Do you believe in Miracles?
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. – Albert Einstein
Feature Window at Vagabond Café in Byron Bay, Australia.
Photo by Louise Crosby
Whether you believe in miracles or not, how would you define a miracle?
The Oxford Reference describes a miracle as “A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency. Recorded from Middle English, the word comes via Old French from Latin miraculum ‘object of wonder’, from mirari ‘to wonder’, from mirus ‘wonderful’.”
The word miracle has also been defined as “a remarkable event or development that brings very welcome consequences.”
Recently, whilst enjoying a chai at my favorite local café, Vagabond in Byron Bay, I observed myself staring and smiling at the writing on the wall above the window– “Expect Miracles.” Looking at those inspiring words I found myself contemplating the notion of miracles.
As a Buddhist, I have a faith and a belief that miracles can occur, however as I sat and contemplated the idea of miracles, I came to realize, that for me, the idea of a miracle can be something other than divine intervention – it could be a delightful synchronicity or a fortunate occurrence of serendipity.
“The concept of synchronicity began with Carl Jung in the first part of the twentieth century. He theorized that certain unique or synchronistic events had meaningful connections based in perception and apprehension.34 Jung wrote, “I found where ‘coincidences’ which were connected so meaningfully that their ‘chance’ concurrence would represent a degree of improbability that would have to be expressed by an astronomical figure.”35 While Jung started the research into the idea of synchronicity for the first time, it was not until the 1970s that studies surfaced about the interpersonal synchronicity with the interaction of mothers and their infants.36 Since that time, synchronicity has been analyzed in other types of relationships as well. These studies have revealed that interpersonal synchronicity is an optimal experience. Studies have also shown that synchronicity and social interaction alter the neural system of the brain.”
– Source: Science Direct: Excerpt from Building Mindful Relationships with Faculty. Jo Henry, Howard Slutzky in The Mindful Librarian 2016
When we change our perception of what a miracle is or could be, that it is not necessarily a religious event, we can begin to become more mindful and notice the more subtle nuances of our every day lives- the synchronicity and serendipity in our lives and the very miracle of life itself- You are a miracle.
Synchronicity has often been related to intuition. If you find yourself looking for information and answers and the external world is not delivering, consider going within and connecting with your intuition. Meditation, sitting in silence can speak volumes in helping you with tuning into your intuition.
I think 99 times and find nothing. I stop thinking, swim in the silence and the truth comes to me. – Albert Einstein
Looking back through time, my lived-experience has taught me that during challenging times when a serendipitous or unexpected synchronistic occurrence happened, it brought about a positive, good, or resourceful outcome in response to a need, want or desire – A miracle of sorts- “a remarkable event or development that brings very welcome consequences.”
As I intimately observe nature and the universe that we inhabit, I am in constant awe. Looking at the sun, clouds passing by, the night sky; moon, planets, Milky Way, our oceans with the ebb and flow of the tide, forests, the magical flight of birds and the blossoming of a flower, it can all appear to be quite miraculous.
If we choose a more intimate awareness and relationship with ourselves and others and we observe more closely our relationship with nature, we can change our perception and openness towards inviting more miracles into our lives. The miracle of breath itself, all of the resources our precious planet and world offers us for our survival and ability to thrive can appear as miraculous– we naturally begin to experience more serendipity and synchronicity and to feel more gratitude.
Do I believe in miracles? Yes! Do I think that a miracle can only be defined by or due to Divine intervention? No!
However a miracle is defined by you, whatever it means for you, believing in miracles brings a delightful curiosity to life and enhances the expectation that unexpected good things can happen at any time and especially when needed most.
May you be showered with delightful miracles all the
way through time…
Got your own belief or a story about miracles? Let’s discuss – do share in the comments below.
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