Fingerprints and miracles

I believe in many things. Some silly, some serious and some, well, it's just "the world according to me". I believe in Santa Claus. Not a fat man in a red suit with flying reindeer, but who and what he is supposed to represent. I have witnessed Santa Claus in my own life. I believe in trusting people until they give me a reason not to. I believe in good manners. I believe in family. I believe in unconditional love and acceptance. I believe in honesty. I believe in ghosts. I believe in angels. I believe in spirits, both good and bad. I believe in the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I believe in the right for all American Citizens to bear arms - any that they choose. I believe in life, for the young, the old, the unborn and everyone in between. I believe in God. I believe in Miracles.

Over this past week I have seen the work of God in our lives. I don't think that He has to do some great feat to show He exists. It's the little everyday fingerprints that, if we pay attention, we can know He is there. Flowers blooming, berries becoming ripe, the death of nature in the winter and the rebirth in the spring. He is all around us. Everyday. I believe that He gives us miracles all the time. Not always in big ways, but in timing things to work out at just the right minute, when there was no foresight of the solution.

The parting of the Red Sea, for example, has been explained by scientists as a natural occurring phenomenon. The miracle wasn't so much the parting of the Sea, but the timing of it. It parted as it was needed and it flowed freely again at just the right moment.

This past week we have seen some miracles of our own. The school I worked for closed down. The part-time wages I had been expecting to be able to earn over the summer were gone. My ex did not send his child support on time. (He is asking for a reduction effective in August and apparently was waiting for me to default on the request and have it granted). I had applied for unemployment but had been denied pending investigation. (When you work for a school, one cannot collect unemployment over the summer months). So, we were left with a dilemma. One - no money to pay rent. Two - no money for me to be able to pick my kids up from Idaho. Three - no gas in the car. Four - no money for groceries. Five - the dog was out of food, too.

Here are our miracles. (1) Darren had put some things for sale. He received one call and one call only. He made exactly enough to pay the rent. (2) Although my ex did not send the full amount of support (I guess he is granting the request himself, as I did not default and the court has not yet approved the reduction), he did send half, which bought our groceries, dog food and other necessities. (3) I was approved for unemployment benefits (since the school is permanently closed) so I now have sufficient gas money to go get my kids.

These may not seem like miracles to everyone. But, to me, they are. The timing of Darren putting the items up for sale. He could have done it long ago, or not yet. But he had the desire to do it at just the right time, when we needed it. And they sold immediately. Had he put them up at a different time, there may not have been anyone in the market or willing to pay the same price. I filed for unemployment benefits the first part of July. Because of the cutbacks in the school districts, there are many school workers applying for benefits. I was told it could take 60 - 90 days to be approved. The approval came through exactly when I needed it to as did the posting of my child support.

Miracles don't have to be huge answers to prayer; people rising from the dead, cancer tumors disappearing, winning the lottery. I believe they come in everyday fingerprints. Perfect timing in our hour of need. Nothing special or dramatic, just a simple post mark on the right day, at the right place at the right time. Just enough to let us know He is still there. He IS listening. And He will always take care of us. Just as a human parent would help their grown children. He doesn't give us all that we desire. He gives us what we need to glorify Him.

The miracle isn't always in the gift, but in the timing.