I recently went to see the movie "Miracles from Heaven" in theaters. I went in knowing I would enjoy it; I love all those movies about God. However, when it ended, I didn’t just leave with a new favorite movie, I left feeling loved, hopeful, and grateful. It isn’t every movie that leaves you with such strong feelings even after it’s over.
At the end of the movie the mom, Christy, played by Jennifer Garner, stands in front of her church and shares her witness of faith. One line she shared really stood out to me: "Albert Einstein once said that you can live your life thinking that nothing is a miracle, or that everything is." She goes on to say that miracles are everywhere.
Miracles are everywhere. Can you believe it? I do, but it took me a while to see.
First there is the miracle of the universe and earth being created. The earth spins continuously to give everyone sunlight during day and darkness at night. The earth doesn’t stop because it is tired, God gives it the strength it needs to keep going forever.
Then there is the miracle of you. Somehow, through countless generations of people, and before that the centuries of animals and evolution and everything else, you were born. You, perfect and beautiful, created by God, came to earth and began to change the world.
We also have the miracle of love. We aren’t forced to love, but we do it anyway. We love our parents and our families, our friends and our neighbors, our pets and our possessions. We share this love in our communities so that everyone feels loved even when their life gets tough. We give out so much love and get so much more in return; love is amazing like that.
Then of course, there are the everyday miracles of chocolate, no traffic, and sleeping in. It’s hard to remember to thank God in these moments because we don’t always think of them as miracles. But, God is in all of those moments looking out for you and taking care of you. It’s a lot easier to think of Him when you see miracles like the sun shining through the dark and gloomy clouds. God deserves praise for it all.
Our lives are full of miracles. They can be found wherever we look. I am grateful for everything -- my family, my friends, the chance to go to college, my safety, and so much more. Nothing should be taken for granted because it is all a gift from God himself. Even when life is hard and confusing, God is there. He is always loving you. So, you can be hopeful for the future. You can rely on the world to keep turning and for a new day tomorrow for things to change.
