I experienced a true miracle in September I absolutely must share.
One of my best friends flew down from Alaska to celebrate her 40th birthday with me. I planned an amazing day over in Ashland, Oregon with delectable meals, kid-free shopping, and wine tasting. We explored the countryside with no real agenda or constraint. It was such a treat for this over-scheduled mama! The grand finale was a beautiful outdoor dinner filled with memorable conversation and laughter. We headed out on the 1.5-hour treacherous mountain pass drive in the pitch dark, still engaged in deep conversation.
About 45 miles from home, I noticed the low fuel light was on, and I looked on my car's computer to see that we had 1 mile until we were out of gas. Oh sh*t! How could I have forgotten to check before heading out of town? I didn't want to alarm my friend, and didn't interrupt her story. I started praying. I felt a calming angelic presence and knew deep inside that we were going to make it.
Running out of gas on this route would have been truly catastrophic at 10:30 pm. It is incredibly dark, rugged, and there's not a lot of traffic. There are no towns, few people, and definitely no gas stations. My mind raced as I considered the dire possibilities.
I finally calmly told my friend about our situation. She is a former fighter pilot and is now a Fed Ex pilot. She is obviously super logical and recognized that there's no logical way we could make the then 38 mile drive when we had "zero" miles worth of gas left. She started strategizing about what we would do and how we could call my husband Steve, but I didn't want him to have to get our three children out of bed. There was the tow truck option, but we would have to be on the side of the road in the middle of the wilderness for at least 45 minutes! I suppose we could have called the highway patrol or sheriff? All of the options were truly terrible.
"How about we pray," I suggested? She laughed nervously and I told her I was certain we would make it.
Sure enough, we did. We literally made it over 40 miles with no gas, and I know that my car's fuel measurement system is pretty accurate. I know without a doubt it was a small miracle and the universe's way of showing me some love.
Now, there is the logical part of my brain trying to rationalize the situation, making excuses for the car and every other conceivable option. But inside, I heard. My authentic self knew the truth. We experienced a miracle.
How often do you experience a miracle that you simply can't explain, but you don't allow yourself to indulge in the fantasy that it's a miracle? How often do you rationalize those amazing "coincidences" to remove the magic and regain your sense of certainty about the world?
I encourage you to open your heart and become aware of the true miracles that occur daily, from your child falling down a flight of wooden stairs and escaping unscathed to your car miraculously driving over 40 miles without gas. How beautiful will life be when you are grateful for the protection, benefit, and beautiful experiences that you are being blessed with daily?
I choose to believe in miracles. Do you?