The Unexpected Miracle

Today I was having a very difficult day.  My mind was besieged with negative thoughts and being unemployed had taken its toll on my tranquility.  These past three weeks had been especially difficult as my job search had not yielded any promising results. Today, it all began when I awoke later than usual, at around 1 PM!  I was so disgusted with myself, I felt like I was wasting God’s precious time, by being idle and unproductive. I struggled mightily today to swim upstream against my sea of negativity.  

                

 In the midst of my negativity I made the decision to go to evening mass tonight.  When I finally arrived at mass I just placed my head down and poured out my heart to God as I struggled with my negative, all pervading thoughts.  While I was suspended in this negativity an elderly couple slumped by, placing themselves in the pew in front of me.  They were both advanced in years, each being around their late eighties or early nineties. 

During the consecration of the Eucharist I noticed that the elderly man was kneeling on his knees in beautiful piety.  I was so moved by this example that I also begin kneeling on my knees instead of my customary cheating way of sitting instead of kneeling.   Soon after I did this I arose and I began praying the “Our Father” when I noticed in the corner of my right eye that the man grabbed and held my hand also.  I was so touched by this encounter that I thanked the Lord that through these small gestures he was reassuring me, consoling, cheering me on to persevere in spite of my difficulties.

 I believe in miracles no matter how clichéd that sounds.  God always blesses us with miracles, often times manifested in the most trivial and easily forgettable moments.  The tendency I believe for most of us is to only expect the large lightning bolt, parting of red sea, curing of the lame and blind type of miracles.  It is OK to expect these momentous miracles, but not at the expense of the thousands of little miracles that the Lord blesses us all with on a daily basis.  All we have to do like St. Padre Pio famously said is to, “Pray, Hope, and don’t worry.”  Once we do this then we will be opening our hearts daily to the blessings that God has in store for us. It is my prayer that we all open our hearts and receive the Lord's blessings especially in the most trivial and mundane activities.