There are only two ways to live your life.

One is though nothing is a miracle.

The other is as though everything is a miracle.

(Albert Einstein)

One of the most powerful ways to move from living a busy and bored life, a life of chaotic chores and a never-ending list of pragmatic things to accomplish, a life of incessant restlessness, is to see the hand of the Divine in all things.

To live, as Einstein said, "as though everything is a miracle."

I hesitate to write this. Why?

Because in a world where entire apartment buildings crumble at the shaking of the earth, killing thousands;

where war crushes mamas and babies and leaves whole nations in shambles;

where women are raped;

and people die of curable disease;

for me to announce that "God found me a parking place!"

is self-absorbed, unthinking and downright cruel.

It feels dangerous to encourage those of us who live in the world's richest nation to see our everyday lives as places where God moves in miraculous ways at all times.

Nevertheless, she persisted. (ht - Elizabeth Warren)

What if we open our eyes to see the pain, suffering and cruelty all around us,

resolve to see and acknowledge the darkness within us,

pledge to help all we can,

and - at the same time - commit to live as if every day and every circumstance is a theater in which the hand of the Divine plays a starring role?

What if - instead of snoozing through the nightly news - we go outside and experience the settling calm of the sunset? A miracle!

What if - instead of complaining about the generations behind us - we sign up to be a mentor to a child who needs a friend? A miracle!

What if - instead of snarfing our food down mindlessly - we look at the abundance on our plate and whisper a heartfelt prayer of gratitude for every miracle that made that meal possible? A bunch of miracles!

What if - instead of being fearful of our LGBTQ+ friends and neighbors - we go out of our way to find commonalities and connection? What if we choose to give up judgment based on stereotype? A miracle!

What if - instead of turning off the TV when images of tragedy appear - we stop to pray, to learn, to pledge our resources and attention to our suffering brothers and sisters? A miracle!

Slow down today. I know you got a lot on your list, your mind swirling anxiously to try to fit it all in, people demanding things of you, your inner critic barking at you about all your perceived failures, dinner that must be served.

Nevertheless, persist.

Live as if each moment is a miracle because it is.

And see if that busy and bored feeling starts to exit stage left.

Photo by Igor Kasalovic on Unsplash