Fresh Brewed Coffee

Fresh Brewed Faith

Do Miracles Still Happen?
By Criss Bertling

“An event that appears inexplicable by the laws of nature and so is held to be supernatural in origin or an act of God.” That’s the definition of a miracle according to the American Heritage Dictionary. Katherine Anne Porter says, “Miracles are spontaneous, they cannot be summoned, but come of themselves.”

The parting of the Red Sea by Moses would certainly qualify as a miracle. So would young Daniel’s survival in the lion’s den. How about when Jesus healed the paralyzed, gave sight to the blind, and brought his friend Lazarus back to life after being dead for three days? Or when Peter walked on water? There are some 35 miracles performed by Jesus identified in the New Testament. Think about the creation of the earth; that in itself is miraculous.

Today it is difficult for us to imagine such miraculous events. People dismiss the Bible’s miracles as “just stories” or “old wives’ tales.” Our world is a much more frightening place than it has ever been. Our young men die fighting wars on foreign soil. Our children are desensitized to human suffering as they play bloody kill-or-be-killed video games. We watch movies that ridicule spirituality and applaud an anything-that-makes-you-feel-good morality. Today’s miracles are defined as high-stakes wins like hitting the jackpot lottery.

But I believe miracles happen every day. You just need to pay attention. I have seen what it means to really trust God as I held the hand of a friend who was dying and listened to his words: “It’s all right. God knows what He’s doing.”

I have watched God change and make brand new, broken marriages with no hope, no trust, only hurt and hate. I have seen young people who have been devastated by the unspeakable acts of sexual molestation talk to groups of thousands about how God healed them of fear and hatred and taught them how to love through the care of an organization like Hope House.

I see in the media how brave men and women risk their lives to run into a burning building to save another human being. I know loving people who adopt at-risk children and guide them into becoming caring productive adults.

I know a man whose teenage daughter was tortured, raped and murdered, her body tossed into a creek. My friend was eventually able to forgive the man who committed this horrible crime. Today he regularly visits his daughter’s killer on death row to tell him about how much God loves him.

I have watched a baby be born and seen the glow of God’s love on the faces of the parents. I have watched the eyes of an elderly person light up because a group of teenagers decided to spend some time at an assisted living facility.

I have seen miracles. So have you. Just when you thought you couldn’t make it through one more day, the phone rings and a friend’s words calm your heart. When you didn’t know where you would get food to put on the table for your children, you discovered a church’s food pantry. When your car just wouldn’t start one last time, your church’s helping hands ministry had a mechanic who volunteered to fix it, no charge.

So what kind of miracles happen today that would qualify as being “inexplicable by the laws of nature”? The kind of miracles that remind you in that God is still there, that His love is shown through the acts of loving, godly people, and that He will always love you.