Today's Miracle

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        Morning walks are part of my life, and today I ventured out for one along the Ohio River on a very warm and muggy overcast day.  My aging body felt  heavy, partly because I didn't get enough sleep the night before.  I absolutely did not want to be out walking; I knew it would be a purely "I did it out of duty" walk, dragging and pushing myself all the way. I could not pull myself out of my grumpy mood. 

     About a week ago I was on a walk in similar conditions and was quickly uplifted by a series of Indigo Bunting appearances.  These birds are my favorite, and I was blessed with some photos of two--  a miracle because it's rare to see them close enough to photograph with my phone.  Those birds pulled me right out of the weather doldrums  into a happy mood.  But I had no such experience this morning.

      I finally felt relief when I saw our van.  Oh, just to sit!  For some reason I glanced behind me just before getting in the vehicle and was greeted by my miracle--a beautiful sky.  The sun had been trying to break through  the clouds on the last stretch of the walk; I'd been grumbling  because it would be hotter once it broke through.  It failed to do so (yeah) but behind me I saw the beautiful scene below.  The view was glorious!  Immediately the thought came "If you had just turned around  and looked you would have had your miracle earlier".  Isn't that like life?  Sometimes we are so focused on getting to the end of a difficult experience that we miss the miracles around us.  They are invisible to us.  We just need to turn around and look. To me it means to take time to "wait upon the Lord" each day during difficult times.  

     President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has counseled us to "seek and expect miracles" (The Power of Spiritual Momentum, April 2022 ).  I have found that when I remember to do this my days go better.  I am grateful for these miracles, even when they seem small.  Some might not be considered miracles, but whether or not it is a miracle is often in the eye of the beholder.  Looking and finding  miracles has the power to unlock feelings of gratitude and love; hearts are softened and happier moments follow.



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