I Believe in Miracles
He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.
JOB 5:9
SHE HAD DEMENTIA and hadn’t spoken for over a year. She was a resident in the Alzheimer’s unit at a nursing facility where I trained certified nurse assistants. I sat down at the table where she had just finished her lunch. One of the workers came over and said, “Helen [not her real name] used to sing in the choir at her church.” I gently asked, “Do you want to sing something with me, Helen?” No response. Easter was only a few days away, so I began singing an old familiar hymn, “The Old Rugged Cross,” to see if she would respond. “On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross . . .” To everyone’s surprise, Helen began singing along. She knew every word better than I, and she sang all four verses, word for word. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room as we witnessed the miracle of Helen singing this beautiful old hymn.
A few years later, I was rummaging through a closet and found an old cassette tape. I popped it into a player and my eyes welled up with tears as I heard my deceased grandfather singing in a men’s quartet. His deep bass voice, along with my dad’s baritone, blended perfectly with the four-part harmony. I was instantly transported to my past, sitting in a church pew, listening to the gospel quartet. The man singing melody had recently been placed in a memory care facility because he was suffering from dementia. The Holy Spirit put it on my heart to send the recording to his daughter. It had such a powerful impact on me, so I wanted to share it with her. I converted the song into digital format and emailed it to her. She was so thrilled; she quickly went to visit her dad so she could play it for him. When she arrived, her dad was very agitated and upset, which can be typical of dementia patients, but when she played the music, he immediately calmed down and began singing along, as if he had stepped back in time. It was a miracle how the music freed a memory that had been tangled up in the web of such an insidious disease. Ironically, the title of the song was “I Believe in Miracles”.
My grandfather always spoke with dignity and grace with his deep, booming voice. He had studied the Scriptures for many years and could easily quote passages from memory. Sadly, a stroke left him physically handicapped the last twelve years of his life. Although he had been robbed of his physical strength, his faith remained strong, and he was still able to share his wisdom of God’s Word because that area of his brain had been preserved. What a blessing that even though physical and mental abilities may become hindered, the Word of the Lord remains strong.
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8 ESV). The Lord is good, time after time. He gives us hope through His Word, His Son, and the gift of music. I believe in miracles because I believe in God!
I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. PSALM 89:1
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Christmas is a Time for Giving
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.
PROVERBS 19:17 ESV
I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD when my mother announced, “There won’t be as many gifts for Christmas this year.” The factory where my dad worked had been on strike, so money was tight. She was preparing my three siblings and me for a disappointing Christmas. The thought of receiving fewer gifts concerned me a bit, but not as much as the anguish I could see on my mother’s face. On Christmas morning, after we opened our gifts, she held up her hands and confessed, “That’s it!” I felt sorry for her. Of course, I was disappointed as any child would be, but more than anything, I just wanted to wrap my arms around her because I could tell she was upset. I’m sure she did her best to make the little money she had stretch among four children. I don’t remember my parents opening any gifts to each other that year. They had sacrificed to give us more.
Many years later, with a family of our own, my husband and I were in a similar situation. Mike was working only part time while going to college full time, and we didn’t have extra money to buy our two children Christmas gifts. I went to my parents’ home and rummaged through the attic in search of toys from my childhood. It was like a flea market up there since nobody in our family threw anything away. I found a doll bed, a doll highchair, and a Suzy Homemaker oven for my daughter. I discovered a baseball bat and glove from my mother’s childhood, and she said I could have it for my son. As my husband and I were intending to present these used toys to our unsuspecting children, God had another plan. A few days before Christmas, a letter arrived in the mail with a check for one hundred dollars. A generous man from our church had sent it, though we had never mentioned our financial struggles to him. It was such a blessing to be able to buy gifts for our precious children. We took the last bit of money and purchased a Christmas ornament, symbolizing the kindness shown to us. Every year we faithfully place the ornament on our tree as a reminder that Christmas is a time for giving.
Sometimes we get so caught up in the gifts that we lose sight of the reason we celebrate Christmas. God gave us His most prized possession, His only Son. I wonder how Joseph must have felt, not being able to provide a clean, safe, suitable place for Mary to deliver their son. And not just any son, but the Messiah, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who came to save His people from their sins. He left His heavenly throne and entered the world in a lowly stable. He was God’s gift to us; He is the gift of eternal life for those who will accept Him as their Savior. So if you haven’t opened your gift yet, unwrap His free gift and claim it because it’s the greatest gift you will ever receive.
And this is the record, that God hath given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
1 JOHN 5:11 KJV
A New Day
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.
W PSALM 143:8
WHEN I WOKE UP on the morning of my fortieth birthday, I was very depressed at the thought of entering the next decade of life. I didn’t want to get out of bed, so I just lay there under the warm, cozy blankets. My husband came into the bedroom and placed a freshly brewed cup of coffee on the nightstand, then crawled into bed with me and chirped, “Happy Birthday!” I was not amused by the smirk on his face. I asked, “Why aren’t you ready for work?” He mused, “Because I’m not going to work today. I took the day off to spend it with you!” I perked right up, and suddenly, the day didn’t seem so gloomy anymore. I sat up in bed and took a sip of my coffee. “What should we do today? Did you make any plans?” He gave me a quick kiss and smiled. “Come downstairs. I have a surprise for you.”
The adrenaline rushed through my veins as I jumped out of bed. I wondered what it might be: Had he bought doughnuts? Or maybe a new comfy chair? Or could it be a new car? (I knew it wasn’t a car, but ten years later, for my fiftieth birthday, he bought me a Z28 Camaro.) I headed toward the kitchen and was greeted with a beautiful, fresh bouquet of flowers and a chic wicker picnic basket. I opened the clasp and raised the lid. It was filled with snacks, green grapes, a bottle of sparkling grape juice, two champagne flutes, and a sweet birthday card. He took me in his arms and I gazed into his sultry brown eyes as he divulged, “I thought we would go on a picnic for lunch, and maybe take a walk along the riverfront.” I melted into his arms, overwhelmed with love, admiration, and devotion for the man who had perfected the art of pulling my heartstrings.
When I woke up that morning, with a dark cloud hovering over my head, I had no idea it would turn out to become such a great memory. Mike had turned my sad day into something really fun. He knew I loved surprises.
God and Jesus were the masters of surprises. For starters, Jesus was born to a virgin mother that He created! He caused a lame man to leap and a mute man to speak. He calmed a raging storm, walked on water, brought a child back to life, gave sight to the blind and turned water into wine. God spoke from a burning bush, made a donkey speak and sent angels to shepherds announcing His Son’s birth. The biggest surprise was Christ’s resurrection. Even though He had repeatedly told His followers it would happen, they were still surprised when He rose from the dead and appeared to them. God will never cease to amaze us with his power and grace. I think He enjoys surprising us, as much as we enjoy being surprised.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
LAMENTATIONS 3:22-23 ESV