"Small" Miracles

[RobinLayne]

Hi! Anyone is welcome to read and contribute to this thread. I put the word "small" in quotes because I don't believe any miracle is really small. God stepping into our world, sending His angels, inspiring people to do things that answer our prayers, or our needs we didn't even pray about, is always tremendous. But as human beings, we tend to categorize. When someone is raised from the dead or healed of cancer or water turns into wine, we react with overwhelming excitement or even disbelief at the magnitude of it. I once met a young man with a glass eye who thought that God could not give him a new eye. But of course He could! The same God who created us all in the first place can, and does at times, replace ruined or missing body parts. I've heard too many stories of such things not to believe it. A man with no eyes was healed in Indonesia following "soaking prayer" at church services led by members of my own church. These "big" miracles are very much worth posting, but I would like a separate thread for them. This one is for "everyday" miracles or for things that happen to us personally that, while they may not happen every day, involve the little details of life. They prove to us that God is concerned with everything. Like Jesus said, he cares whenever a sparrow alights on the ground. I heard that this didn't even mean the sparrow dying. He cares every time it lands!

Feel free to add your own "small" miracles as they occur or looking back, and to comment on the subject of little miracles. If you want to refer to someone else's miracle, please try to keep it to people you know well or well-known and respected believers (or unbelievers? He lets his rain of blessing fall on the just and unjust alike). Please tell who these people are, so that we don't feel we're just reading rumors.

One or two small "coincidences" for the good might not even be thought to be from the God of the universe. But when they add up, day after day after day, in the same person's life, they are tantamount to a big testimony of God's reality and love!

So I'll post when things happen, and also things that happened in the past when I have time to do so. Please join in.

By the way, I didn't really want to put this in "Christians Only" because it's a testimony that I hope will encourage people outside the church of Jesus to come to him. But I didn't see any other place it fits in. I also didn't want to turn this into some stupid arguing match. I know there are people who don't believe miracles happen. Some of these people will deny your accounts no matter what you say. They might even deny what they see with their own eyes. They may make "natural" explanations that seem all but natural to me, more unbelievable than accepting the idea that God did the things. Some of these people are Deists, who think that there is a God but He doesn't get involved in the world He created in any way. According to my history teacher, these people only believe in one miracle, the creation. My logic says that if God can and did do something so profound and involved and caring as to create the universe, He is certainly capable and--why not?--willing to do more. These Deists say that to create a world that needs His interferance is to say He is inferior to make such a faulty world. This implies that the world He made is, and always was and will be, perfect. Is that what we see when we look around? I don't think so! Why it's not perfect is another subject, which we can get into if we need to, but right now I don't want to stray too far from the subject. Suffice it to say for now that God made a world that does need Him for the same reason we give birth to and raise children who need us: He wants to love and be loved. And I experience His love with every miracle, whether large or small.

P.S.: I feel compelled to say this, although it's an aside. When my history teacher explained Deism, he listed several of the forefathers of the United States whom he thought were Deists. I know from research I did later that he was wrong about at least one of them (so he might be wrong about others, too). George Washington was not a Deist. When he was a general, he followed the Old Testament laws about military camp higene, saying that Moses was the wisest general whoever lived "because he was inspired." Diests (as my history teacher said) do not believe in inspiration, becaues inspiration from God is a kind of miracle. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, or to add to this discussion. Now back to reporting small miracles in my life.

 

[RobinLayne]

The most resent little miracle that I am aware of (besides the fact that I am still breathing, etc.) is the way I just found my house slipper. It has been quite cold lately, and losing one house slipper for about a week now has been a problem. I was just fellowshipping on another thread and thinking about how cold my feet were when the Lord told me to look in the trash can for my slipper. I had previously gotten the other slipper from near there but had not thought that the missing one might have fallen in the trash. So I checked the trash. It wasn't in there. Then I saw the slipper right next to the trash can, up against the heater where it might have caught on fire. It was not harmed nor even hot. Had it been so close to this heater all week?

Some may say this is just a coincidence or that it's too little a thing to have to do with the "Big, Big God." But if you keep reading this thread as it's added to, you will see a pattern. I have attention deficit disorder and often forget things, lose things, and have trouble organizing. There are benefits to having ADD as well. But to me, the best benefit has to do with the "bad" part of it. I have to continually go to my Daddy in Heaven asking for His help. This keeps me in touch with Him, which is absolutely essential to spiritual life. I am learning to hear His voice better and to obey Him. I have wonderful fellowship with Him because we can converse all the time.

