IT'S A MIRACLE...OR IS IT?

 

Miracle: An extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

Do you believe in miracles?  A few weeks ago I taught a Sunday School lesson concerning some of the miracles performed by Jesus.  While researching for the lesson, I came across what I thought were some interesting facts about people’s belief…or disbelief…in miracles.  A national scientific survey conducted by Barna Research showed these results:

*When asked if miracles were possible today, 67% said yes, 15% said no, others had no opinion.

*Young adults (61%) were less likely to believe in miracles than Baby Boomers (73%)…this did NOT surprise me.

*Republicans (74%) were more likely to believe in modern day miracles than Democrats (61%)…that’s interesting.

*38% of those surveyed say they have had an experience that can only be described as a miracle.   (It was pointed out, however, that some of these “miracles” probably were actually coincidences rather than true supernatural miracles.)

 

These results were a little bit surprising…

*the percentage who believed in modern day miracles DECREASED with education (guess that explains a lot of today’s liberal professors)

*same was true for income level with the more wealth, the more skepticism

*In terms of ethnicity, more than half of Hispanics and African Americans affirmed modern day miracles compared to a third of whites.

 

So…is this saying if you are white, Democrat, highly educated and wealthy you probably aren’t believing in miracles?  Just asking!

I did read this and I do agree…perhaps we have used the words MIRACLE or MIRACULOUS to the point they don’t have the meaning they should have to us Christians.  Perhaps we should be more careful attributing things as being miraculous…it drains away the power and the idea of what a miracle really is.  For example…when the U.S. hockey team beat the Russian team in the 1980 Olympics.  Everyone called it MIRACLE ON ICE, but that wasn’t a miracle.  It was the result of a lot of hard work, playing hard, a good game plan, and probably some luck!

 

Albert Einstein once wrote, “ There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as though everything is a miracle.    Now I certainly don’t think I’m smarter than Einstein (far, far, far from it!), but I disagree with his statement.  I do believe in modern-day miracles, but I don’t believe everything is a miracle.  I’ll try to explain.

 

Sometimes I’ll be thinking something and next thing I know my husband is saying what I’m thinking!  That’s not a miracle…that’s a coincidence.  The other day I was thinking about how I had not seen my granddaughter in several days and all of a sudden she was walking in the backdoor.  That was not a miracle, that was a coincidence.  Sorry, Mr. Einstein.  Like my research said, I think we may sometimes overuse the word MIRACLE to the extent when a real miracle comes along we don’t think much about it…and that’s a shame. 

Lee Strobel has written a book THE CASE FOR MIRACLES.  (I love Strobel’s life story…an atheist turned believer.)  For his book he interviewed many people who felt they had had a miracle performed by God/Jesus in their lives.  One of my favorites is this one:

 

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A doctor/missionary was working in Africa.  She delivered a premature baby but the mother died in childbirth.  There was no incubator, no electricity, and no way to keep the baby warm enough, but a nurse found a hot water bottle and filled it.  Unfortunately, shortly after the water bottle burst.  The doctor’s daughter was nearby playing with some orphans, and so the doctor asked them to pray for the baby.  As it came time for her daughter Ruth to pray, the little girl said, “Please, God, send us a water bottle and please send it today because the baby won’t live till tomorrow without it.”  And then she added, “And while you’re at it, God, please send the baby a dolly to show her you really love her.”  The doctor was a little surprised by her daughter’s prayer but didn’t say anything. 

 

That very afternoon a care package arrived from a group that often sent them gifts and supplies.  As the doctor and the children unpacked the box, they found food, bandages, and other supplies…and to the doctor’s great surprise one HOT WATER BOTTLE!  And when Ruth saw it, she said, “Well, if God sent the hot water bottle, I know he sent a dolly, too.”  And sure enough, at the bottom of the box was a doll!  (True story, y’all!)

Now that, ladies & gentlemen, was no coincidence…that was a MIRACLE😊

 

I wrote about another miracle Strobel wrote about in his book.  You can read that post here (see end of that post).

 

Do you believe in modern-day miracles?

Do you agree with Einstein?  I’d love to hear your thoughts.