We may take it for granted, but life is truly an miraculous thing.
I mean, just think about it. We live in this vast, possibly infinite, universe filled with unbelievable cosmic wonders. Our solar system is just one of many in space. In the history of our own planet, humanity has struggled over and over again. We have survived ice ages, plagues, wars and natural disasters. All of that history has led up to the present day in which you and I are both alive. I mean, come on. That is absolutely crazy.
And yet...
It is hard to appreciate the miracle of living in the world at this moment when there is so much wrong with it on so many scales. Every day, we hear about a new set of deaths at home or abroad. People are being gunned down on the street for the color of their skin. A woman can be killed for rejecting the unwanted advantages of a man. The need for human intimacy is slowly being replaced by a world where everyone is looking down onto an electronic screen. All of this adds up to a rather sad view of life in this world.
These past few weeks, I have fallen into that particular category. Between frustrations in my personal and professional life, I have spent quite some time this month feeling like it was a massive task to get through each day. The worst part is that it would come and go in waves. There were plenty of times when I was content and happy, but that feeling would swiftly be cut down in the face of the everyday tedium. No matter how much my friends tried to help me, I thought that nothing was going to break me out of the funk.
And then, I saw a lightning storm.
I walked out a movie theatre at 11 p.m. on a Monday night to see the clouds lighting up and sparking with electricity. I can't really explain what happened, but something inside of me also lit up. I ran into the parking lot and just watched the sky for a few minutes. It was probably one of the first moments of peace that I had experienced in a really long time. I didn't think about how I would balance my three jobs or if my friends still liked me or how I would get my hair cut the next day. I just watched a little miracle of the universe.
Yes, the world is messed up. Yes, there are so many things that are bad about it.
And yet...
If we look closely, there are so many good things weaved in with the bad.
Lightning.
Pizza.
Seeing an old friend.
Watching the sunrise.
Going to the beach.
Someone you love holding your hand.
When the miracle of life doesn't seem like such a miracle at all, take a look around.
Finding beauty in the midst of this messed up world may be the greatest miracle of all.
