In the middle of a miracle.

I have so many amazing, miraculous moments in my life.  Have you ever stopped in the midst of something and thought- wow I am sitting, right now, in the middle of a miracle?  In the middle of a prayer answered?  Lately I have really stopped myself and forced myself to look at the miracles in my life. 

People use the word miracle is way that make it seem huge and grandiose.  Something like bringing the dead to life, making the lame, walk, the mute speak.  I wonder if that is the only way they can see God?  I would think that is very tragic.  Because honestly, I see him everywhere.  I am living out answered prayer- everyday.  My marriage is an answer to prayer.  No, I didn't mean the young man, who was hugely financially successful and could keep me living in the lap of luxury everyday.  But what I do have is even better, I have a man who loves me deeply to his core.  A man who describes love not as a feeling, but as a will.  He always tells me he has the will to love me.  I think that is poetic and beautiful, because feelings are fleeting, but having the love for someone ingrained in your being is miraculous and not always easy to find.  He loves me on my most unlovable days. 

Everyone feels their children are blessings and mine certainly are, but these living, breathing, laughing, messy creatures are walking miracles.  Both in their own unique way.  My oldest has Autism and while that is a crushing diagnosis, he has never let it define him or beat him.  That says a lot about this beautiful boy, who is only eight.  He was born 11 months to the day after we were married and it feels like he has been a constant part of my life, like I have known him my whole life.  And my daughter, who was born 7 years after her brother is a miracle in it's pure form.  I was told not to have any more children, that I couldn't have any more children, etc.  Well, if you know me, then you know once I have decided on something it WILL happen.  And in the summer of 2007 I decided I WOULD have a daughter, not just another baby.  A daughter.  A year later, she was born.  This beautiful, little blonde monkey who loves to be tickled and hasn't yet given up her binkie challenges me everyday.  She has an amazing spirit that, even at two, fills a room and I cannot wait to see where that will take her.

But I do need to steer this back to me and the presence of God in my life every minute of everyday.  There are some things that have happened to me in the last 12-13 years of my life that have been so painful I thought I would never survive and when I did, I thought my existence would be just merely surviving.  For a long time, that is all it was.  When my daughter was born two years ago, it was if when her life began, God breathed new life into me.  The Melinda that most of the people from my past know, is now the Melinda that everyone in my life now knows.  I found myself again, God pulled me out and dusted me off and said- now go forward and thrive.  And I have.  I know very well that life is about the journey not the destination.  I believe the journey itself is a miracle.  In my journey I am in the middle of a miracle.  So many blessings, so many answers to prayer. 

Thank you, thank you God for placing me in the middle of another miracle.

Peace-
Melinda