Mini Miracles
For those of you who doubt that mini-miracles take place today, please consider the feedback below regarding a request I made a few weeks ago. A subscriber to this list, Robin Franzen, just “happened” to be in the Cedarburg, Wisconsin area (a nine-hour drive from her home) for a job interview, and just “happened” to pop in on an old friend, Dorothy Raebner, who was receiving cancer therapy. Robin noticed that Dorothy had lost the zest she’d always had. She could hardly move around, and seemed depressed. “I wonder if this is the last time I’ll ever see her,” Robin thought. But what could she do to help?
When Robin returned home, she acted on an impulse, wrote me (a person she’s never met) and asked that I request some “cheer-up” cards for Dorothy.
I just “happened” to have enough extra space in my newsletter that week, and published the plea for you (people that I’ve never met) to read. What do you think “happened” next? Let Robin tell you:
“I called my friend Dorothy yesterday to see how she was doing and it was as though I was talking to the Dorothy I knew 15 years before! She has had such a wonderful outpouring of prayers, cards, love, and responses, from strangers from all over the world, which has completely overwhelmed her. She cannot believe that people would show a stranger such generosity, give of themselves, write prayers of comfort, and send small gifts to someone they don’t even know. She was overwhelmed with awe and renewed thanks and praise for our great God.
“She’s received beautiful cards from Spain, Germany, England, India, the Philippines (to name only a few), people have sent her letters sharing their own personal experiences with fighting the same cancer, and telling her not to give up hope. A lady in Texas sent her some books on healing, and the list goes on. All in all, Dorothy received almost 600 cards! And the prayers from people…the miracles don’t stop here! She saw her doctor two weeks ago and her cancer tumor has started to shrink and she’s been able to do more things around her house again and she has more energy! Yes, it could be the chemotherapy, but I give most of the credit to the greater power of God. I really appreciate you putting my request out there. Never could I imagine such an awesome response!”
Now here’s an interesting question that Robin raises about happenstance and timing. “Why did you write my request to your readers?” she asks me.
“You didn’t have to. But you did! Tons of others in the world right now are fighting life-threatening illnesses. Why this case? Why Dorothy? Why now?
Why did some of your readers feel compelled to answer and reach out? They could have put the request away. They could have ignored it. Forgotten it.
What made a few little words so special? Special enough to receive the attention of so many people?”
I’m not sure, but I think this is a wonderful example of God multiplying our offerings, just as with the loaves and fishes, reassuring us that we are not expected to move life’s mountains, but just to add something small to the pile. Life is a series of choices, and as we have discovered so often, many smalls make a Great. Thank you, generous readers.
(C) 2003 Joan Wester Anderson, www.joanwanderson.com
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In Feb.7,2009 I had a stroke, sezuir and bleeding of the brain and it was a Miracle I survived after being in two hospitals with no paralaze and talking and walking again.
I believe in miracles and now one has happened to me. Thank the LOrd. May the LOrd be with you all. God Bless everyone. BARBARA gOVE