 

[RobinLayne]

God says in the Old Testament "Delight yourself in God and He will give you the desires of your heart." Jesus said in the New Testament, "Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things (our needs) will be added unto you." A life turned toward Jesus, seeking to love God with all one's heart, soul, mind, and strength, is filled with miracles of provision.

I am a college student, and my required school reading has led me to stop reading the Bible at breakfast; I have been reading my textbooks instead. But I set aside time to focus on Jesus through church meetings and a Bible study group on campus, the Zoe Club (Zoe--pronounced "zo-ee"-- means spiritual life). The Zoe Club has a dinner/worship/Bible study every Friday night on the campus. I enjoy taking home some of the food afterward, but it can be awkward getting it home. I usually put the food on a paper plate and cover it with another paper plate, then secure it with a rubber band. But one night there were no rubber bands around.
I went to my locker to put some things away and get out what I was taking home. It is in the building adjoining the one where we have our meetings. When I walked out of the building where my locker was, I found, just outside the door, directly in front of me on the ground, a large rubber band.

Reflecting on this now, I recall that food was one of the things Jesus specifically told us not to worry about because he would provide it. He even put into the Lord's Prayer, "give us this day our daily bread."

 

[RobinLayne]

Hi, Askin,
Wow! That's wonderful! And what a nice "coincidence" that you happened to find my thread with the same name as your book. By the quotations marks I meant that these miracles are not necessarily really small. If I'd written your book I might have called it something like "Miracles, Big and Small." I hope you come back and share some of your miracles with us--whether they are in your book or are too recent for the book. I'd enjoy reading your book, but I'm on a fixed income and running swiftly out of money, and I don't have a lot of time to read outside of my college classes, during the term (I'm on my break now, and hoping next term won't be as demanding as the last one). God bless you, the miracles in your life, and your writing!

 

[RobinLayne]

Like many in this country these days, and especially in our state (Oregon), my daughter and I are facing hard financial times. I found out the university has an organization for students who are parents, and through them we got a "Santa Claus" this year. One thing they gave us was a $20 certificate for Fred Meyer.
My daughter's birthday is a month after Christmas. She asked for a food processor. I prayed that when I went to Fred Meyer I would find a good one on sale for $20.
One day, I had to go to Fred Meyer for a prescription, and for some reason it kept being delayed and delayed. I kept finding various things to do in the store, when finally I remembered about the need for a food processor. I went to the kitchen item section and immediately saw a Slap Chop on the shelf--the only processor my daughter had mentioned by name. She had seen it advertised on TV and sounded particularly desiring of this one. It was $19.98!

 

[RobinLayne]

Here follows another little store adventure.

Sadly, in the city where I attend college, there are a lot of homeless people--an increasing amount. In spite of my current lack of funds I found a way to help a few of them this past month, because my daughter was away in Canada visiting someone and I had a lot of extra food stamps. I have discovered that the Safeway near the university makes great cold sandwiches and have been saving money by buying those with food stamps. Often on the corner by the store, someone is out there begging. It's never the same person.

It is said that one time C.S. Lewis gave money to a begging person. A friend said, "Why did you do that? He'll only drink it." Lewis replied, "If I kept it, I'd drink it." This is not the case with me, because for medical reasons I don't drink. I think often how easily I and my daughter could be homeless ourselves. They can't "drink it" in any case, if I buy them food, and if I don't use those food stamps they will just be taken away for the month, anyway. So I started buying an occasional sandwich for a homeless person when I go to Safeway.

On one occasion, a young couple was out there with a sign, and I asked them if I could buy them sandwiches. I asked them what kinds they would like. The girl said turkey, I think, and asked for a Pepsi. The guy said roast beef. I asked him if he wanted a Pepsi, too, and he said yes.

I looked all over the store: Cokes, Cokes, plenty of Cokes. Plenty of Pepsi Zeroes. I wanted to get them cold, but the regular Pepsi's were all out. I know that a lot of people prefer Pepsi because it's sweeter than Coke. The only way I could get them Pepsi's, it seemed, was to lug out a large case of them unchilled. I didn't want to do that. Finally, I asked for help, and was directed to a cooler I hadn't seen. Only one Pepsi left in it! So with resignation, I got the one Pepsi, and one Coke.

These I brought out with the sandwiches, and explained the situation. "So one of you will have to have a Coke."

"That's okay," said the guy with a smile. "I like Coke better."

