Mundane Miracles

When was the last time you looked around you to find the miracles around you? It doesn't have to be an earth-shattering, burning bush kind of miracle. What about the things that we take for granted? Relationships, safe harbors, freedom. Well, some of those may be earth-shattering... but I think that I have started to take them for granted.

So, my mundane miracle is this restored friendship. I know, I know, old news... but it is such an amazing gift and one that I didn't know that I had missed. We have all 'had' to do the kiss and make up, but you know it's still there. That looming elephant of resentment watching in the corner, waiting to remind you why it is that you fought with someone, or where the well of hurt sprang up. We have all pretended not to see that elephant, but we know it's there. And occasionally we throw it peanuts so it never really wants to leave. You think you are fine with your friend, if only you could figure out how to get rid of the elephant of resentment and long memory.

I didn't technically 'have' to make up with this chick, we travelled in the same circles, but we were civil, the elephant for the most part was kept at bay. I had nothing to gain, or lose by maintaining distance. Really, when I called to chat with her on that fateful day I really didn't intend to remove any barriers, maybe just make sure that we both had our elephants on a respectable leash and maintain the status quo. So, when I said we should hash out our remaining differences, or let God heal them, I meant it in a nebuolous kind of polite way. Like, I see you still have your elephant, so do I. Maybe we should acknowledge them and what I don't know, maybe get something smaller, like a hippo?

Never, and I mean never, in a million-bazillion years would I have thought that what would really happen was that God would just take our elephants away and leave us with this whole lovey-dovey cr... er, stuff. The overnight manifestation of God's holy love... WHAM, and now it's LOVE.

The weeks have passed, but the feeling hasn't. Now, we are even better friends than we were all those years ago. Isn't God funny? It's funny because I didn't know that I needed this, just one more sign of God's living abundant life around us. It's humbling how much He cares, and doesn't want us to fall out of relationship with one another. Together we are so much more, so much stronger than when we try to make it going our own way. The world is such a dangerous place, you don't know who you can trust, except for God.

It is such a simple solution to a complex problem, learn to love as God loves us. If only we can find a way to get that elephant out of the corner. I am sure that I have others lurking about, but God will work with that. I have such peace about this renewed friendship that I don't even get wiggy about it anymore. For me this is my mundane miracle.