Accepting Divine Miracles in My Life With Humility

Most educated people scoff at the idea of miracles, preferring to believe science will eventually provide a plausible explanation for the inexplicable. For these cynics, only the ignorant or gullible donate to fraudulent faith healers or set out on desperate pilgrimages seeking cures. Other Christians think miracles are relegated to biblical times. However, there are countless hidden souls who have experienced the miraculous today, but since the modern world heaps scorn on those who dare witness to the power of God in their lives, most legitimate eyewitnesses are bullied into silence. It seems only quacks speak out; society’s prejudice is simply reinforced.

Healing Miracles

At least Catholics believe theoretically in the idea of miracles. The word “miracle” comes from the Latin word for wonder and, literally means “a sight to behold” because they manifest the glory of God. Some cures or events in nature can only be attributed to divine power. The miracles of Jesus were messianic signs manifesting the Kingdom of God on earth, testimonies affirming He was the Messiah. The Catechism of the Catholic Church 547-50 tells us:

Jesus accompanies His words with many “mighty works and wonders and signs,” which manifest that the kingdom is present in Him and attest that he was the promised Messiah (Acts 2:22).

The Congregation For the Doctrine of the Faith, explains healing as part of Christ’s ministry, in the history of the Church and gives instructions on how to pray for healing:

The Fathers of the Church considered it normal that believers would ask God not only for the health of their soul, but also for that of their body. With regard to the goods of life, health, and physical integrity, St. Augustine writes: «We need to pray that these are retained, when we have them, and that they are increased, when we do not have them.»(19) St. Augustine has also left us the testimony of a friend’s healing, obtained through the prayers of a Bishop, a priest, and some deacons in his house.(20)

Sometimes, God snags a skeptic with a surprise physical healing. This blows up the poor fellow’s world view and suddenly he realizes that there actually is a God who loves him. I was healed unexpectedly and even though I professed to believe in the healing power of God when it happened to me, my whole life was turned upside down.

God Straightened My Spine

It is hard to believe, I know, but God healed my spine at a conference for Sunday School teachers. The crowd consisted of down-to-earth housewives, mothers, and some benevolent grandmotherly types. My friend and I were the only Catholics in the group which added to a feeling of alienation. I came grudgingly and I really did not expect to learn anything more than a few interesting tips on how to hold a child’s interest. Actually, I was pretty fed up with learning techniques. I needed to receive more from God in my spirit because I was depleted. I did not need more facts. What I craved could not be taught and it did not look like it could ever happen in such a setting.

Then a nurse, with a freshly scrubbed face in running shoes and jeans, announced she had a gift of praying for people with crooked spines or scoliosis. My friend elbowed me and I shyly raised my hand only a little higher than my head. The nurse spotted me right away,”Come right up here to the front and I will pray with you for a physical healing.” I sighed and stood up front, trying to open my heart to God but feeling self-conscious and doubtful. As she prayed for me, I felt nothing- no heat or tingling, stretching or shifting of bones. When the nurse had me touch my toes again, I felt like I would fail this test. Excitedly, she announced to the crowd, “Her spine is straight”. She smiled at the audience. Then she sat me down on a chair, “Look, your legs are now the same length. How do you feel?”

I was in shock as I stared at my one leg which had been 1-2″ shorter a moment ago. I reached back to feel my back, I felt taller and I knew I stood straight but my mind started to race, as I wondered how this could be true. I did not feel anything. Surely if muscles and bones, never mind nerves moved and shifted, stretched and realigned, surely I would have felt something, wouldn’t I have? I ran to the washroom and looked in a huge mirror. Sure enough, I stood straight and tall but my mind could not process this. I did not allow myself to feel elated right away. Weeks later, when my chiropractor looked at my back and was struck dumb and my agnostic mother wept with shocked joy, then I allowed myself to relax and simply accept the bizarre with gratitude. I had to admit I was healed.

Signs and Wonders

Signs and wonders strengthened the disciples in the gospels. Jesus promised future followers would perform even greater miracles than He did when they lived in Christ and Christ lived in them. It is true, God supplies all our needs, even if it does not seem like it is miraculous. As Saint Paul explains in Philippians 4:19:

And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

However, supernatural miracles happen when we are desperate, without recourse to any other solution to solve our problem. Then the Father supplies our needs. As parents of a large family, we depend on Him to supply a lot of the basic necessities. Not our wants but our needs. Even our skeptical children concede God seems to provide in mysterious ways. Even though we are accustomed to trusting God to meet our basic needs, we were rattled by an unexpected miracle one winter.

The Oil Tank Never Ran Out

In mid-January, when our furnace was serviced for its annual cleaning, the repairman red-tagged our oil tank. This was just before the tank needed another delivery of oil. Red-tagged means it is an environmental risk and it is illegal for any oil company to fill it. The last oil delivery was December 11 th. Since Michael’s uncle had a one-year-old tank worth $2,000.00 to give us if we could hold out to the spring, we decided to try to heat our old house with wood.

It is cold here in Canada in the winter, very cold. Although we did keep the thermostat at 18 C (66 F) instead of 20 C (70 F) to conserve fuel and burned wood at the farend of the house, it takes a lot of fuel to keep this house habitable. Since we usually topped the tank up every three weeks when it was really cold outside, we worried about how long the oil would last. Of course, we were on edge and kept dashing to the cellar to look at the fuel gauge. The needle moved incredibly slowly if at all. We decided the repairman must have accidentally broken oil gauge but that old furnace never stopped running. It was quite disconcerting. Finally, near the end of February, we relaxed and enjoyed this unexpected miracle right into April.

Why Would God Multiply Decorative Panelling?

However, our third miracle was even more unnerving because we observed the inexplicable right in front of us. Even my 21-year old daughter, who questions and argues about everything, still grudgingly admits that only a miracle could explain what happened at our house a few years ago.

This puzzling divine intervention was really frivolous. We would have simply made do without a miracle this time. When God supplied us with a multiplication of heating oil, we were desperate; we needed heat when it was -25 C outside in the middle of a Canadian winter but why would God multiply decorative panelling?

My husband, Michael, was installing oak wainscoting halfway up the wall in the bathroom, hall and down the main staircase of our 140-year old home. Unfortunately, even before the first landing, it was obvious that there wasn’t enough of the oak. We resigned ourselves to using a wider, lighter panel for at least one side of the stairwell, an entire wall. However, there was just as much of the oak left after he finished both sides of the stairs as before he had even begun. Just to make sure we realized the full ramifications of this divine intervention, the pile of cut ends was at least 2 m. high. This demonstration of extravagant love shocked us. God was probably laughing at our confusion and questions.

Why would God bother to work a miracle like this? Usually, any intervention from God has filled a real need. All we could come up with is that God indeed is in charge and will meet all our needs effortlessly. It has nothing to do with fasting, prayer or our holiness but has everything to do with His grace, mercy, and sense of humor when we live as His children.