When I slow down, pause and look around me, I see the miracles in my life. I believe I would see them every day if I would but take the time. I hope to work on that. I want to better recognize my every day miracles, be grateful, and then share them. Many are too close to my heart to share here in the blogosphere, but there are many others that need a voice.
With that in mind, let me share a little story. I know it's one you have heard.
"The Lord directed Elijah to go to Zarephath and dwell with a widow who lived there. When he arrived in that city Elijah saw the widow gathering sticks. Thirsty from his journey he said to her, “Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” As she turned to go for the water, Elijah also asked if he might have a little piece of bread.“As the Lord thy God liveth,” the woman answered, “I have not a cake [bread], but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse [jar]: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it [make a small loaf of bread] for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”
Elijah’s heart was touched by her words. He knew that there was famine in the land because the grain needed precious rainwater and full streams to make it grow. Nevertheless, the prophet tested the woman’s faith and, hoping to ease her mind, he said, “Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me a little cake [bread] first, and bring it unto me, and after make [bread] for thee and for thy son.
“For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, the barrel of meal [flour] shall not waste [become empty], neither shall the cruse of oil fail [run dry], until the day that the Lord sendeth the rain upon the earth.”
And it was true as the Lord promised through his prophet. Each day there was enough meal and oil for the widow and her son and Elijah to have bread to eat."
This morning as I was putting in my first load of laundry I thought, "I better check my detergent. It must be getting low." Sure enough, it's getting low. I went and put it my shopping list. But, low and behold, it's already on the list! I scratched it off and then continued reviewing the ever growing list. To my utter amazement I noticed that I had crossed detergent off my list FOUR TIMES (without having ever purchased it at the store). Seeing that got me thinking. When was the last time I bought laundry detergent? Hmmm... Well, it was...
Pause.
Silence.
Then it hits me.
The detergent in my cabinet is the bottle my mom bought me in JANUARY. Yes folks, my laundry detergent has managed to last nearly 8 months. If I do the math, we should have run out sometime around the beginning of April.
Many things have happened during the last 8 months. My husband has worked his tail off for little to no pay (self-employed). We had our nephew live with us for about 6 weeks. Both my husband and myself work in presidencies for the youth of our church. Gratefully, we have had to accept the help of our church to get groceries and pay our utilities (initially very discouraging, but now a spiritual and humbling thing to do). In short, we have struggled, like so many, to make ends meet and to find enough time in the day to get everything done.
In the midst of our hustle and bustle existence the Lord is DAILY giving my family a little (yet so big) miracle. He is refilling my detergent bottle much like he did the oil and flour for the woman of Zarepath. How long have I missed this miracle? I am so grateful to see it now.
What is your miracle today?
