It's interesting how the older we get the less we are amazed by things. Remember what it is like to have that child like belief? I'm one of the biggest jokesters I know. After my first year of teaching I had my students believing that I was once a back up dancer for Justin Timberlake, I turned down an NBA contract to teach them and that I can sing better than Justin Bieber before he went downhill (not sure why I disclosed that last one). Anyway, what I realized is that we all at one point had that child like faith that we believed the little things and more importantly, we believed the bigger things. We had so much faith in our parents, our circumstances and humanity. Somewhere along the way life experiences teach us the cruel reality of life. At this point in life we begin to challenge everything we either once knew or have experienced.
One question I get asked all the time is why don't miracles happen anymore? In fact this is one of the questions that I wrestled with for a long time before coming to my faith. Where is the God that parted the Red Sea? Why doesn't he just drop loaves of bread from the sky and feed all the children in Africa? How can God watch people suffer, why doesn't he do something miraculous to leave us in awe so we all believe instantly. I bet if you saw God hold the sun stand still like he did for Joshua in the Bible for an extra 24 hours it would be hard not to believe in his existence. If only Jesus was still here to walk on water, raise someone from the dead or heal someone from leprosy, it would be so much easier to convince people of his loving power. When it comes to God we seem to think at times that he is a Genie don't we? God I ask for this, now show me something good. Hear my heart on this, God is a loving and abundant God, he wants to bless us but he also knows what we can handle and when we can handle it. His timing is perfect and his grace is always sufficient. So the real question we always want to know is where is my miracle?
The truth is, we are surrounded by miracles everyday! Maybe you are just missing it. Stay with me now. Have you ever had a day when you are just going through the motions? I urge you to find the miracles during those times, they are right under your nose. We have a tendency to take our eye off the bigger picture and become focused on other things. Miracles today may not be parting of the seas but it is something only God can do. I have witnessed many miracles in my life, let me share one with you.
Last January I went to Haiti for a week to help my missionary friends prepare their orphanage. I was there the day the orphans arrived. We were warned about their conditions, that many of them are or were malnourished, abused or neglected. I will never forget that first night. I was in my room getting ready for bed when I heard Joanne, one of the missionaries, yell my name. I ran out into the living room as she told me "Zach you need to hold this child." as she handed him to me, I noticed his chest pounded extremely fast, I asked what was wrong to which she responded "He has an irregular heart beat, a fever of 104 and the doctor said to not even bring him to the hospital because he is not going to live through the night." Mind you this child appeared to be about the size of a 9 month baby when in reality he was 4 years old. With a racing heart beat, fever, scabs and sores all over his body, I held his limp body in my arms. Was this real life? Was I really about to hold a child as he died in my arms? I didn't sign up for this.
I did the only thing you can do when things are out of your control, I prayed. I sat down, cradled him in my arms and put my hand on his chest "God, please let this child live, just another day, give him a fresh start in this loving home." I prayed over that child for two hours, I posted a message on Facebook asking for others to go before God and pray for this child's life. In my heart I thought this child was going to be another angel in heaven soon but I continued praying for God to have mercy on his life. Within an hour his fever broke, his heart rate returned to normal and he stopped sweating. The power of prayer is beyond our imagination. I went to bed that night physically, spiritually and emotionally exhausted, just hoping that he would survive the night some how.
I woke up early the next morning and said another prayer before leaving my room. I walked out to see the baby not in his crib, my heart began to race, my eyes began to swell up with tears and then I heard my name once again, I was asked to come to the kitchen "not again" I thought. As I walked into the kitchen there he was, sitting up right, eating a bowl of cereal. Even as I write this I get goose bumps because I realize I forget how much God can move in our lives. His miracles are all around us. One minute you may feel completely helpless and the next you see God move. He does the imaginable. It may not be a moment the entire world can see but it doesn't take much for me to convince you that there are things that happen in life that we just cannot explain. I know the truths of that equation, a baby was dying in my arms with no chance of survival and in less than eight hours he had more energy then a 10 year old after trick or treat night.
