Signs, Miracles, and Wonders

Yesterday I witnessed a miracle and I almost missed it.  After fellowship, most everyone in attendance loitered around enjoying the exchange of brotherly love.  One thing I love about attending a small church is the opportunity to really get to know the members and become a family.  I had a few things to get done that afternoon so I said my goodbyes and headed out the door.  As I sat in my car going through my mental to-do list and trying to decide what song to listen to during my ride, I noticed a small woman near the right, rear side of my car.  I dismissed her as soon as I saw her, going back to my business.  Then I noticed she was walking near the left side of the rear of my car.  I made eye contact and she walked over.  I said a quick prayer under my breath as I rolled my car window down, “Jesus, please don’t let this person kill me or do something crazy. Amen”.  She quickly made her way to me and asked for a church that used to use the building our fellowship currently meets at.  I informed her that the church she was asking for had relocated some time ago, thinking she would just leave and I would get back to my own plan for the day.  She asked if there was another church inside, and I said, “yes, my church is inside…there are still people in there if you want to go in”.  She turned around, looking upset and started to head to the building.  I quickly called out behind her “do you need prayer?!”.  She did an about-face, approached my car once again and spilled her story along with her tears.  Her son was in jail, beaten and abused, her daughter was facing stage 3 cancer and her life was in shambles.  I got out the car and ushered her inside the building, at the same time, feverishly waiving for another sister in Christ to come in with us as she was about to leave as well.  The three of us walked inside, all eyes were on us and I introduced our new friend…Marlagros, very close to Milagros, which literally means “Miracles” in Spanish.  Of course at that time, I didn’t know I had a miracle right in front of me, I just knew this woman needed help and God had sent her to us to help her.  She poured out her troubles to us as we circled around her.  It was clear to me that more than anything she just needed someone to listen to her.  We stuffed tissues in her hand and she gave us a list of food items and diapers needed for her grandkids.  “I don’t need money…just the things on this list”.  We gave her both.  We prayed over her and encouraged her in Christ.  After our prayer, she expressed her desire to learn how to pray.  My pastor asked if Marlagros knew the Lord.

I know my pastor asked this because you can not have a prayer relationship with God unless you have access to Him through His Son Jesus Christ. Marlogros said she did not and expressed a desire to know Him.  It was then that I got to do the most honorable and humbling thing I did that day…I got to lead her to the Lord.  There were more tears, and hugs, and bibles were given to her (both in English and in Spanish) to help her grow in her faith .  She left our presence a new creature and we had all been changed by hers.

That night I stopped by her house with my roommate to drop off the items on her list.  I gave her a heads up that we are all doing the healthy organic thing so all the food may not taste the same as what she is used to.  She was so thankful I doubt she would have noticed.  She said she’ll be at fellowship Sunday and hopefully will bring her family.  I went to bed last night in awe.  Awe that Christ had something remarkable planned for me that wasn’t at all on my radar.  Awe that He had Marlagros on His radar and knew that we would be there at that time and place to help her. Awe that miracles still exist.

My friend just shared with me today that she experienced her own miracle on Sunday, thousands of miles away in Orlando, Florida.  A business manager, wife and mother of a toddler, her plate is always full.  However that morning things were running unusually smooth.  Her toddler was behaving, her husband was free to help in sharing the load, which left her with some extra time before church to stop by her favorite cafe… Starbucks.  As she drove to church she received a call from her pastor, asking her to preach that morning as he was unable to.  She normally takes WEEKS to prepare a sermon and yet here he was asking for her to speak in just a little over an hour.  She prayed and knew this was God.  By faith, she sat down, whipped out a sermon and shared it with the congregation.  It was the best sermon she had ever preached.  The congregation was edified and even the youth were engaged.  She was in awe of God.  In awe because it was clearly Him that wrote that sermon as she had never in her life wrote a sermon that fast and that GOOD.  In awe that God had called her for such a time as this.

God is showing me the importance of our calling.  We are who we are no matter who says otherwise.  And He will use us according to our calling. He will get glory from our lives and can make the ordinary into something extraordinary.  He will present us with opportunities to step out on faith and be led by His Holy Spirit.  Even though He has great plans for us, it is vital that we agree with those plans.  That we say “Yes Lord”.  Like Mary when He asked her to carry and birth Jesus.  Like Jesus when He died on the cross for us.  Our yes is vital for miracles, signs and wonders to be made manifest through us.  I am looking forward to manifesting His glory in my life.  How about you?

Ephesians 3: 20-21:

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him beglory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Romans 8:28-29

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Mark 16:17-18

And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”