Little Miracles

Little Miracles 2008

I have never seen a crippled man walk, a blind man see, or anyone rise from the dead. I've not seen any terminally ill person instantly or magically healed. I've not seen anyone make a ball of fire appear from the sky. I've not witnessed any miracles that the word "miracles" normally conjures up.

I've seen miracles though, lots of them. Miracles are not just the ones we have heard of but will probably never see. They're everywhere, all around us, every day and we've all seen them. It just that sometimes we don't recognize them. There are little miracles all around us and they are every bit as much miracles as those incredibly fantastic miracles that most of us will probably never see.

If you look you will see little miracles everywhere.

Life, once buried under huge piles of snow, is now visible. The tiny, nascent shoots of crocuses, barely showing through the frozen mud, are little miracles. Frozen and buried for days and days under huge piles of snow, their little green leaves are a reminder of the miracle and the tenaciousness of life. These tiny green shoots are little miracles to me.

I was walking a couple of days ago, on a particularly windy day, and it was difficult for me to walk into the wind. But, as I looked up, I saw a flock of birds flying northward in a perfect V. Though they were flying into the teeth of the strong late-winter wind, they appeared to float effortlessly above me - moving with such grace and ease through the crystal-blue sky - while I struggled to walk below. I stood and watched them until they flew out of sight and marveled again at the wonder and variety of life.

Little miracles.

The trail in the woods that I often walk through has been impassable for most of this winter. I miss that part of my walk. However, this week, I was finally able to navigate the trial and see "my woods" again. Like an old friend, they seemed so familiar to me and walking on the trail felt comfortable yet new. The little miracle of things remembered.

Along the trail, which winds through the leafless, sleeping trees of winter, the ground, at first glance since brown and black - and lifeless. When I looked closer, though, I realized those bleak, seemingly lifeless woods, were very much alive. Small black squirrels scurried along the forest floor, oblivious to my presence, doing whatever it is that black squirrels do this time of year. Whatever they do, they do in a hurry. I imagine that they might have been foraging for food - or perhaps they were getting ready for spring and their new families. Whatever they were doing, they were all very busy scurrying about and seemed not to be bothered by my intrusion upon their domain. I smiled as I watched them hurrying about the forest.

Little miracles.

I am sure as spring approaches, there will be many more little miracles to see - and all I have to do is take the time to look. Sometimes I get caught up in my life and I forget to take the time to step back and really look at the world that surrounds. Spring will bring many miracles and I want to see them all.

I don't want to miss the greening grass or that first warm spring breeze that says "spring is here!". I want to be there when the lifeless, barren trees of winter slowly awaken from their winter dreams and greet a perfectly perfect spring morning. I want to hear the birds singing when I awake in the morning. I want to witness those first wispy, white, cotton candy castles sailing high above me on that first warm, sunny spring afternoon.

Most people would say they've never seen a miracle, but they have. They've seen many more than they can count,.

Miracles are not so rare. Look around. They are everywhere. Your children, your friends, your pets, your memories, a bright blue sky, a perfect spring day, or a tulip dressed in its finest spring colors bursting open in the warm vernal sun. Miracles surround you, you only have to look: A flock of birds, a sailboat pushed by the wind on a glassy, mountain lake, a child flying a kite, a glowing, fiery sunset, or the twinkling canopy of stars on a startlingly clear, winter night.

Little miracles.

Spring reminds me of the wonder of the little miracles that happen to us every day. The child's smile, the flowers, the wind, the sun, the moon, the stars and all we take for granted. I look at the world with the eyes of a child this time of year. Expecting the end of winter I watch and wait for the greening of the world. The first flowers are coming soon - despite the blanket of snow that covers the landscape. But even the snowfakes that drift down from the sky, unwelcome as they may be in March, are beautiful. Each one is unique - each one a perfect crystal. Each one a little miracle.

Little miracles are all around and we see them everyday without even noticing - but they are always there.

Maybe little miracles aren't so little after all.

Tell us what you think - Please