Do You Believe in Miracles?

Whether you believe in miracles or not, you have likely heard accounts of inexplicable events that some may have called, “miracles.” Is it possible that an accident could have been, “no accident” at all? How can an accident be, “no accident?” I actually believe that there are no such things as accidents, just as I believe there are no such things as coincidences. I believe there is purpose and there is a positive outcome in everything that occurs in our lives, even the painful things. And on more than one occasion, I have had that belief reinforced.

One such occasion was a few years ago when I was driving to an early morning appointment.  I was hit by a van coming in the opposite direction that was out of control and heading right for me.  I was able to avoid a head-on collision but wasn’t able to avoid it altogether.  I was knocked into a spin, my outside mirror smashing agains my window as I watched the van hit me, and I heard the awful sounds of metal on metal.  I was able to get my car stopped and backed up to assess the damage and to see if the other driver was okay.  There was significant damage to my car, from the front wheel all along the driver’s side, to and including the rear wheel, which was actually broken. I was lucky to have not been hurt more seriously than a bit shaken and sore. The woman driving the van who hit me was not hurt either, thankfully. As fortunate as it was that neither of us was hurt, that was not the miracle. Or was it?

The woman apologized for hitting me and we both assured the other that we were okay.  With tears in her eyes, the woman exclaimed that had I not been there at that exact moment, she would have hit a telephone pole or rolled over from the soft shoulder and into the plowed field off that narrow road. Her front left tire had blown out, and she wan’t able to control her van.  Split seconds made all the difference. She called me her angel, that day. All I knew was that I was meant to be there, at that exact time. My day and my car were sacrificed so that she would be safe, and I was left with an important lesson that I could share with others. So what was that lesson?

If there are no accidents and no coincidences, then what are those events in our lives that we can’t explain? When you notice a day where the humidity is low and the sky is the most beautiful, deep blue, or you hear a song on the radio that picks you up or brings a tear to your eye, or you were thinking of someone and then at that same moment, they call or you get a Facebook message from them, or a soft rain falls to nurture all the plants, or when you wake to the dawn of a new day, are those miracles? We all have a choice to learn from all events and to live the lives we want.  We are not victims unless we allow ourselves to be.  I believe the true miracle is life, and that by showing up, fully being present in each moment, you are living a miracle.