Think about the last time you witnessed or heard about a miracle.
(In case you’re wondering, I personally define the word miracle as “an extraordinary event caused by the power of God.” And if you have different religious beliefs than I do, I totally respect that, and I invite you to adapt the ideas I’m sharing here to fit with your personal perspective…. LearnDoBecome is for people from all backgrounds!)
But going back to that miracle, it most likely came in response to a deep need.
Perhaps the miracle included emotional support, repairing a misunderstanding, increased health, being saved from a “close call,” relief from a financial burden, help in the midst of a natural disaster, or a much-needed improvement in one of your closest relationships.
Now think about how your faith increased as a result of that miracle.
Your faith in God, faith in your fellow man, and/or faith in your ability to get through hard things.
Obviously, we don’t get up in the morning ready to seek out catastrophes, but I think it’s interesting that many of us (including myself) often get discouraged when things go wrong.
I believe the time has come to change that, and today I want to present the idea that there isn’t anything to be sad about when we experience deep needs–because they’re creating spaces for miracles.
There’s a Bible story about a cruse of oil and a barrel of meal. (And although this is from a religious text, I think the principles can be universally appreciated.)
In that story, a widowed woman living in a famine–who is just about to prepare her very last meal for herself and her son–is asked to first give a portion to a prophet named Elijah.
She is promised that if she does so, “the barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail,” until rain comes. She does what she was asked, and the miracle takes place as promised.
This story led me to think about other miracles I have either read about, heard about, or experienced for myself.
In a book by Corrie Ten Boom called, The Hiding Place, Corrie and her sister Betsie were in a concentration camp for many months during World War II. Betsie had a serious vitamin deficiency and needed special drops each day. Corrie was miraculously able to sneak the drops into the camp, but when she got to their assigned barracks, she realized 25 other women also needed those vitamin drops, which, even if she reserved them for Betsie, would only last a few weeks.
She decided to line all of the women up and give everyone the drops–even if doing so depleted her supply. On the second day in the camp, however, she was surprised that she was able to give drops to everyone again. Each day, for I’m not sure how long, the little bottle provided enough drops of vitamins for all of the women in their section of the camp–until the time came when one of the other women was able to secretly procure additional vitamins from a staff storage room. That day, when vitamins were available from another source, not even one drop could be shaken from that little bottle.
I don’t have a personal story about oil or medicine lasting a long period of time, but as I have been thinking about the miracles I have experienced, my heart has felt full. Here’s an example:
One Saturday afternoon, about 10 years ago, I got in a fender bender in the grocery store parking lot. A big truck reversed into my van after I had pulled out, and both of us received damage to our vehicles. (He had a really big scratch, and I had a heavily-dented bumper.)
It all happened so fast, and we couldn’t be sure who was at fault, so, although we did exchange information, we decided to each pay for our own repairs.
On the drive home, however, I cried and cried. We had four little children, a very careful budget, and some goals we were diligently working toward. Our time and energy were heavily invested in providing for our family and serving in our church and community. The few hundred dollars I knew it would cost to repair our van felt like an enormous setback.
When I got home, I talked with Eric and showed him the dent. He helped me to see that everything would be fine–which deep down I knew–and we went ahead with our family duties of the day, planning to get the van checked out the following week.
Well, a few hours later, we received a phone call from the man whose truck had collided with my van. He wanted to know how we got our car fixed so fast. He’d driven by our home with his wife to show her our fender, but our van was back to normal.
Eric and I ran out to the driveway, and sure enough, other than a couple of minor scratches, the bumper was totally smooth and strong.
We stayed out in the driveway for about 20 minutes–testing the bumper, seeing if maybe it had just popped back into place because of the warm weather, and trying to find SOME logical explanation for the rapid repair. Finally, we stopped trying to solve the mystery and instead thanked God for that beautiful gift.
Now, clearly every problem we have doesn’t get solved in such a miraculous way. Some of our challenges are more complicated than that, and there isn’t an immediate solution. Some challenges take years of trial and error to overcome. But one thing I have learned, and which I will absolutely stand by, is that there is always help.
