“On the power of miracles – This world is full of miracles. They stand in shining silence next to every dream of pain and suffering, of sin and guilt. They are the dream’s alternative, the choice of the dreamer, rather than deny the active role in making up the dream.” – Meditations From A Course In Miracles
As I anticipated my weekend of solitude in the written word, I took a moment to meditate. At first, the words did not connect with my consciousness. So, I prepared a sacred space on the coffee table. After setting aside mounds of books and wiping away the dust, I was unsure of the significance of the way I positioned the gemstones and candles. Nevertheless, it felt right to me, and I have come to learn to trust my instincts.
After lighting the candles, I set the opened book on the table and began reciting the words aloud. Three readings later, the words started to sink in. Words like “…dream of suffering and pain…” and “…the choice of the dreams…” started to make sense to me. Then finally, I read, “…than deny the active role in making up the dream…” and I could see the meaning of what the author was trying to say to me.
Miracles happen every day. We don’t see them and often take them for granted. Like the seeds I planted this past spring, I had spent so much time and energy worrying about the seeds that did not grow instead of reveling in the seeds that did grow.
We had a cold and wet spring coupled with sandy soil. As a result, my spinach, bulb onions, watermelons, pumpkins, and cucumbers did not grow. Weeds quickly overran my garden, and I gave up the notion of ever seeing a bountiful harvest this year.
I began to weed out this garden. All that was left was broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, and corn. As I was digging out the weeds, I noticed a perfect line of what looked like new blades of grass. I thought the line was too perfect for Mother Nature and continued to weed around it. Once finished, I glanced back over at the green blades and became fully aware that my green onions had survived. It was a miracle!
There was also another miracle that I later learned. I was able to harvest from my garden this year. I picked a handful of carrots yesterday, and my husband grabbed a couple of green tomatoes. In addition, I could pull strawberries from my strawberry plant in their first year – four times!
Even though I made up a dream of a bountiful harvest that was quickly becoming a nightmare of pain and suffering, Mother Nature gave me the miracle of a few surviving plants. She taught me to look beyond my limited vision and see what she could provide in the conditions that she provided.
When a new baby enters this world, we can all agree that the baby is a miracle, but we fail to see the little things each day that are all around us as miracles. It’s a miracle that we are still breathing each day and that the sun rises each morning and sets every evening. It’s a miracle that the clouds open up to give our land water so that our crops may grow. It’s a miracle that a butterfly transforms from a caterpillar inside a tiny cocoon.
These are the miracles that we should seek out each day. Chasing miracles instead of creating false dreams will give us a sense of wonderment and awe, making us appreciate what we already have.
Stacy N. Elliott 