The Miraculous Part 6
July 11, 2025
The Miraculous Part 6
Fifteen years ago, what if someone described to you all the challenges you would face in the next fifteen years? If you are like many of us, the last fifteen years were full of great happiness, but also of life-changing events. Among those we could experience are losses, health issues, existential crises, injuries, relationship issues, addictions, traumas, and many other types of extreme challenges. If you had known all these challenges fifteen years ago, would you think you had what it took to get through it all?
I have asked many people this question, and their answers vary. But most agree that foreknowledge of our trials would debilitate us more than serve us. Living in the shadow of what is coming would affect every present moment. Our lives would be centered around preparing for, dreading, controlling, or preventing the next unwanted event. Many answered that fifteen years ago, they would NOT have thought they had the courage, stamina, wherewithal, capacities, or faith to face what was to come.
But the fact is that we did have what we needed to face the trials. We may not have been victorious; we may not have faced the trials with confidence or valor— we may have lost our battles and some precious parts of ourselves. But even though things took their toll, we survived the dreaded, unspeakable, sorrowful, traumatic, and life-altering circumstances. And some of us are more spiritually conscious and strong because of these experiences.
We faced what we thought would have been impossible for us to face. It is a miracle that we eventually manifested the qualities we “didn’t have.” Something came from nothing, courage emerged from trembling, humility arose from over-confidence, and we embraced the truth instead of lies. We exerted immense strength and power when we thought we had little; we stepped out of our safety zone and entered the real world. When we were full of resentment and vengeance, we forgave and had compassion. We worked through crushing grief when we thought it would destroy us. We learned we could live without a relationship we thought that we could not live without. We found our voice when we thought we were told we should be seen and not heard. We found that we could accept the unacceptable, even the unspeakable, and rebuild our lives with what we had. Instead of wondering and looking for ourselves, we found that we were created for a purpose only we could fulfill, and that purpose is our birthright. We found we could love the unlovable, even if that person were ourselves. This is miraculous!
Though we live in miracles, let’s not put our heads in the sand. Some of us did not make it. Some dear souls were overwhelmed, consumed by fear, and overtaken by the sheer enormity of their circumstances. As we go about this day, we will likely interact with those who do not know if they can make it another day. They need to know they have what it takes, that the soul arises at the apex of hopelessness. Who will look them in the eye today and, with just one gaze, let them know they are worthy, appreciated, respected, and needed? Who will speak to them of hope? Who will stand by them as they learn they have what it takes? Who will stand by them and affirm that they, too, are miraculous?
Spiritual practice: From your standpoint, journal your answers to the last four questions of today’s Reflection.
Self-inquiry: What are some reasons why you think you have what it takes to face the future, or do you not have what it takes?
Dear God,
I pray that the ability to trust my soul will meet every challenge with courage, strength, faith, and openness to your divine plan. Amen
