Ordinary Miracles

Miracle (thanks to Wikipedia): A miracle, derived from the old Latin word miraculum meaning "something wonderful", is a striking interposition of divine intervention by a God in the universe by which the ordinary course and operation of Nature is overruled, suspended, or modified. In casual usage, "miracle" may also refer to any statistically unlikely but beneficial event, (such as the survival of a natural disaster) or even to anything which is regarded as "wonderful" regardless of its likelihood, such as birth.

RE-FINE Spelled Pronunciation[ri-fahyn] Pronunciation Key –verb (used with object)
1. to bring to a fine or a pure state; free from impurities: to refine metal, sugar, or petroleum.
2. to purify from what is coarse, vulgar, or debasing; make elegant or cultured.
3. to bring to a finer state or form by purifying.
4. to make more fine, subtle, or precise: to refine one's writing style. –verb (used without object)
5. to become pure.
6. to become more fine, elegant, or polished.
7. to make fine distinctions in thought or language.

Every day most of us get up and go through a similar routine...whatever that maybe...we are creatures of habit. Often times I look at my life and think, "I'm so boring. I never do anything exciting, or cool." Those are the times where I will wear something out of the ordinary, or put some "outrageous" color of nail polish on. But those things are fleeting and only cure the boredom for just a moment. I suppose I could move to Malaysia...my friend Erin is...kid, husband and all...I imagine that would cure my boredom...but maybe not. This is not to say that I'm not green with envy at the move of my friend...the adventure of a life time...but Erin and said family are not crossing a couple ponds because they're bored...in fact...I think its just the opposite...they're doing it because they're not bored...they're excited about life, and...frankly...because they can. I don't begrudge Erin for it at all...in fact...I hope she stays long enough for me to come and see her. Anyway...enough about Erin... I just don't think that moving across the world would cure the doldrums that creep up on me...as amazing as Malaysia is (I mean that is an assumption on my part) doldrums are cross cultural...again...an assumption on my part.

What cures the doldrums? What brings us out of the slump that we...or at least I...tend to find myself in? Well today I realized that it is the simple moments in my life. Last week I listed some of those simple things...and today I realized that those simple things are what keep me going. Those are the miracles that Queen sings about...every drop of rain that falls, etc...

Great, amazing, fun, outlandish, unbelievable, cool things happen to me...I just don't always recognize them. I mean...of course I recognize the big things...a trip to Hawaii for a haircut (and to see friends...and...HELLO...HAWAII!!)...a cruise in the Caribbean...a trip to Boston...a Sunday dinner consisting of prawns and crab legs (I mean seriously...who eats that normally...oh wait...my family...future blog entry: Christmas dinner two? years ago).

But a drive on Highway 12 is pretty unbelievable...Oreo cookies and milk are pretty damn great...the Twin Falls County Fair is SO cool (unfortunately I won't be in attendance this year...but your little sister only turns 18 and goes off to college once...and hey...another ordinary miracle)! The seemingly ordinary things happen, and I often don't think twice...but in a moment of "poor me" if I really want to pull my self out of these doldrums...I can...because these ordinary moments in my life are miracles...

That's what I think my life is...a series of routines peppered (heavily if I'm looking enough) with many daily ordinary miracles...whether some profound truth is discovered or not...if I'm happier, and more self-aware...then I'm probably better today than I was yesterday...and isn't that kind of the point and kind of a miracle?

Some people think that we live in a God-forsaken world...and though the world is littered with unspeakable atrocities, trash, debasing media, and those who are out to perpetuate all of these things...I know that this world is ANYTHING but God-forsaken. If I have to look harder for His blessings, His goodness...it is only because the hotter the flames in the Refiner's fire, the more pure the thing becomes.

A miracle is not given to give us faith...its given because we have faith. He knows how hot the flames of His fire are...and when we show our strength, our faith...He does indeed bless us. Maybe not immediately, and maybe we don't see it...but it is there...and if we take the time to recognize the ordinary things around us...we will see them as miracles...as a reassurance...a reward...a blessing...for the faith that we have put forth.