Miracles

I love my family. I love the church. I love my job. I love my friends. Lately I have really been loving the Holy Spirit's capacity to surprise me in the most wonderful ways. I use the word “surprise” as that is what it is to me every time. You would think I might have learned something. You would think I might get a clue. I am a little like the children who are “surprised” every night at bath- or bedtime. Our community recently had a great surprise.

Like many, I had rationalized away miracles. Miracles are something that happen over time and with the gift of time and experience we can see the mending of a broken relationship or the healing of an illness as the miracles that they are, and they are, but . . . Big, immediate miracles were something that happened mostly during the time of Jesus. That is what I thought just a few weeks ago. Then it happened . . . surprise!

About seven years ago, Suzanne lost her only child, Brandon. Brandon and I were born in the same year, so I continue to think of him as young. He had Type I Diabetes and didn't take the best care of himself. One horrific day he didn't return Suzanne's phone calls, so she went over to his apartment and found him, collapsed on the floor. Brandon died . . . and with him many of Suzanne's dreams. She would never again get to share a meal or a conversation with her son. Suzanne would never get to experience the joy of watching Brandon have a family of his own. She would never be a grandmother. She would never see her son again. She would never hear his laugh.

But the Holy Spirit couldn't leave it at that. On a crisp morning two weeks ago, Suzanne received a message on facebook that began, “you don't know me, but I used to date your son, Brandon.” She continued reading to find that Brandon had fathered a child with this young lady and Suzanne was now the grandmother of an eleven-year-old-boy. Surprise! Suzanne has gotten together with the boy and in him she is able to see something of her son again. She has heard his laugh that reminded her so much of Brandon's. She is getting to know the immense joy of being a grandmother. Can you imagine how much love this child will receive? We have been calling it a miracle, because we don't have any other words for it.

These things happen. They really do. The Season of Epiphany is a season when we celebrate having our eyes opened to the presence of God in our midst. Where is God performing miracles in your community? What surprises does the Holy Spirit have in store for you?


This blog post was originally published on the Episcopal Church Foundation's Vital Practices Vital Posts blog, on January 22, 2013. It has been reprinted here with permission.