Miracles They're Not Just For Christmas Anymore

I woke up this morning and tears streamed from my eyes. I looked at Amy sleeping comfortably next to me and thought of my youngest daughter upstairs sleeping knowing they would both be with me in church today. We'll be joined by our oldest child too who will drive in from Kerrville, and tomorrow our son comes home from Ohio. All of that in itself is enough to make me tear up these days....but I've seen miracles...true miracles and I woke up thinking about them and how God has used them to carry me through this past year or two.

It was in September of 2003 that I think I first mentioned Amy's pain although our medical saga began several years prior.

It is December of 2004 and I think I have my wife back.

She still has some pain and nausea, but she's got something that she's been lacking for many many months...fight. The fight is back in Amy. She is fighting for her health care, she is fighting physically - tackling jobs around the house that I've put among my lowest priorities because my highest priorities took up all of my time; she is fighting spiritually - realizing a true battle - spiritual warfare - has been taking place all around her, heck, she may be close to ready to start fighting the insurance company and doctors over some of these medical bills that I have piled in a box labeled "One day."

This a wonderful day...but it's a day made possible by miracles. Miracles upon miracles.

I was speaking with a co-worker the other night explaining how spiritually enlightening this ordeal had been and I said, "I can point to days on my calendar and tell you how God blessed me that day, at exactly the right time, in exactly the right way to keep me going." There are a lot of days, a lot of blessings. One day I will go through my calendar, and my blog, and list them all - but that's going to take more time than I have this morning. I've already taken more time than I should...and I won't be late for church, I promise.

I can mention a few.

I can mention the new relationship I have with my co-worker Randy. We've worked together for nearly two decades but now we share our lives as Christian men. Our conversations deal less with show prep and more with spiritual matters (I don't think our show has suffered as a result, in truth almost anything would improve that show...I'm only kidding Randy...sort of). Randy has become someone I can lean on, and also an unexpected and true source of healing for Amy.

There was the time some months ago when I realized Amy and I were on the brink of true financial ruin (not that we're fat with cash today, but we've at least tamed a few dragons). I knew we had to sell Amy's van in a hurry, but we hadn't had any takers, heck we didn't have anyone even come to look at it. I reached a point, "God how often have You shown me this lesson?" where I fell to my knees, declared I was helpless and I needed God's intervention.

The next day I got a call from a small family with big needs who eventually bought that van. At the time I knew it was the right thing to do even though I had to reduce the price. I had no choice because that family reminded me so much of Amy and I ten years ago...desperate for transportation, with three small kids. I knew God was answering my prayer.

Several days later I wrote a rather cryptic entry thanking a friend. I didn't offer any details because I know this man well and I know he wouldn't want that, but I'm going to elaborate a little more now. That friend sent Amy and me a check out of the blue. It was a check for the exact amount of money I had discounted the van (I'm fairly certain I never wrote how much I cut the price so you decide whether God had a hand in that or not). I normally would not have accepted such a gift, but he included a tiny note which I can quote exactly because it's taped to the computer monitor in front of me. It reads, "Michael, God asked me to do this. Please allow me to do be obedient to him by accepting this gift of love."

How do you refuse love such as that?

It was a miracle as far as I was concerned. It allowed me to pay off the little nagging debts that had been allowed to loom so large. I keep that note taped to my monitor to remind me that if at all possible I will return that love ten-fold one day to someone in need.

There was the day a credit union loan officer called me after we had been rejected for a higher credit limit and said, "Mr. Main, I've looked over your credit history and after hearing about your wife and what you've been through I've decided our credit union can take a chance on you. We're making a lot of exceptions but I think we're doing the right thing."

There were days of car repairs made easy (tell me that's not a miracle...anyone I dare you), and emails of encouragement sent to or read by Amy at exactly the right moment, which boosted her confidence. There were miracles of healing, miracles of mercy, miracles of love, family members who altered their lives to try to stabilize ours.

As I said, one day I will list them all...and I will cry.

Today though I will sit in church as Amy joins several other women in singing a song called "No Room". Next to me will be our two daughters and I will sob in gratefulness...for God has made room for miracles...and has performed miracles for me.