 

[RobinLayne]

Hmm, what happened to Askin's post? It's been deleted somehow. So now we have me replying above to nothing. Oh, well.

There's more to come. I'm very busy with college and stuff, and I'm sure I've forgotten a recent miracle I wanted to record. I also still might record times the Lord has "given me flowers." I do hope you will join in and share some of your own miracles. Step up, don't be shy!

 

[RobinLayne]

Talking to friends has jogged my memory. Here is the latest little miracle I wanted to share:

I have to write a thesis for my college English class in literary criticism. I was stumped for an idea. I tried for weeks to come up with a viable one. We had to write an original argument about either one of the writings we have read and discussed for class or a poem we bring in. I felt like the writings covered in class had been done to pieces and I couldn't do anything original about one; I had no ideas for one. So I thought I'd do one on an outside poem. I read a number of them and couldn't come up with an idea to discuss about them. I kept going back to a certain favorite and had a tentative thesis. I read a lot of outside material on the subject in the poem and on its author, but found almost nothing about the poem itself. Things got more and more complicated. I showed my tentative thesis to my teacher, and she said it was not an approach she liked to approve but to show her the poem. I hadn't had a chance to type a copy and hadn't brought the book it appeared in with me, so I would have to wait until next class, Tuesday, and that was the day the proposal of the thesis was due!
I kept praying and praying throughout all this process, and asking for prayer from friends. I just couldn't come up with a good argument over that poem, especially something that would utilize the required number of other sources.
Tuesday at 4 a.m., I woke up from a dream in which I had the idea for the paper.
I got up and worked on it for the rest of the morning, typing parts that may or may not end up in my final paper, and probably not in the order I wrote them. I wrote a proposal with a thesis statement and the two initial sources about which I would be arguing. I needed a total of five but didn't have time.
When I got to class that morning, I found out that my teacher had somehow changed her mind about the due date. It was now due Thursday. So I had enough time to find 7 possible other sources and even the chance to get some from the library, print copies to read and begin reading some of them.

 

[RobinLayne]

The Lord speaks to me through dreams pretty frequently. Sometimes the messages are amazing. I trust dreams more than impulses or visions that come into my mind while awake because the latter two have often been wrong in my case. Dreams are different. My own conscious mind is not manipulating them. Here are a couple of dreams that were prophetic and helped me with problems:


The J.W.'s

One time I was studying with some Jehovah's Witnesses. I had no intention of becoming one; my faith in Christ was strong. I just wanted to learn more about what they believed, what things we had in common, and hopefully help them discover the truth about Jesus. It reached the point where I wondered whether I should continue the meetings. Then I dreamed that we were supposed to meet and they didn't show up.

The next time they were scheduled to come to my home, they simply didn't show up. I never heard from them again. I had my answer. Whatever reason those people stopped coming without warning, it was not the Lord's will for the meetings to continue. I didn't have to make the decision.


The Dad and the Stereo

When my daughter was a baby, I didn't trust her father. I don't want to go into detail about this or say anything more than I need to to share the story of this miracle. He lived a few hours away and did not know where we lived. I met him one time in a restaurant so he could visit with his child in a neutral setting. When the visit was over, I took a chance and let him drive us to our apartment.
I wondered if I had made the right decision in letting him know where we lived. I was uneasy. Then one night, I dreamed that he came to our apartment to visit not our daughter but me. In the dream, he fixed my stereo that was broken.
The very next morning, who should knock on the door but my daughter's father? He said he came to visit our child. I told him about my dream. He said, "I have a stereo in the back of my car. You can have it." Hence, because of a dream, the person I had felt threatened by was actually able and willing to bless us with that gift.
The stereo worked for years. And I was at peace about my decision to let the man visit when he wanted to.

Do you have any dreams from the Lord you'd like to share, or other miracles? I'm feeling lonely on this thread, but I like having a place to write down these little testimonies even if no one ever reads them. Even if you can't think of any experience of your own to share, or someone else's whom you know, you are free to comment on the ones I've shared.

 

[Amylisa]

Robin, this thread is wonderful! I love reading all of your accounts.
The way you write is very pleasant to read, I hope that doesn't sound weird to say it that way. You have a very good way with words.

I cannot reply at the moment but i will later for sure..

You gave Jesus a drink with that Coke, you know.

 

[Amylisa]

I just noticed in that statue in your sig. There is an arm around the woman's waist. A little one standing at her side. This blesses me for reasons I might explain later on.

 

[RobinLayne]

Does that mean Jesus prefers Coke to Pepsi?

