Miracles are experienced in a variety of ways. Sometimes we experience a moment in our lives with a completely unexpected response, what I call "A Wow Moment." A Wow Moment can occur at almost any time: looking at a sunset, counting stars, walking along the beach, glancing at our spouse or children, suddenly hearing the beat of our own heart. Suddenly our world feels different for a moment. We feel something transcendent, we feel grounded in a world beyond ourselves. We are struck with a moment of awe, of wonder. Watching our children become young adults or parents is that kind of miracle.
Sometimes we experience miracles when we're doing something Jewish. We can be casually involved in a service when suddenly the prayer experience becomes intense and personal and important. We can hear the still small voice, and we experience a miracle moment.
Sometimes we experience miracles when we encounter the unexpected in our lives. Two years ago on a late Friday afternoon in January, Shira was hit by a car. She rolled onto the hood and bounced off, landing on her back/head. She was rushed to the hospital. When I got there, the doctors were beginning to do all the tests necessary to determine the extent of her injuries. Robyn and ZZ joined me shortly thereafter. We watched as Shira was sent down for a CAT scan of her stomach and head. I had to go lead services. I returned to the hospital expecting to spend a long sleepless night with my family. To my shock, Shira had just been discharged. Except for a scrape on her back, there were no injuries whatsoever. That's a miracle. There was no way in the world that Shira wouldn't have been badly injured in that accident, but she wasn't.
I have told this story a number of times to people, and each person has his/her own story about a similar miracle. Someone fell from a tree and landed on his back. No injury. Someone survived a plane crash. No injury. Some have been diagnosed with terminal cancer only to learn that further tests showed that it had disappeared. Others have been hit by cars with no bruises. Miracles happen. And they change us.
As Jews, we celebrate miracles. We celebrate them in the lives of our families. We celebrate them as a people. Some miracles are big: the Ten Plagues and the Exodus from Egypt; our being saved from Haman at Purim. Some miracles are small: celebrating the miracles that affect our personal family.
But when we take our Judaism seriously, we see that every moment is really a miracle. The fact that we live and breathe and eat and love is a miracle. Every moment of every day. If we take in and acknowledge these miracles, we can feel much closer to the One Who Creates and Sustains. Count your miracles. Acknowledge them. They make our lives extraordinary.
