Everyday Miracles.

Is that an oxymoron? I'm not so sure. These are the kind of miracles that are easy to overlook, but impossible to live without. And with life as it has been lately, they're the kind of miracles I've been desperately needing.

You know - you find a few dollars in your pocket totally unexpectedly, you run into an old friend you've been thinking about a lot, someone says a few words to you that you've been dying to hear. Those kind of miracles.

I have a ginormous picture frame on my wall and inscribed on it is a quote from Albert Einstein: "There are two ways of living. One, as if nothing is a miracle. And the other, as if everything is a miracle." The past few weeks have been so difficult. Without any explanation really; no major events of any sort. But just as if every day was harder than the one before. Like walking in waist-deep water. And by this week, I found myself saying, "Jesus, I just need something good. I can keep going. But I just need something good."

Friday didn't bring any of those "good" things to sight, really. It was my first genuine, for real, no doubt about it day off in quite some time. But it was also the three month mark of losing my grandmother. So, exhausted from the two weeks prior and my heart heavy with grief, I spent most of the day in my apartment, migrating between my room and my living room with tissue box in tow.

Saturday morning, I got up. Made myself get dressed for the day, though I was pretty sure it wouldn't hold anything fabulous. (Sidenote: when you ask Jesus for something good, keep your eyes open!) I knew my friends had other engagements and I was missing my family. I didn't have money to really go anywhere. So, I got up and got ready in faith: "I will find something good today."

As I finished my makeup, I got a text from a friend. "I have a buy-one-get-one coupon for smoothies! Wanna go!?" "Sure :) When?" "Now, lol" "Perfect! lol" And so I met her for our smoothie date which ended up being a double blessing - a smoothie and a counseling session. She gave me time to express the real things weighing on my heart without worry of what she would think or what time constraints we had or anything else. Everyday miracle.

Just as we finished our fabulous smoothies, other friends called, "Want to meet us for lunch?" I said, "sure," planning to go along but just get a soda or something (the two cans of tomato soup sitting in my cupboard were calling my name). When we got there, my friend informed me that she would be paying for my lunch. "And no ordering water, either." Everyday miracle.

I was overwhelmed. As we left lunch, the girls decided they wanted to do a little shopping. So I rode along. The afternoon went on and, when everyone got hungry again (apparently food is a big theme for us), ANOTHER friend decided to buy my dinner! At this point, I didn't know what to say. God had taken me from the pit and given me more than a dozen reasons to smile the next day.

Enter Sunday. I love my church. So getting to worship together with these great people makes for a wonderful day all in itself. As we got ready for service, my car sat in the front parking lot where it had been parked the day before. (Our staff always parks in the back.) "Hey can I use your car to go get some coffee and then I'll park it out back," a friend asked. " "Sure, yeah, thanks." She grabbed my keys and re-parked my car, for which I was very grateful.

After service, I left for lunch with yet another friend. I knew my gas tank was empty; I looked down to see if the light was on yet (I didn't want my friend to have to walk back from lunch with me!). I glanced down and my breath caught, "What? This thing was empty...what...!?" Then I remembered who had "re-parked" my car - with significantly more gas. Everyday miracle.

THEN! We pulled into the restaurant and parked and my lunch date notified me, "I'm paying for this. Don't argue." She took me to a fabulous lunch to celebrate Pastor Appreciation this month. And blessed me with a wonderful card that expressed her heart so very well. Everyday miracle.

A Sara Groves' song says,
"It's the everyday miracles that keep my hope alive. It's the way
You move in little things that helps me survive."

So, there may be some big-ticket items in life that overwhelm me from time to time. God's faithfulness in the day-to-day brings me hope and faith for the desperate things. This is why my favorite name for Him is "the God who sees me".

He sees you, too...Believe it...