confess, I loudly explained  to the person next to me that “some people just can’t be happy with anything” just loudly enough to make sure the offender heard me.

I believe that the Holy Spirit spoke to me softly after that statement and said, “Diane, you really aren’t helping the situation and that’s not demonstrating Jesus’ way.”

Wow!  Now what?  Afterward, I got to thinking that I don’t only do God’s will when I speak of Him to others, or when I explain salvation, or forgiveness, or heaven to those around me.  I believe the Spirit was telling me that I do God’s will when I pass on his peace and joy to others.  And I must do that by encouraging the hurting people with a smile, a kind word, or an offer to help, rather than condemnation of those who try to spread that strife and unhappiness. 

Ok, so much for my lesson from the Spirit this morning.  How was your day?