What a Messy Miracle Looks Like

Have you ever prayed for God to give you a miracle?  You or someone you love face an impossible situation so you pray and you pray.

Yet, it seems like your prayers are powerless.  Or an answer comes but it’s not the one you were asking for.  And you wonder, “Is this really all there is?”

Last post we looked at a story of Peter asking Jesus for a miracle.  We looked at steps to see a miracle.  Peter did pretty well overall even though he failed miserably in the middle.

But let’s look at what a real miracle actually looks like by viewing a few snapshots of this story.  Surprisingly, they’re often pretty messy.

First, Peter who was quaking with fear suddenly became bold.  Frankly, I’ve experienced this on more than one occasion.  Inner confidence takes over where fear had reigned.

Second, Peter walks on the water.  A real miracle occurred.  But notice the storm hasn’t ended yet. So often when the miracle occurs the storm still rages challenging our new found faith.

Third, Peter suddenly realizes the storm is still blowing and focuses on that.  Then he starts to sink.  In the midst of the miracle we can have set backs.  We can have times we think, “This just isn’t working” and we want to give up.

Fourth, Peter cries out for Jesus to save him.  Jesus lifts him back onto the water.  It doesn’t say he carried him to the boat.  I think when Jesus touched Peter’s hand another miracle occurred.  Often this happens in our own setbacks.

Fifth, Jesus keeps encouraging Peter like he does us when we look for it.

In my experience miracles are rarely straight forward.  They’re almost always convoluted and sometimes confusing.

Yet they are real today and we can see them.

(Matthew 14: 29-31)