Miracles

The boys and I were reading In Grandma's Attic as a read aloud for school.  We all really enjoyed the humorous stories that Arleta Richardson (author) had compiled about her grandmother who would tell Richardson stories about growing up.  Some of the stories caught me with tears in my eyes, and my boys would ask me why I was sad - when in actuality I was just touched by the stories.  Today we finished the book, much to our dismay (the boys asked me to keep reading).

The last chapter of the book was entitled What Did You Expect?  This was a brief chapter talking about prayer and miracles and how God answers His children.  One she told was about her grandfather, a preacher, needing shoes, and not having money to pay for them.  They prayed for provisions to be able to get the shoes.  Later, one of the members of his church pulled up in a buggy that Saturday afternoon to give the family a chicken for Sunday dinner.  The member of the church had just bought a pair of shoes that didn't fit him right so he gave them to the pastor.  God provides.

Further along in the chapter the author talked about her grandmother making jelly and heating parafin on the stove to seal the jars.  Suddenly the parafin sparked and fire crawled up the wall to the ceiling. The author said that she remembers wanting to run for the door, but seeing her Grandma stand in the kitchen with the wooden spoon in her hand saying, "Lord, please put it out!"  God answers.  The fire was out.

"Well, child, what did you expect?" she asked when she discovered that I still stood speechless in the doorway.  "Did you think the Lord would let the house burn down around your ears?"

What had I expected? I will have to admit that had there been time to think about it, I would not have expected a miracle.  Oh, yes, I knew God performed miracles.  I was brought up on those stories.  But for me?  That was too much to presume.  My first reaction had been to call a neighbor, not God.

Have you seen any miracles lately? You've never seen one? There is only one reason for that. You haven't asked. God doesn't reserve miracles for grandmas or preachers or people who have had a lot of experience in praying. He has them ready for any of HIs children who call for one.

Remember though, a miracle is not something you could do for yourself.  It is an "impossible" in your life. It is a spot with no out. It is for the place where your only foreseeable future is disaster. This is the time to put in an urgent request for a miracle. And this is the time, as surely as you are God's child, that you will see one. 

Well, what did you expect? That's the way the Lord treats His children, you know!      (In Grandma's Attic, c. 1974, pg 138).

Now, I know I have witnessed miracles.  Things that shouldn't have happened, but did, or conversely, things that should've happened, but didn't.  I can even say that I am privileged enough to have been a part of some of them.  God's fingerprints are everywhere.  He loves to bless His children.  If you haven't seen His fingerprints on your life today, ask Him to reveal Himself to you.  It's amazing what you receive when you just ask.