Thanks, AmyLisa. I can't wait until others add their own stories to this thread.

Now I will propose a theme, which I hinted at earlier. Anyone who wants to share is not obligated to stick with this theme. It's just a suggestion. Has the Lord ever given you flowers or a flower? What was the situation? I will follow with some examples from my own life.

 

[RobinLayne]

When I was in junior high, our school had a tradition of allowing students to send other students carnations. The year I remember this happening, I got none from anyone and I was feeling especially down. I had friends. Why wasn't any of them being nice to me? I don't even recall if I had a boyfriend at the time. I think not. I don't remember if I sent a carnation to anyone. I don't think I did. I don't know why it didn't occur to me that I shouldn't get one if I didn't send one. I think it was because it was Valentine's Day and I was hoping for a male sweetheart or secret admirer to grant me my wish.
But at lunch, I did get a carnation! I found it on the ground. I immediately took it as from the Lord. I love the smell of carnations. It was a very special gift of love to me.
So what is the best thing to do with a special gift? Give it away to someone special! I gave that carnation to my favorite teacher.

 

[RobinLayne]

I just noticed in that statue in your sig. There is an arm around the woman's waist. A little one standing at her side. This blesses me for reasons I might explain later on.

Are you sure the child is standing? I was thinking she was holding the child.

On second thought, it looks like another woman kneeling behind her. Maybe this represents the women who were weeping for him--in which case he would be telling them not to weep for him but for themselves because of the calamities to come upon them in the future. I wonder how that coincides with the prophesy, "He looked for someone to have pity on him but there was none." What do you think?

 

[RobinLayne]

The following event took place in my teens. I have written various forms of the account. First I tried it as a devotional, but it was not accepted by the publisher. Then I altered it into it's present form and printed it in a book I made called Enlarging the Tent: Poetry and Prose by Robin Layne. Because the book was a benefit for a certain widows and orphans fund, I tried to cater the material I put in it around that theme. So this is how it turned out (minus the illustration I made for the book, and plus a photo sent me by a friend on this site).



THE MORNING GLORY

​

By Robin Layne

​

​

There is more than one way to be a widow or an orphan. It is possible to dwell in your parents’ home and still live alone.
In nearly every social situation in my life, I have found myself a misfit. There are various reasons for it, some that I have yet to discover, but whatever the causes, I have often felt unloved. I was deeply touched the first time I read in Isaiah 43:4-5:

I give Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you,
Because you are precious in my eyes,
And honored, and I love you. (RSV)

God loves me! Throughout the years, He has found ways to restate those words. One I will never forget occurred one summer when I came up to Oregon for vacation. I was feeling worthless; I didn’t love as I should. I wondered if I even loved myself. I would take flowers from the kitchen table vase and pluck off the petals one by one, saying, “I love me . . . I love me not . . .”
In church Sunday morning, I heard the voice of God inside me saying, “I love you.” I knew God loved me. But was that really enough?
I left church early and stood out front, thinking of things I had heard inside. I bowed my head in shame.
God said, “Open your eyes.”
In front of me grew a single morning glory, with one single petal all the way around.
God said, “I love you.”
It was enough.

 

[kisstheson]

Robin, this thread is wonderful! I love reading all of your accounts.
The way you write is very pleasant to read, I hope that doesn't sound weird to say it that way. You have a very good way with words.

I cannot reply at the moment but i will later for sure..

You gave Jesus a drink with that Coke, you know.

(what Amy said)

As I was reading your stories I was smiling the entire time.

 

[RobinLayne]

If I gave Jesus the Coke, who got the Pepsi?

 

[RobinLayne]

This one is quite an amazing miracle in my book:

Years ago, I lost my bus pass. It probably fell out of the front of my fanny pack somewhere. It was in a clear plastic case along with my I.D. that I'm supposed to carry with it.

Days later, I happened to be walking up the sidewalk toward my apartment. I don't believe I had even walked that way in that week before. For no reason, I looked beside me as I passed a different apartment complex not far from where I lived. A square of mailboxes stood next to the curb. On the top of them was my plastic case, bus pass and I.D. intact.

Now I KNOW I didn't put them there, and as I said I had not even walked that way. God must have arranged for someone (an angel?) to put it there. It certainly wasn't any logical place for a lost-and-found!

 

[RobinLayne]

Hi, Donna. Thank you! Do you have any to share? How about any other of you readers out there?

 

[jferna6]

Thank God for smallmracles