Holding Harrison

The dancing light in his eyes and the smile on his face shouted of the revelation in his heart. It was a Kodak moment. Not an unusual moment for our Pastor, but it certainly had to be an "ah ha!" moment. He has done countless baby dedications, and I am sure, has enjoyed everyone of them. There are certain to be countless achieved scrapbook snapshots of Pastor holding Emma, Jackson or Bethany. Everyone of them special. But somehow, the look in his eyes on this particular Sunday morning, and the smile on his face, made my spirit leap as the ears of my heart welcomed the revelation of what God was speaking.

As the child's parents brought him down the aisle my husband made the comment, "He already looks grown up. Like a little man." I nudged him with my arm. "Of course he does, Honey. He has already experienced more of life than many adults."

I had been introduced to Rebekah, baby Harrison's mom, by our Pastor's wife many months before, and had been praying for a miracle. Baby Harrison had been born with omphalocele, a medical condition where some of his internal organs were protruding through the belly button, outside of his body. At his young age, He had experienced multiple surgeries and treatments and was still in a very fragile state. This birth defect triggers many other problems and severe risks.

His mom placed the baby in Pastor's arms. His hair was combed and his tiny suit and shoes added to his look of maturity for his size. Pastor told a little of Baby Harrison's story and how his parents wanted to have him dedicated. Then right in the middle he paused for just a second and seemingly, in a tone of realized revelation, he said, "I am holding a miracle!" From there, I am not aware of exactly what Pastor was speaking and what God was whispering to my heart. I think that he may have said something about it being amazing that we can hold miracles.

But in my heart of hearts I heard, "Yes! You are holding a miracle." And if you are thinking that this is not any big revelation...then, you just aren't hearing what I am hearing! Just think about it for a minute. We know that life itself is miraculous. Yet, we have become so accustomed to walking, working, living, breathing, and interacting with those who do, that we have reduced the miraculous to 'normal', 'everyday', and 'common'.

And what about those miraculous things that He is doing in and through you and those normal, everyday commoners you associate with. Even while writing this, as I thumb through my mental file of life experiences, I can think of healings, provisions, encounters, cancelations, and turns of events that are completely unexplainable without using the term miraculous.

Without even prying into the files of the 'commoners' in my inner circle of treasured friends, but sticking only to the confines of own life, I find things like a changed court date (therefore a different judge...therefore a different decree), unexpected monies and provisions, a butchered cow, healings, a timely interrogation in Beiging, China, and a tooth turned upside down and moved in a micro nanno second during a prayer meeting.

Looking back, I also see that in most of those situations, I had no knowledge that anything miraculous was going on until after the fact. I know that in the case of Mary being pregnant with our Savior there was prior knowledge of the miraculous, however, this is not always the case. For instance, do you think the mom that packed the little boys lunch had any prior knowledge that she was preparing lunch for 5,000? How about the little boy who gave the lunch? What about the fish and chips breakfast the disciples enjoyed on the beach, or the water turned wine? How about the Jews released, or the Bibles smuggled, the failed firing squads in missionary stories, or the car that narrowly missed you on the way to work this morning?

My mind is spinning as fast as the ceiling fan. What about the sunrise? Everyday? What about those dying with, living with disease or cancer? Oh God! "Open my eyes, that I may see, glimpses of truth Thou hast for me; Place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free. Silently now I wait for Thee, Ready my God, Thy will to see, Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine."

I am reminded that "we see through a cloud, dimly..." I pray for glimpses of eternity's perspective. And you are right, Pastor. You are holding a miracle! And so am I! The revelation is that we are all priviledged to be holding a miracle...or two! Perhaps several.

One of them may be just the fact that today you are reading this blog. (I wrote it the night before I was hospitalized over a month ago,  and am just now getting to post it.) Perhaps today your eyes will be open to the most miraculous fact of all: That Jesus Christ gave His life that you might have eternal life, and live the rest of your life in the love of your Savior! (John 3:16, I John 1:9-10)

Thank you, Harrison. Through your life, God has unveiled my eyes, again!