I believe that the process of spiritually growing and progressing is central to why we’re all here, and thinking back to the stories I shared earlier, I’ve realized this:
God rarely asks us to give out of our abundance. Instead, we are asked to put God first and create spaces for miracles.
I like when life is easy. I like those rare calm days when everything goes well. I like when our children get along and do what they’ve been asked. I like when our business runs smoothly. I like being healthy.
But when things go wrong–which they do, and which they will–my goal is to continue to put God first in my life.
In my thoughts, in my calendar, in my relationships, and in my daily activities.
I’m also going to trust that my deep needs–which sometimes cause intense amounts of stress–are not inconveniences or “tragedies.”
They’re opportunities for miracles to take place, so each one of us can be lifted, strengthened, and prepared for the work that we are uniquely here to do.
Question:
Have you had an experience where a miracle happened in your life and increased your faith in some way?
Challenge:
Identify one of your deepest needs right now, and instead of allowing yourself to get discouraged, identify one way you can turn to your Higher Power and create a space for a miracle.
Related Links/Current Announcements:
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Almost a year ago my husband was getting ready to deploy to Afghanistan. I had just started back to school and I had a lot on my plate and many responsibilities. I was so overwhelmed. I said a prayer telling God that I needed something, but I just didn’t know what that was. I felt a little better after my prayer so I continued on for the next few days before his scheduled leave. The day before he was supposed to leave my husband received a phone call saying that they were delaying his deployment for a week. I felt a complete calm come over me. We both needed that extra week to finish up some projects and spend some family time together. By the time he left the following week, I felt strong and ready to face the next few months. I learned that sometimes we don’t know what we need, but God always does.
Dana, I love this. Thank you so much for sharing. I love that this is an example of additional strength and help being given in the midst of an incredibly challenging time. A huge thank you to you AND your husband for your willingness to serve our country. We are so grateful to have you with us at LearnDoBecome.
I’m so glad I made time to read this post today. I have a chronic health condition that has had me in pretty severe pain the past 2 months, and we moved almost 2 months ago. So NOTHING is fully unpacked and I have felt beyond overwhelmed in my own home. I was praying today and reading about Joseph- How God used all these “setbacks” in his life to ultimately prepare him for the position he would eventually rise to. I have felt incredibly lost and overwhelmed, but reading your post literally brought me to tears as these words so resonated with my heart. Thank you for the words I needed to hear today.
“I’m also going to trust that my deep needs–which sometimes cause intense amounts of stress–are not inconveniences or “tragedies.”
They’re opportunities for miracles to take place, so each one of us can be lifted, strengthened, and prepared for the work that we are uniquely here to do.”
Sarah, thank you for your comment. Our hearts go out to you! You’ve definitely got a lot on your plate. We’re so glad you’re here and that this post could be of benefit to you. Hang in there! There’s a miracle coming your way!
We are getting ready to move and also for school to start. I started to run out of cash after buying school supplies, boxes and bins and other moving supplies. Then while packing up all the books in my room, I noticed a $100 bill sticking out of a Bible. Well I ended up needing to use that right away so that worked out great! Then I realized I had about $127 in one of my accounts. So I went to an ATM and pulled out $120. On the receipt it showed that I had withdrawn the $120, but said I still had a balance of $122! God is always taking care of us!!
This is wonderful, Katie! Thank you, thank you for sharing!!
