Giving Thanks for Miracles

Happy Thanksgiving to you from our house! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because we can celebrate with family and friends, be together for a meal, and give thanks for all our blessings. Today has been a good day celebrating with family and friends, far and near, in person and online. I am thankful for many things, all things great and small. I am thankful for the gift of life and for the gift of sound through the miracle of cochlear implants.

Making the decision to undergo surgery for a cochlear implant is not always an easy one and requires a huge step of faith, usually in unknown territory. My friend, Jennifer received her second implant earlier this month and was activated two days ago and is hearing so well. I'm just thrilled to pieces. She sent me a video of her activation and I've watched it over and over several times. Instead of crying (like most of us do) when she was activated, she was laughing! Ethan, Erin, and Kauan were recently activated with their bilateral implants, too. I also have friends who will be recieving their second implant next month and in January. I'm sure there are many others who have or are receiving this life-changing miracle through technology. I have friends (and even a brother) who are thinking about getting a cochlear implant or going bilateral. And they will hear through the courage, gift, and talents of others before us who paved the way for technology to make a miracle through sound.

Miracles. . . every day they are there in front of us. . . big ones and small ones. . . if we only look for them. It is a miracle that we can get up and breathe and celebrate another day of life. It is a miracle that we can see, smell, touch, taste, and hear. . . The following excerpt is from Shane Claiborne's book, The Irresistible Revolution: Living As An Ordinary Radical:

"Back at college I asked one of my Bible teachers if he still believed in miracles, like when Jesus fed thousands of people with a couple fishes and a handful of loaves. And I wondered if God was still into that stuff. I wanted miracles to be normal again. He told me that we have insulated ourselves from miracles. We no longer live with such reckless faith that we need them. There is rarely room for the transcedent in our lives. If we get sick, we go to the doctor. If we need food, we go to the store and buy it. We have eliminated the need for miracles. If we had enough faith to depend on God like the lilies and sparrows do, we would see miracles. For is it not a miracle that the birds find enough worms each day?. . . "

Is God still into "that stuff" called miracles? Yes, I believe He is. This Thanksgiving I am hearing well with two "ears" for the first time ever. . .and dancing with sound. I believe in miracles because I see and experience them every day, in big ways and small ways. And you will too. Just stop, look, and listen for one. And thank the One who allows you to encounter and savor it.

P.S. Some recent "miracles" that have made me smile while cooking our Thanksgiving dinner are:

• a lone chickadee singing at the bird feeder outside the kitchen window
• rain. . .gently falling rain
• two 7 month old German Shepherd puppies chasing each other around the island while I'm trying to cook! (we have four dogs in the house with everyone home)
• the fire in the fireplace crackling, whistling, and popping
• laughter of three teenaged girls while making pies
• butter sizzling in the pan
• water boiling over the pot of potatoes on the stove
• the "pssstt" of soda when I open the bottle
• the "boys" watching (and yelling) the Green Bay Packers play on TV - Go Packers!
• talking to Jason on the phone - I asked him what he made for Thanksgiving and he said "mashed potatoes" and "collard pie". . . .I had to hand the phone to Steve because I didn't know what "collard pie" was. . .he was trying to tell me that he made "CARMEL PIE!" I was close, wasn't I? :-D
• watching and listening to the music on the video "Fiddler On The Roof" with Steve
• and hearing my family say, "I love you!"

For all these things, I give thanks! Happy Thanksgiving!