The truth is there are miracles all around us. I look forward to posting more miracles that I have seen God show me but in the mean time I want to hear about some of the miracles that you have witnessed lately. If you feel comfortable enough to share them with me please email them to me at Zachary.tyler.white@gmail.com I will keep the confidential but I always love hearing stories about God doing miraculous things in your life. Like I said I will be posting many more miracles I have witnessed and I pray you are sharing yours with others! Please share or send to friends and family so they can be reminded how God shows us his power through miracles everyday! God Bless!!
One question I get asked all the time is why don't miracles happen anymore? In fact this is one of the questions that I wrestled with for a long time before coming to my faith. Where is the God that parted the Red Sea? Why doesn't he just drop loaves of bread from the sky and feed all the children in Africa? How can God watch people suffer, why doesn't he do something miraculous to leave us in awe so we all believe instantly. I bet if you saw God hold the sun stand still like he did for Joshua in the Bible for an extra 24 hours it would be hard not to believe in his existence. If only Jesus was still here to walk on water, raise someone from the dead or heal someone from leprosy, it would be so much easier to convince people of his loving power. When it comes to God we seem to think at times that he is a Genie don't we? God I ask for this, now show me something good. Hear my heart on this, God is a loving and abundant God, he wants to bless us but he also knows what we can handle and when we can handle it. His timing is perfect and his grace is always sufficient. So the real question we always want to know is where is my miracle?
The truth is, we are surrounded by miracles everyday! Maybe you are just missing it. Stay with me now. Have you ever had a day when you are just going through the motions? I urge you to find the miracles during those times, they are right under your nose. We have a tendency to take our eye off the bigger picture and become focused on other things. Miracles today may not be parting of the seas but it is something only God can do. I have witnessed many miracles in my life, let me share one with you.
Last January I went to Haiti for a week to help my missionary friends prepare their orphanage. I was there the day the orphans arrived. We were warned about their conditions, that many of them are or were malnourished, abused or neglected. I will never forget that first night. I was in my room getting ready for bed when I heard Joanne, one of the missionaries, yell my name. I ran out into the living room as she told me "Zach you need to hold this child." as she handed him to me, I noticed his chest pounded extremely fast, I asked what was wrong to which she responded "He has an irregular heart beat, a fever of 104 and the doctor said to not even bring him to the hospital because he is not going to live through the night." Mind you this child appeared to be about the size of a 9 month baby when in reality he was 4 years old. With a racing heart beat, fever, scabs and sores all over his body, I held his limp body in my arms. Was this real life? Was I really about to hold a child as he died in my arms? I didn't sign up for this.
I did the only thing you can do when things are out of your control, I prayed. I sat down, cradled him in my arms and put my hand on his chest "God, please let this child live, just another day, give him a fresh start in this loving home." I prayed over that child for two hours, I posted a message on Facebook asking for others to go before God and pray for this child's life. In my heart I thought this child was going to be another angel in heaven soon but I continued praying for God to have mercy on his life. Within an hour his fever broke, his heart rate returned to normal and he stopped sweating. The power of prayer is beyond our imagination. I went to bed that night physically, spiritually and emotionally exhausted, just hoping that he would survive the night some how.
I woke up early the next morning and said another prayer before leaving my room. I walked out to see the baby not in his crib, my heart began to race, my eyes began to swell up with tears and then I heard my name once again, I was asked to come to the kitchen "not again" I thought. As I walked into the kitchen there he was, sitting up right, eating a bowl of cereal. Even as I write this I get goose bumps because I realize I forget how much God can move in our lives. His miracles are all around us. One minute you may feel completely helpless and the next you see God move. He does the imaginable. It may not be a moment the entire world can see but it doesn't take much for me to convince you that there are things that happen in life that we just cannot explain. I know the truths of that equation, a baby was dying in my arms with no chance of survival and in less than eight hours he had more energy then a 10 year old after trick or treat night.
The truth is there are miracles all around us. I look forward to posting more miracles that I have seen God show me but in the mean time I want to hear about some of the miracles that you have witnessed lately. If you feel comfortable enough to share them with me please email them to me at Zachary.tyler.white@gmail.com I will keep the confidential but I always love hearing stories about God doing miraculous things in your life. Like I said I will be posting many more miracles I have witnessed and I pray you are sharing yours with others! Please share or send to friends and family so they can be reminded how God shows us his power through miracles everyday! God Bless!!
No comments:
Post a Comment