Just Believe

When we contemplate the word 'miracle' often times we immediately think about the stories in the Bible past down from generation to generation. We think of the words like phenomenon, supernatural, surprise, wonder, marvel, amazement, unforeseen, wonderment, extraordinary event or many other words that I am sure we could retract from our vocabulary. I like to think that a miracle is an "ACT OF GOD" something that is not ordinary. I think we would all like to be the recipient's of a miracle every now and then, maybe that thought is not actually far off from being true because I believe that miracles do happen everyday in unlikely and in ordinary circumstances or ordinary people.

She was three years old, my little girl, sound asleep in her bedroom oblivious to the world around her. She never needed coaxing to go to bed. She would take her stuffed kitty cat by the tail and suck her thumb and scoot to bed wearing those footed pajamas. She had long white hair, as white as snow, and she would sometimes say "I tired mommy, I go to bed". She would just go to her room, climb on her step stool, turn off the light and climb under the covers of her bed. It was odd how a child of that age acted upon her own feelings without being told. She was also compliant to us, her parents and very cognisant of our emotions, as well.

Our little girl's bedroom was at the opposite end of the house with linoleum floors from one end of the hallway to the other. It was quite a jot to get to the other end of the house from our bedroom. This was one particular downside about this old house that we lived because as a mother sometimes you think about the "bad" things that could happen like not being able to get to your child if there was a fire at night, and the list goes on.....

One evening after she had been put to sleep and we were well into dream land ourselves, we heard the shuffling of feet coming down the hallway. I immediately thought that maybe she had acquired my childhood curse which was walking in her sleep, but you could tell by the way in which she was moving she was moving with purpose with the exception of the stuffed cat dragging behind her.

She arrived at our bedroom door saying "mommy, mommy!" I sat straight up realizing that the shuffling of the feet that grew closer and closer were in fact now in my bedroom. Her announcement of "mommy, mommy" was very pronounced. I told her she needed to go back to her bed to go to sleep that it was not time to get up. She didn't move and I knew that my dreamland was coming to a swift end.

She persisted though with what little speech that she had, leaning up against my mattress saying "What does believe mean?" Of course, I had to ask her several times what it was that she was trying to say to understand her question at such an odd time of the night. She repeated, "What does believe mean?" I was taken back by such an odd question by a three year old. I mean what three year old wakes up in the middle of the night, climbs out of bed dragging her kitty, making the haul all the way to our bedroom to ask a question like that?

She had my attention now. My husband and myself were both sitting straight up in bed looking at her with bewilderment. There goes a miracle word, bewilderment. She began to explained that Jesus told her to believe. Did I hear right that Jesus told her to believe? How could this be? There was a lot of repeating going on that night because I wasn't believing my ears and she wasn't getting an answer. So I asked again, "please tell mommy again dear." She repeated "Jesus said I need to believe." Okay, there goes that statement again and now I think I am dreaming listening to my daughter babble about what Jesus told her. My gosh she was only three years old. I asked her when was this that he told her to believe and she said "tonight mommy, he woke me and told me."

We talked about that question the next morning, but I tucked her back into bed and believed. In my books this was miracle number one on an ordinary night with ordinary people. Does there have to be bolts of lightening for God to get our attention? Does he have to feed 5000 or heal the blind? All I know is that God appeared to my daughter in the middle of the night and told her something that no three year old could possibly dream up herself. I know that if God was with her he was also talking to us.

That evening of shuffling feet was life changing for me. Maybe he wanted to let her know he loved her or maybe he felt my faith was lukewarm and I needed to warm up to him a bit more. Sure, I got it that evening and the next day as I contemplated that word over and over and even now 18 years later. He is always there, guiding us, pushing us, carrying for us and loving us.

St. Thomas said he had to see Jesus' markings on his hands and side before he would believe that Jesus was alive. (Jn 21:25) He saw Jesus die and now he had to believe he was alive. Jesus said "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." (Jn 21:29)

So why did Jesus come to my little girl? A good question deserves another good question, why not? Jesus said "Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least among all of you is the greatest." (Luke 9:46)

It is my belief that God speaks to us in many different ways and that night he not only spoke to my little girl but he also spoke to me. It is written and has been passed down from generation to generation so that we too can believe.

A little miracle every now and then is good!!