How to Slow Down to Enjoy the Miracles in Your Everyday Life

The snow started falling in the morning and as it landed on my balcony I happened to look out and see all these little stars on the concrete and the furniture.  I can't believe I’d never noticed snowflakes like this before.  I guess living in the city and not having grown up with snow, I mostly saw snow as cold, (I don't like cold) and a nuisance.  It turns to a brown slushy mess in NYC and can be an inconvenience.

But here was this incredible miracle as I gazed out on the balcony and beheld these unique little stars.  They were each very beautiful and completely different.  I felt like a kid again in awe and wonder. The miracle of snow that each snowflake is unique, not one the same as another, how amazing is that?   It’s just like us.  There are billions of people in the world and not one is the same, we are all unique and beautiful and a miracle just like the snowflakes.

I saw another miracle as I was riding the bus to my exercise class.  It was lightly snowing and as we stopped to pick up some passengers I saw a few birds on a tree, flying from branch to branch and I couldn’t tell if they were enjoying the snow or not but I marveled that here they were with only some feathers keeping them warm in this 20F degree weather.

One of the birds was a robin, the harbinger of Spring.  I always get excited when I see a robin towards the end of winter as it gives me hope that Spring is coming soon.  Here was this robin in the middle of winter, did he or she have her timing off?  I understood it as God showing me that there is always hope and even though our 'winters' in life may be difficult and may never seem to end, there is always hope that Spring will eventually come.  Each season in life has its value and its importance.  Life goes on, in its beautiful and inimitable way.

My prayer for you is that you always know deep in your heart that you, like the snowflakes, are a miracle, exquisitely beautiful, and magnificent in your uniqueness.  I hope that you will know that if you are going through struggles, hardships and difficulties, Spring will be here soon.  Look for the miracles in your life, they are there, you just have to be open to seeing them. I was never able to see the miracle of the snowflake because I was looking at it the wrong way, I could only see all the negatives of snow and I wasn't open to the miracle.

I remember how when things were tough for my family just a few years back. I thought of Job a lot at that time and when the challenges just never seemed to end, the thought of Job and his patience did help me to persevere and not give up. I experienced many miracles among the struggles.  I knew that there was a reason for these hardships and the learning was profound, I can attest to that.  Those difficult times ended and Spring came in all its glory.

Recently a friend of one of my sons killed himself, it was heartbreaking.  It seemed he had never been happy. How sad, that this young person, never knew how precious he was, how much he was loved, if not by his parents but by God.  There is always an answer, there is always hope, there is always the promise of Spring and there are always miracles.  We have to be open to seeing them, have patience to await them, perseverance to endure hardships, and faith that God will never abandon us.

Remember to love others no matter what. Let them know they are precious to you. Let them know that you care, let them know that their presence in your life is important, that they are important and lovable.  Spend time with those who are lonely, call or write to those who are apart from you.

Take extraordinary care of yourself, so that you can take extraordinary care of others.

You are a miracle!

Love always,