I just thought I would thank you for writing this entry in your blog. I have sat in on your free training and used several of the ideas but I just happened to open your email today because I thought I was going to unsubscribe. LOL Instead God had bigger plans. I am a single mom – drowning in bills – a real estate agent who home schools her daughter that is with me 24/7. I was going to unsubscribe because I thought I would never be able to pay for your course. Something made click your blog entry and I truly needed to hear your words today. This past weekend I was fortunate to be able to go to the beach one last weekend before school starts because my friend’s parents own a beach home. We got there and were having a great time. Friday evening my daughter wanted me to learn some dance moves and I usually say no because I am busy but here I was at the beach so I did. I wanted to be silly with her and her friend and let them teach me. We were laughing and having fun and as I walked out of the bedroom door – I lost my footing and fell down a 9 ft stairwell at the house to the second floor. Unfortunately my daughter saw the entire thing. The miracle was that I did not have one broken bone. Yes – the ambulance did have to come and take me to the ER and I had several contusions, 3 hematomas and a concussion however I was okay overall. It could have been so much worse. I came home a day late because of recuperating and I didn’t get to see much of the beach. And all I could think was why did this have to happen. You reminded me what a miracle it truly was that I didn’t have to have any surgeries or casts etc. That I had angels surrounding me cushioning my fall all the way down. The bruises and bumps are my battle scars. We are daily in a battle and sometimes the battles are bigger than we can imagine or anticipate and we are wounded. We can choose to let those wounds defeat us or move forward wearing them proudly. Today I wear them proudly thanks to your message.
Beth, this brought me to tears. I hope that you can see how amazing it is for you to be able to see the good in an incredibly challenging situation. I’m sending a huge hug and a thank you for sharing this with us. And we’re going to have a lot of great free resources coming your way through LearnDoBecome, so whether you join a formal program or not, we’re thrilled that you are here and look forward to serving you. BEST WISHES as you recover. I love that you are not letting the wounds defeat you. That is courage. xoxo
Thank you so much!!
Thirty years ago, my husband and I were newlyweds with a blended family. Money was tight. Very tight. One Sunday I realized there was no money for groceries for the upcoming week. I had some on hand, but needed just a bit more to stretch things out. I was silently praying as I got ready for Church. How were we going to feed our kids? I opened my jewelry box to get a pair of earrings and discovered a twenty dollar bill. It was like manna from Heaven! That little bit of cash…cash I knew I hadn’t placed there…allowed me to buy some pasta and rice to supplement what I had on hand. This was indeed a miracle.
Trudy, someday I want to be one of those angels who goes around leaving money for people to find. It’s so sweet. Thank you for sharing this beautiful experience!
My husband passed away this past Feb 13. Ten days later I was in the hospital with a stroke. Within the 10 days I was able to have him cremated and was going to stsrt planning the celebration of life in his honor…. but that got temporarily derailed. Once I got home and started therapy and recovery, I started planning his party and continued trying to act as ‘normal’ as possible. Two weeks before the party, which I was having at his favorite eatery, I decided to play one of the gambling machines at this same eatery. I was down to my last few spins and I hit three buffalos for a winnings of $1200. As it turned out that was the exact amount I needed to pay for the remainder of the catering, decorations, etc. for the event. I wasn’t playing with the hope of winning because I had already placed my woes of the cost of party in Lord’s hands. With much gratitude snd thankfulness I was able to pay everyone without worry. The celebration turned out better than I could have ever hoped. It’s been 6 month’s since he passed and I miss him dearly every day. I know he finally free from life long illness and I know he’s up there happily waiting for me. R.I.P G.A.H?
Philomena, I love that you used the words “party” and “celebration” as you spoke about your event. That’s how I see them, too. What a celebration of life, and I love that you are putting your trust in God. Many thanks for sharing your experience!
Hi April,
Thank you for reminding all of us that we can cry out to God and he will answer us with Signs wonders and miracles. ( Jer.3:33) Also that we should not be discouraged when things go wrong but to know and trust that God will take care of everything. Thank you again for all of your organization tips and I’m slowly chipping away at projects and cleaning house.
It helps so much to know that we’re all here supporting each other. Thank you, Sheila!!! (And I’m so excited that you’re organizing! Thinking of you and sending a huge hug!)
