Chasing 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


My favorite part of being a father is watching as my children experience the wonders of life. Each moment is truly a treasure as they discover the world around them. This past Sunday, my younger son turned 5. As you can see from the photo above, he made the most of every minute of that day.


That is the way kids approach life — realizing each day is a new gift, a new miracle.



It is the way each of us at one point in our lives lived. Yet, somewhere along the way in between the college exams, wedding vows and daily grind of work, too many of us quit noticing the miracles all around us and start wondering, praying and demanding for new ones in our lives.


Two Sundays ago, while reminding us of the gifts that God has granted us, my priest recalled a scene from the movie, "Unforgiven." In the scene Clint Eastwood's character, a retired gunslinger who reluctantly took on one last job, was preparing to exact revenge on a corrupt sheriff played by Gene Hackman, who decried, "I don't deserve this...to die like this." To which Eastwood replied, "Deserve's got nothing to do with it."


We receive God's love every day, but we don't deserve it. It's a gift and one that sometimes we forget to cherish. 


My priest found an interesting way of pointing this out, but the words struck home with me. I'm guilty of ignoring these gifts and wondering when I'll get what I believe I deserve in life. The fact of the matter is, though, that God has blessed me with plenty if I'd just take the time to step back and enjoy it.


I shared the photo above of my son with some friends online. One noted his seemingly pure joy and replied with the comment, "Suck the marrow from life, little man."


Amen, little guy. 


Don't ever stop enjoying life and don't worry about chasing miracles because they are all around you. Enjoy the gifts you've been given.