Believe: to have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something, although
without absolute
proof that one is right in doing so. Dictionary.com
As I am
writing this it is snowing, and Christmas is just days away, the wonder of the
season fills the air. We have been
celebrating the promise’ of advent for many weeks, the celebration of the
miracle of Christ’s birth is near.
Nothing shows Gods amazing Love and Power like this miracle.
John 2 1-10
tells of the miracle when Jesus changed the water to wine. The book of
John continues to tell of many
miracles Jesus performed while with us here on earth. As Christians we believe in the miracles
recorded in the bible, we believe in God’s Love and power.
Miracles
continue to happen all around us. William
Cory Stanley wrote: Many of us are looking for a burning bush, or
waiting for our ship to come in, and we fail to see God’s little miracles . It is the seemingly insignificant moments
that remind us of his presence. We must
take the time to notice the little road signs leading us in the right
direction.
I moved to
San Diego in the spring of 1984, and
needed to find work right away. I signed up for a housekeeping service to bring
in cash while hunting for a full time position.
One of my first customers was Mary Cavanagh. Mary and husband Ed had no family in the San
Diego area. Mary had just had surgery
for late stage colon cancer. As soon as
I arrived Mary mostly bedridden, began asking questions about where I was
from. When I told her I had just moved
here from Skagit County, Washington Mary became very excited as that was where
she grew up. Mary’s mother was a logging camp cook and Mary had grown up in the
Cascade Mountains as her mother followed the logging camps for work. Mary was
an only child. Ed, Mary’s husband was a
career Army Airforce Officer and they had been stationed in Georgia and then
Hawaii after WW 11. They had moved to San Diego when Ed retired, and did not
seem to have many close friends. Mary
talked continually about where she grew up, she was thrilled that I had been to
all the places she talked about, and soon treated me as a friend.
After a few
months Mary began to share with me about her life, she continued to share how
she had become an alcoholic and had kept her drinking a secret from her husband
Ed. At the time I was five years sober
from my own problems with alcohol, and my story was very similar to Mary’s. I shared with Mary about my own recovery and
most important to Mary my certainty that God Loved us both even though we had
had trouble with alcohol. Mary passed
away peacefully less than six months after we met. Her husband Ed and I were
the only ones at her graveside service.
After Mary passed I come over to help Ed and he told me to take anything
of Mary’s I might want. Her jewelry
included two small diamond rings and a jade ring. I told Ed they were valuable, but he insisted
I take them. I had the diamonds mounted
into earrings and wore them every day for many
years as a reminder of where my life could go if I drank again. I do not wear them every day any more, but
when I do I always think of Mary and the
gift God gave her and I, when he sent me
to share his love with her.
There are only two
ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as
though everything is a miracle.” Albert
Einstien
I have read that a coincidence is a miracle
God does not take credit for. I believe
I was sent to bring Mary peace. There
have been many seemingly insignificant moments in my life that remind me of
God’s presence. I am sure your life has
likewise been filled with coincidence’s that spoke loudly of the Holy Spirit
working in your life.
I have every
confidence in the truth, the existence and the reality of God’s Love and Grace,
some might say I do not have absolute proof that God is real, I Believe I
do.
