I was thinking about miracles this morning. Maybe it’s because it’s almost Christmas. Maybe it’s because of conversations I’ve had. And maybe it’s just because within each of us there is a desire to see a little magic happen in and around us.
I’ve seen some amazing “God things” over the past 48 years. Things that have no other explanation than being the handiwork of God. Those are the things that stop me in my tracks and make me stand with my awestruck mouth wide open in gratitude and amazement.
But I think sometimes that I’ve missed a very profound truth…
Most of our lives are spent in the reality of “process”. We take baby steps on our journeys that begin a new direction. Many times those steps forward are followed by multiple steps back or sideways. Sometimes the progress seems slower than we’d like or more difficult than we’d prefer. We’d rather have a miracle of instantly being in that place that we want to be or to be that person that we want to be.
But what if in the midst of the process of baby stepping we recognized that there ARE miracles going on? Little significant things that are happening inside us and around us that are changing us and growing us during that process. Amazing touches from God’s hand that slowly but surely are transforming us.
God Himself took a baby step. Literally. He sent His Son as a newborn to live out 33 years of process. He could have come as an instant reigning King in huge majesty and power. But He chose to use and experience the first “little” miracle of human birth. He chose to take all the baby steps of growing up as a child, a teenager, an adult. He chose to make friends with imperfect, broken people and to touch and heal their lives in that process. He chose to reveal who He was to those around Him by reaching out to them right where they were. He went through everything that we go through in daily life on this planet because it was part of the process. And along the way, lives were changed. Miracles, small and big, happened. I’m sure there were times when Jesus wanted to rush the process along and get back to heaven and all its glory.
And even in the greatest miracle of all, the accomplishment of the saving of our souls, there was immense pain, anguish and ultimate death. But a miracle of the most indescribable proportions had just taken place. The reason that He had come, came to complete fruition, and yet, not without the miracles within the process leading up to that point.
In reality, there are no small miracles in baby steps. God is at work and that is no small thing. Sometimes we are just a little too farsighted to see what’s right in front of us.
Jesus, please help me not to wish process away. Help me to celebrate the wonder of baby steps and to recognize that with each one there is a Father’s hand that is holding mine to help me have the courage to take the next.
Philippians 1:6 – …being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
