Miracles for Many

Do you sometimes read the Bible and wonder, "God, where is my miracle?" 
You've heard the stories. Jesus heals a leper. Jesus feeds 5,000. Jesus raises the dead. Jesus calms the storm. Jesus calls out demons.
And here I am just trying to figure out how I'm going to survive my last semester of undergraduate studies. My life seems to fail in comparison to lives of many people Jesus has touched. Can you imagine how the life of the man, Lazarus, who was dead and then Jesus brought back to life changed (John 11:38-43)? Can you imagine how the disciples felt to be in the presence of a man who literally calmed every furious wind and engulfing waves in the sea (Luke 8:22-35)?
I read these stories in the comfort of my bedroom while drinking tea. An exciting day for me can mean getting Taco Bell for dinner. Not quite as miraculous.
Or maybe I'm missing it. Maybe I'm blind to the great works of God every single day. Maybe I have a very skewed definition of miracles to begin with.

A miracle according to Merriam-Webster is "an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment."
Something out of the ordinary. Something that either can or cannot be explained. A plot twist and game-changer that was not expected by our own plan.

Okay. So I've had one or two of those. I have joked that my life encompasses every single thing that I said would never happen, but really the joke is on me. I grew up knowing my future career. My future college. My future husband. My future home. I had my life planned out perfectly, and here I am with a completely different vision.

I always said I would never NOT coach....I don't have time for coaching anymore.
I always said I would never work with middle schoolers and teenagers...many of my biggest dreams involve that age group.
I always thought I would never leave Springfield...I now have no idea where I will end up and that's totally okay.
I always thought my high school sweetheart would be my husband...here I am out of an entirely different engagement and single again and it's all good.
I always thought I didn't want kids...I dream of adoption every single day.

Do you get my point? My life is nothing short of the miraculous intervention of Jesus and I wouldn't change it for the world. The life I envisioned is nothing like what I have, and yet I am confident that Jesus is giving me a life much more full than any I could imagine.
He saves me from my own foolish plans every day. That's a miracle.
And He saved me from sin years ago and continues to do that to this day. That's a miracle. This miracle alone should be enough for us all.

So, then what's the difference? What's the difference between me and the people in the Bible? Why do their miracles seem so much bigger? It's what they do with it.

God gives us miracles in order to tell others about it...to glorify Himself. God gives us these game-changer miracles in order to change the world.

Look at the story in Mark 5: 1-20. Jesus heals another man with a demon and this man was so amazed and thankful that he asks to be a disciple of Jesus. But Jesus' response in verse 19 is, "Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." Jesus knew this man would have the biggest impact on the the world by telling his miracle to everyone around him. The other disciples didn't have a story to tell like this man's. He had a unique miracle to share, and I bet you do too.

So the difference is what you do with your life because ultimately your life is a miracle in itself. You are here. You are alive. Have you ever thought about all it takes to keep you alive? Seriously, stop and think about every single thing  your body goes through every second to maintain life. Who did that? No one could have orchestrated that but God. It's too complex and unexplainable. You are a miracle. And I bet you have those miracle moments. The difference is these people let the miracles change them and now people get to read about it for the rest of time. I guess that's why I keep this blog. It is accounts of my own miracles. Of what I'm learning. Of what Jesus is doing in my life.

What's your miracle? I'd love to hear it and Jesus would love you to share it. It is yours for a reason. I bet it came with some pain and heartache and hard work, but it's yours. So practice sharing it. Share it with me at krysta.baker@yahoo.com. I can't wait to praise Jesus with you for His work.