Have You Ever Wondered Why Miracles Happen To Others And Not To You?
In a time when our planet is in a crisis... banks going under, people losing their homes and jobs and the sense of foreboding that surrounds us, it sure would be good to experience a miracle. I wasn't surprised at all when this crisis hit and it isn't a situation I choose to neither dwell on nor get upset about. This crisis was predicted years ago. It was prophesied that if a time came when humanity was more concerned with their possessions than each other, the world as we know it would change. There would be floods, wars, famines, an increase in crime and the major banks and financial institutions would fall. It would be a wake up call.
Is that not exactly what is occurring as we speak? We live in a civilization where most people live beyond their means. It's become a “gotta have it” indulgent society. We want instant gratification. And we have gone beyond our means to get it. We think only of the physical pleasures and have lost our connection to the mind and spirit of humanity. Our kids are following in our footsteps. They have all the bells and whistles available and they have them the moment they become available. They are a generation of kids who don't really know what it is to take responsibility for their actions nor the satisfaction of earning a reward for a job well done. They see, they want, they get. Just like us. Of acim I'm generalizing. There are kids and adults who help others and are responsible. But they are a minority.
So, perhaps, this crisis could be viewed as a miracle, one that is forcing all of us to stop and decide what is important. What are the priorities in your life? How can you change your current circumstances? What are you willing to do to make your life work now? I believe we all have too much 'stuff.' Last year I visited a third world country where I learned that families, friends and community are on the top of their list of priorities. What a different world they live in. No, they don't have four-bedroom, two hundred thousand dollar homes. They don't have two cars, four TVs, every video game available or the latest fashions but they have the sense of togetherness. So when did we lose ourselves? What happened that we value possessions more than humanity? I believe this is a personal dilemma. There is probably a different answer for each of us that we could evaluate and decide what we can do to change ourselves and in turn, change our world. In doing so we can experience our miracles.
So what is a miracle anyway? Albert Einstein said and I quote, “There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” I tend to agree with him.
When we think of miracles, we automatically think of healings that come directly from God or one of His chosen ones. In the dictionary this is defined as: “An event that appears to be contrary to the laws of nature and is regarded as an act of God.” In actual fact, miracles happen everyday to ordinary people. And there is more then one definition of 'miracle' in the dictionary. Here's another: “An event or action that is totally amazing, extraordinary or unexpected.” Could we then say that this major crisis could be a miracle and be grateful for it happening? Now that's a tall order, isn't it. Be grateful that we're losing all our money and possessions. Has it made you more aware of what you do have? Then that's a miracle.
Being grateful or thankful is easy to do for what we perceive as the good things in our lives. Being grateful for everything is just a tad harder. Asking the question, “What can I learn from this situation?” helps us to understand what we could do to change it and move on and that's a miracle.