While my journey of miracles is not yet complete, I wanted to share the miracles that have happened in the last 6 weeks. But for background, you have to know about my miracle that happened about 10 years ago. Due to infertility issues, I have not been able to have children. Thanks to the love & generosity of a family member who served as a gestational carrier (our embryo, her uterus), we have a 9 year old daughter. We always wanted more children–tried IVF with a different gestational carrier (another family member) with no luck, started the adoption paperwork several times but never finished because I didn’t feel good about it. About 8 weeks ago, my husband made the comment (again) that our daughter needed a sibling. The next morning I had a very heartfelt prayer with God, telling Him the desires of my heart, and telling Him that I didn’t know what He wanted me to do since adoption had never felt right. Then I left it in His hands. About 2 weeks later, we received a text from my husband’s cousin asking if we’d be interested in adopting a baby. WHAT?!?!?! This cousin’s sister’s granddaughter (I know, confusing. There’s about 30 years age difference between my husband & his cousin) is expecting, but not feeling like she is in a place emotionally & mentally to raise this soon-to-be-born baby girl. We met her & her boyfriend (not the birth-father) a few days later & by the time we left, they were talking very positively about us adopting the baby. This past month has been pretty surreal as the birth-mother has strengthened in her resolve to have us adopt her baby. And I have felt very at peace about this adoption, not the turmoil I felt when starting the process other times. Another miracle in this story is that the baby has not been exposed to drugs, and only to minimal alcohol. I went with the birth-mother to her 36 week doctor appointment earlier this week and everything looks good! An additional miracle is that it only took the state 2 weeks to process and approve our home-study once we had the paper-work, background checks, and home visit complete. We received it in the mail yesterday!
While we wait for the miracle of this baby’s birth, we are praying for another miracle–that the birth-father allows the adoption to happen. In our state, if a birth-father is not involved with the birth-mother (he moved away in January), and does not register with the state to protect his rights as a father, he basically relinquishes his rights. While he has had no contact with the birth-mother since he left, he did send her mother a text last week, threatening to stop the adoption. So we are anxiously waiting to hear back from our attorney if the birth-father has actually registered with the state, or if he’s just blowing smoke. Of course, he has until the baby is born and we go before the judge to finalize the adoption to register. So we are saying lots of prayers for him, that he will be blessed with those things that he needs, and that he will honestly think and act in the best interest of the baby. God is indeed a God of miracles!
I am thinking of your family and sending prayers and good thoughts your way! Thank you for sharing this beautiful story and for your strength and faith!
Thank you for your words of hope! I’m so glad I was able to scrape together the money to pay to access your program last year! We are certainly looking for a miracle. In the past year, I have lost my job as a teacher, my insurance, over 1/2 of our income, all 4 of our cars have either completely broken down or had to have repairs, our washer and/or dryer needs repairs, and my oldest moved to college 6 hours away from home without a vehicle. In the past week we have gotten 4 boxes of food from the local food pantry, a basket of food from an anonymous source, a gift certificate to eat at a restaurant, and $150 cash in the mail with no return address. It has been very humbling and hard to deal with all the emotional and financial issues hitting at once. I’m hanging onto the thought that we’re going to have one heck of a story to tell someday.
Thank you, Angela, for sharing your experience. At some points in our lives, we are on the receiving end, and at other times, we are on the giving end. You ARE going to have an awesome story to tell. We never give up. 🙂 xoxo
Finally got a chance to listen to this April. Your voice is so soothing. Your words speak volumes. Thank you for the insight. I am not where I want to be in the program yet, but I have faith that I will get there. You and your team are so inspiring. Thanks so much, Kelly
So glad that this was helpful to you, Kelly!! The fact that you are WORKING toward your goals is awesome, and we are so, so happy you are here with us. I have faith that you will get there, too! Much love!
I listened to this Thursday as I contemplated how to revamp my office as I move it from one room to another. I thought I had come up with a workable space after my introduction to your program (April 2017), but all I addressed was the layout. I have never implemented systems.
I hated going to my desk. I preferred to work at the desk in our room. I realized it was the absence off all the clutter I generate around my work area. This podcast and also your new Step One Bootcamp clued me into another issue. Lack of “margin”. I have preferred a visual reminder system of having things where I can see them. I have never mastered using a planner or lists. I am creative, and thought this is just how I need to work.
But I realized as I listened to you that this way of doing things is causing me stress. I am constantly reminded of all I have to do, like you talk about with the cluttered calendar. This is why I want to avoid my work space in my office.
