How do miracles happen? We often think of candles, praying of the saints, some fainted on the ground, the statue of Jesus, perhaps zapping from heaven. Something grand, something that everyone can see. But often times, that's not how miracles happen. Miracles happen in the everyday small things, very easily missed by most. Miracles happens in not giving up and persist to do something God made you to do daily. Then suddenly, quietly, one day, miracle comes. Miracles happen when you use what God gives you, your health, your good brain, your resourcefulness, your supportive friends.
I don't know why but I love the story of Namaan in the Bible, a great powerful general that had leprosy. In desperation, he believed an Israelite girl slave and went to Elisha to get a miracle. He expected a grand gesture, God showing up in a powerful way, perhaps a show. Yet, Elisah didn't even come out to greet him properly and send a servant to tell him, if he is looking for healing, he can go dip in the Jordan river 7 times. Namaan went away super upset and angry. This is too ordinary and easy. But a beloved servant spoke up courageously and suggested that he tried what Elisha said even though it wasn't some great quest that he imagined. So, he dipped in the Jordan river 7 times and got his healing. It's a miracle! We know that if God wanted to perform something grand, or zapping, He can, but He often chooses not to. In the beginning, God spoke a word, and things that never existed appeared out of nowhere. God is God, He created heaven and earth, and He is omnipotent, He can do anything He likes. But often, we look in the Bible, God doesn't choose to perform miracles that way. It's often in a quiet way that He does things, barely even noticeable.
My favorite miracle of the 5 loaves and 2 fish feeding 5000 men. It's so huge and all 4 gospels recorded it because it was unforgettable for Jesus' disciples and followers. Yet, Jesus didn't rain down a mountain of food, He looks for what small things we have. At the time, it was the boy's lunch of 5 loaves and 2 fish. He took that small offering, partners with it and somehow in breaking the bread, it multiplies and became enough. There are so many miracles in the Bible that Jesus looks for their little faith, small as a mustard seed, and He says, "that's enough, I will use that for the miracle." He uses our efforts. Like when He told the man with the shriveled hand to stretch it out or a lame man to get up. He wanted them to exert their effort and then God will multiply their efforts and there the miracle happens.
The miracle of the water turned into wine, Jesus' first miracle. The manager of the wedding didn't even know. He only noticed that the best wine was offered at the end when most guests are drunk. Only the servants who tirelessly pour buckets of water into the big jugs knew about this miracle. When did the water become wine? probably when the jug is filled. The servants had to keep pouring into it, buckets after buckets. Persistence is evidence of faith and obedience. Often if you observe carefully, there is an ingredient of persistence that God is looking for. Namaan didn't get healed the first time he dipped into the river; he had to persist 7 times. Joshua had to lead the ark around Jericho 7 times. First 6 times, nothing happened, they had to persist in faith believing when nothing is happening, that God will do what He said.
Some of my sponsees here had financial challenges or spending issues and I often help them with budgeting since I have accounting background. But when they saw how little they can spend each day to stay within their budget, they often became depressed and hopeless. Despair overcame their souls. I told them, but God has given them a great mind to figure out a way to live with very little. There are many ways to eat cheap and nutritious meals. There are also areas in their spending that can be reduced. Sometimes they were good for a few days or a week, then they fell back to their old spending habits. Then they lament why God lets this happen to them. They expect money to appear suddenly perhaps through lottery or a dead uncle. Like Namaan, they rejected the easy, ordinary ways to a miracle they need. I saw a great advice by a man called Kevin Kelly, "When you are young, spend at least 6 months to 1 year living as cheaply as you can, owning as little as you possibly can, eating beans and rice in a tiny room or tent. That way any time you have to risk something in the future, you won't be afraid of the worst-case scenario." My parents were super frugal people and now I am grateful for that because they taught me how little we need to get by.
Financial health and emotional health are much like physical health. It is a process. It doesn't happen overnight. It requires persistence and not giving up when day after day, it seemed like nothing is working, nothing is making a difference, things are the same. You can eat healthy and exercise for a week and much of the time, there seemed not a bit of difference. In CR, I see probably a good 75% of people leave the program before their miracles happen. They didn't see a result fast enough. Doing inventory, forgiveness letters, making amends, speaking up about harmful behaviors, working on ourselves.....it's all too much work. Might as well go back to the easy way and be comfortable.
It's a struggle daily, to put to death the weak version of yourself. The weak version is very loud, it complains, it tells you to give up, it begs for you to be comfortable. The strong version of yourself will not emerge if you don't silence the weak version. Most success is just persistence. Day after day, we silence those excuses and pleadings and negative self-talk. Then we go ahead and do what we are afraid of, do what God puts in your heart to do, whether or not you see any results. Don't give up. The world is full of whiners. But not you, you and I know a great God, a God who is eager to work with what little we have, a God who wants us to keep going, a God who loves us and wants us to have a future and a hope.
Don't give up before the miracle happens.
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