Miracles

“The miracle of Christmas is God being revealed in our lives,” explained Rev. Cathie Young last week at the St. James Women’s Christmas Tea. “That’s the story of Christmas; Christmas is about miracles.”

Rev. Cathie spoke about miracles, using Biblical and present day examples, including the one she is currently enjoying. Exactly one year ago, she was given the devastating diagnosis that she had very advanced breast cancer.

“Out of the most devastating diagnosis, God has done a miracle, not just that I am here with you today, which I celebrate as a miracle,” Rev. Cathie explained. “I don’t say that I survived cancer, but that Jesus rescued me from cancer. Not only am I changed on the outside, God has forever changed me on the inside too, and I celebrate miracles.”

Rev. Cathie said that God wants to use regular people today to birth miracles, in the same way that He did in the past. I asked her to define ‘miracle’ and to explain why we are so interested in miracles, especially at this time of year.

“A miracle is something that surpasses all human or natural powers,” she said. “Miracles say that we got God’s attention. We want to know that we matter to those we love, and I believe we want to know that we matter to God. That like Mary and Joseph, the earthly parents of Jesus, no matter how simple and un-extraordinary our lives may seem, God sees us, values us and can use us to do something miraculous. Christmas at its heart and origin is all about miracles; it encourages us to believe in miracles once again. It tells the hopeless heart that miracles can happen and that nothing is impossible with God.”

Rev. Cathie presented the following stories and points about miracles:

*You are never too old to birth a miracle. The Bible explains that Elizabeth became the mother of John the Baptist, even though she was barren during her child-bearing years.  Instead of choosing to be bitter about her barrenness and complaining about what she did not have, she focused on being thankful for what she had. “God chose her to give birth in her advanced age and to raise the greatest prophet who ever lived,” Rev. Cathie said.  “She may have been old, but God used her to birth a miracle. If God could use Elisabeth, who was old, couldn’t He use you?”

*You are never too simple to birth a miracle. Mary, the mother or Jesus, was poor and from a simple family, but she never doubted God’s call on her life. “She was probably only 13 or 14, but she had won God’s favor,” Rev. Cathie said. “She was engaged to Joseph when the angel Gabriel appeared, telling her she would give birth to the Son of God.  She was confused, since she was a virgin, but she believed. Mary may have been simple, but she exhibited great courage and godly character. If God could use simple Mary to birth a miracle, couldn’t He use you?”

*You are never too broken to give birth to a miracle. Mary Magdalene was a single, middle-aged woman who Jesus delivered from seven demons. “Jesus once said, ‘To whom much is forgiven, much is required,’” Rev. Cathie said. “Mary was forgiven much, and she served God with all her heart and was part of His ministry team. After Jesus’ resurrection, He appeared first to her, a broken woman and He commissioned her to be the first evangelist. If God could use a broken, forgiven sinner, couldn’t He use you to birth a miracle?”

*You are never too young to birth a miracle. Rev. Cathie told the story of a remarkable young woman named Katie Davis who wrote the book “Kisses From Katie.” Katie was an eighteen-year old high school homecoming queen and senior class president who dropped everything to care for the poor in Uganda. She ended up moving to Uganda and starting a nonprofit organization that sponsors 600 children. Today, at the age of 23, Katie is the adoptive mother to 14 daughters. “If God could birth a miracle to Katie who is young,” Rev. Cathie said, “Couldn’t He birth a miracle through you?”

Rev. Cathie explained that the people she mentioned were all willing to let God birth a miracle through their lives.

“God chose the old, the young, the simple and the broken to birth miracles,” Rev. Cathie said. “If God could birth a miracle through them, couldn’t He birth a miracle through you?”

 Cindy can be reached at cindy@newportbeachindy.com