I also love the object lesson you give on our need leading to miracles. I have been engaged in a job search. It has gone past our financial margin. But now I see that God has given me an opportunity at the ideal time, and he will work out the rest. And if I had not had the pressure of the lack or margin, I may have given up on the job search by now.
As it is, I found the ideal position. As I tried to learn my gifts and inclinations the last few months, I discovered talents I had not previously considered. This position incorporates all of those, and I never imagined I could even find one that lined up with them. I am amazed by my Father’s gift of more than I could ask or imagine.
Shauna, I am SO PROUD OF YOU that you found your ideal position and have been discovering new gifts and talents. And I’m sure that because you’ve experienced ups and downs, you really appreciate the ups! So, so happy to have you here, and we want to support you as much as we can!
WOW, April!! Thanks SO Much for this podcast even though I’m LATE in reading it–God’s timing is ALWAYS PERFECT!! We just had a “Marriage Matters Now” day by Steve and Debbie Wilson at our church yesterday–which they were GREAT–check them out on Facebook if you can!! After being encouraged, uplifted, and challenged yesterday, your podcast was like a devotion to ME TODAY and I was SO excited to hear that You are a Believer and put your trust/belief in God!!
You asked us to share SO My Miracle is that I’m soon to celebrate 15 years CANCER-FREE from Breast Cancer on Oct. 1–which “ironically”(Godwink–don’t really believe is irony) is the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness month!! I give the Lord ALL the Glory for healing me–even though I DON’T understand how He decides who to heal on this earth and who not to heal on this earth!!
I’m rather embarrassed to say but I joined with YOU back in Jan. but have done NOTHING with your program til NOW!! I’m newly RETIRED and am planning to GET ORGANIZED with YOUR help but am feeling kinda like a failure (but know that is from the Devil and NOT from the Lord) because of all my clutter/piles/etc.
Thanks Again, though for your encouragement and transparency in your podcast!!
Friends In Christ,
Gina
Gina, congratulations on your upcoming anniversary. That is so exciting!! We are so glad you’re here and we look forward to hearing your success stories as you work through the STEP program. Thank you for taking time to share your experience!
Gina, your story is amazing. So, so glad that you are here, and thank you for your kind words and support! Sending you so much love!!
I really appreciated the stories in this podcast. I realized that most of my miracles are of my own strength not running out, just as the oil and vitamins didn’t run out. It is definitely harder to see and recognize these non-tangible miracles, but looking back I can see this is a miracle I have received again and again in my life. New strength, new hope to keep me going during a challenging time.
Hi April,
Thanks for this podcast April even with the tech challenges & the other things on you mind that day. Sending prayers & peace to you.
I am putting God 1st & creating spaces for miracles. Thank you for this reminder. I have a command central & it is taking longer than I desire to clear the piles. Overwhelm doesn’t do any good. The miracles are on the way!
I also listened to the short video explaining emails to zero. Not what I thought – I thought it was getting rid of everything. Now, I know what it is – I plan to tackle this at the end of the week.
Spending more time with God is very good. He is always helpful when I ask. Your story & other people’s stories are also helping strengthen my believe – that I can do this.
I appreciate you & your willingness to teach me & others your system & what you have learned & know.
Thanks so much, Michelle! I love knowing you are working on this right alongside us. Thank you for being here in our community, and keep going with your Command Central! It will totally change your life. 🙂 Have a great week!!
Hi April,
Thank you for your ministry. I have been listening to your podcasts in a row on and off. I finally got to this one today. When God wants us to listen I believe he will bring it in our thoughts more than once. This week our pastor talked about Elijah and the woman giving her last meal and then I listened to your podcast. It always gives me goose bumps when God does that. I just wanted to thank you for your encouragement and the many ideas so it can lead us to a purposeful life. It does not fall on deaf ears.
I’m so happy to hear that, Denise! I love that story so much, and I think ALL of us have those moments when we feel we’re about to “run out” of any energy/support/resources we have. Thank you for reaching out and for all the good you are doing!!