Live in the Miracle of Each Moment

Life, even an unexpected, harder-than-desired life, is infused with beauty, filled with miracle after miracle.

Life, even an unexpected, harder-than-desired life, is infused with beauty, filled with miracle after miracle. Share on X

If there’s one thing I learned from my daughter, it’s that little things count big. With moderate-to-severe developmental delays, each small accomplishment she makes becomes incredibly important.

With Rachel’s first unassisted step not coming until age 4 and her first word not spoken until a few months later, all the in-between progress took on magnified importance.  

• Rolling over
• Sitting up unsupported
• Developing the muscle tone to actually crawl
• Moving in a baby walker
• Pushing a toy shopping cart
• Walking with only the aid of a cane
• Taking that final glorious step!

Learning to walk!

You can bet we cheered big for each of those small, generally expected accomplishments.

Even as she nears adulthood, the celebrations continue as she more frequently manages to get undressed by herself, buckle her own seat belt, pour milk into her bowl without spilling, express a need using her augmentative communication device. 

With my other children I cheered on the big milestones. With Rachel, every milestone is big.

The normally insignificant takes on increased importance. The ordinary becomes miraculous.

The same can be said for each of us.

Embrace the Miracle of Each Moment

What if we lived like that all the time? What if we embrace the miracle of each moment? What if we chose to see the bigness of the seemingly insignificant? 

The longer I parent my daughter, the more aware I am of the miracles I’m missing. 

Rachel notices the little bits of sweetness, those tiny gifts most of us gloss right over.

• The rain drop that lands on the tip of her nose
• The ray of sun peaking through an overcast sky
• The bird fluffing its plume
• The bug crawling on the sidewalk
• The ragged man sitting alone in the booth
• The mere presence of a loved one

More than that, she demonstrates little actions that speak big. 

• A hug that lifts a spirit
• A smile that warms a heart
• A giggle that cuts the tension
• A “hi” that greets everyone, friend or soon-to-be friend (there are no others)
• A welcome that is truly unconditional

Real Beauty

When Rachel was little I’d pray for the big miracle of healing. Thinking the real beauty would shine when she’d be walking and talking and carrying on like a typical child her age.

Then in desperation I drew nearer to God, or was it I finally realized how near He was to me?  

In desperation I drew nearer to God, or was it I finally realized how near He was to me? Share on X

And I discovered I didn’t have to wait for the beauty. It presented itself in every breath my sweet girl took.

I discovered that the miracles weren’t delayed. They were woven in each day’s happenings. 

Life itself is infused with beauty; saturated with miracles. 

Miracles are woven in each day's happenings. We often look for the big & magnificent, but the little & seemingly insignificant often hold the most transformation & meaning. Share on X

We often look for the big and magnificent, but the little and seemingly insignificant often hold the most transformation and meaning. 

No one jumps from a helpless infant to a walking toddler. Tiny miracles occur in the minutes, hours and days leading up to that milestone. Too often we miss the tiny in-between gifts because we focus solely on the final outcome. 

If I’ve learned anything from raising this precious gift of my daughter, it’s that our God is big enough to infuse the tiniest moments with great beauty. 

And He does every day!

Our God is big enough to infuse the tiniest moments with great beauty. And He does every day! Share on X

Your Turn

Reflections: Are you too busy looking for the big miracles that you’re missing the little ones saturating your day? Are you missing the beauty infused in all the tiny moments? 

I am always thrilled to link up with Suzie Eller for #livefreeThursday and this week’s prompt, “How BIG is our God?” Click on the image to check out the wonderful encouragement.