Robert Miskimen
The Miraculous in the Mundane
Scripture frequently enthralls us with awesome demonstrations of God’s power: Joshua splitting the waters of the Jordan (Joshua 3:15-17); Elijah calling stone-vaporizing fire down from heaven (1 Kings 18:37-39); the three Hebrews walking fire-proof in the midst of searing heat (Daniel 3:20-26). These stories, and others, enchant our imaginations as we picture the jaw-dropped faces as they behold God’s wonders first hand. Yet the divine intervention of the Lord is not always manifest in powerful plagues or sensational signs but even in comparatively mundane and unobtrusive ways. Silent moments of providence, shaped by the Father of Lights Himself, may be often overlooked unless we are attuned to His ways and united to His heart. Only the lens of faith can showcase these moments in the vibrant colors of the miraculous.
Recall how the widow at Zarephath and her son were rewarded for choosing to forgo their last dying meal in deference to God’s prophet (I Kings 17:7-16). No manna rained from the skies; no angels delivered ambrosia from heaven; the mechanics of the miracle are not even explained. We are simply told, “The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord…” Perhaps any further explanation would have overshadowed the inspiring act of self-sacrificing love. Nevertheless, the undertone rings clear: for those who trust Him at His word, God will provide in miraculous ways.
Miracles
The same tone echoed true, again, but this time in the hills of Departamento de Santa Bárbara, Honduras, one of the 18 territorial divisions of Honduras, itself the 6th poorest country in Latin America. Over the next two weeks, our small dental team was scheduled to provide oral surgery services to several remote communities, as well as a prison and orphanage. But, as we set up the make-shift clinic on our first day of work, our eager faces turned to ones of horror, as we realized that an essential item was missing. The needles! The local anesthesia needles, necessary for extractions, could not be located anywhere. Whether neglected in packing or simply lost in transit was, at this point, irrelevant. Our ministry would be severely inhibited unless replacements could be found.
Our minds began grasping at possible solutions. Could we go into town? No, all the stores would be closed on Sunday. What about tomorrow? Even if we found a pharmacy or medical supply store, they likely would carry only ordinary hypodermic needles, which—due to their larger gauges—are useless for dental work.
After several more frantic minutes of checking and rechecking the luggage, we gathered as a group, knowing that only divine power could carry us further. There, at the extremity of human devising, we knelt as one, earnestly praying for God’s intervention, praising Him in advance for His providence, claiming His promise, “Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” (Psalm 50:15)
As on so many other occasions, God came through for us with stunning precision: not one, but two boxes of needles were found among miscellaneous supplies at the Hogar de Niños. What are the chances that a small orphanage in a remote town in Honduras would have two boxes of exactly the right brand of dental needles to fit our syringes? Within a span of 15 minutes, a mistake, which could have been a disaster to the dental mission, turned into a triumph of prayer and faith. By the omnipotent grace of God, we went on to treat 43 patients that day, along with many more in the week and a half to follow. Just like the widow’s bin of flour and jar of oil, those needles never ran out.
But one question hovered in the back of our minds: How long had those needles been in that back closet? Had God instructed an angel to deliver them straight from the parcel post of heaven in our exact hour of need? As we discovered from talking with the locals, a dental team had previously come to this same orphanage about 5 years ago and had presumably left the two boxes behind. Whether intentionally or by accident, who knows? We’ll never know until heaven what actually transpired, but through eyes of faith we still marvel at the incredible providence on display for God’s glory that day.
In your daily spiritual life, do you recognize the miraculous in the mundane? Do you identify the extraordinary behind the curtain of ordinary routine? God’s wonder can be seen in a chance patient encounter in the emergency department yielding a life transformed, as did Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-40). A word of encouragement spoken in due season can have miraculous timing, such as Esther’s request before King Ahasuerus (Esther 4-7). In short, do we see God in the simple things?
Once, in my outpatient oral surgery clinic, I was struggling with an especially difficult case. My patient and I had spoken previously of my faith and, as she sensed my frustration, she suggested that I pray. After that brief moment of reflection, every step became clear, every movement became efficient, and the case seemed to speed along effortlessly to the end. I never saw that patient again, and have no idea of the fruit of that experience in her heart, but I know my own faith was strengthened as I chose to see the miraculous in the mundane. Integrating the following small steps into my daily routine has helped me recognize such miracles in commonplace situations.
Steps to recognize the Divine in the mundane
1. Make divine appointments. You will miss 100% of all appointments that you don’t first schedule, so if we expect to recognize the omniscient hand of God in the timing of chance encounters, then we must daily allow Him the authority to organize our schedule around His agenda. The supernaturally orchestrated meeting between Rebekah and Abraham’s servant (Genesis 24:14-15) would not have happened unless the faithful servant had first made the appointment. Not that it’s necessarily a good idea to base life decisions on who first gives us a drink, or by the water content of a wool fleece (Judges 6:38-40), but giving God authority over our appointment book before the start of each day demonstrates our preemptive willingness to follow Him, just as Moses did when crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 14:15-16).
2. Walk with a posture of prayer. Viewing patients vicariously, through the eyes of the Redeemer, is not a skill acquired naturally, especially with how often they act non-compliant, rude or even onerous. But as we walk, we must walk in faith, as if Christ is walking at our side; and when we see, we must see with new eyes the potential that is vested in every child of God. I once heard a missionary say, ‘the variables with God are people and opportunities’. Appraising individuals by their present social utility, as we are apt to do, inexorably discredits their future eternal destiny. We must appraise people as Christ appraised sinners, tax-collectors, and Roman centurions. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to see the miraculous in each person you encounter.
3. Titrate your conversations with the Gospel of Peace. Few people are ready for a biblical exposition of the 28 Fundamental Beliefs. Rather, the gospel should diffuse from our conversation drop by drop, like titrant diffuses through analyte. “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” (Colossians 4:6) As you sense a heart responsive to the salt, gradually add a little more, letting intuition and the Spirit of Truth guide the dialog towards an eternal purpose and glory.
As I look back, not just on the miracles of the needle, but even in the small, mundane miracles of a life dedicated to ministry, I can only marvel at the providences and power of our Lord, who has said: “Before they call I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24)
I pray that God’s caring hand will go before you each day, prepare the soil of each patient’s heart, guide you into fertile conversations, and bless you with a glimpse of the miraculous!
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