There is no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved. It is God's finger on man's shoulder.
-- Charles Morgan
The Power of Holding Hands
I was sitting on a beach one summer day, watching two children, a boy
and a girl, playing in the sand. They were hard at work building an
elaborate sand castle by the water's edge, with gates and towers and
moats and internal passages.
Just when they had nearly finished their project, a big wave came along
and knocked it down, reducing it to a heap of wet sand. I expected the
children to burst into tears, devastated by what had happened to all
their hard work.
But they surprised me. Instead, they ran up the shore away from the
water, laughing and holding hands, and sat down to build another castle.
I realized that they had taught me an important lesson. All the things
in our lives, all the complicated structures we spent so much time and
energy creating, are built on sand. Only our relationships to other
people endure. Sooner or later, the wave will come along and knock down
what we have worked so hard to build up. When that happens, only the
person who has somebody's hand to hold will be able to laugh.
-- by Rabbi Harold Kushner
In everyone's life, at some time,
our inner fire goes out.
It is then burst into flame
by an encounter with
another human being.
We should all be thankful
for those people
who rekindle the inner spirit.
-- Albert Schweitzer
Coincidence or Miracle?
I was asked the other day if I believed in coincidences. I
said that, "No, I don't believe that there are any coincidences
in this life. I do believe that there are miracles in this life.
I see more proof of them everyday."
Just look at the world around us. Is it a coincidence that the
sun rose so beautifully today that it filled countless hearts
and souls with wonder, love, peace, and joy? It seemed more
like a miracle to me. Is it a coincidence that life developed
so intelligently and perfectly on this world? Is it a
coincidence that birds know to fly south each winter, that the
seasons change and flowers bloom each spring, and that
thousands upon thousands of different plants and animals live,
grow and thrive here?
It seems to me more like a hundred million miracles created by
a glorious, joyous mind and a loving hand.
Look at your own lives. Is it a coincidence that you
accidentally walked into the wrong room and met the person
who changed your life and blessed you with love? Are they
all coincidences or are they all little miracles?
Is it a coincidence that you followed a silent urge to turn
off the road before you had to and later learned you avoided
a deadly accident because of it? Is it a coincidence that you
were on the verge of despair, then heard a song, or read a line,
or got a call that lifted your spirits and strengthened your
soul once again?
Are they all coincidences, or are they all little miracles
created by God and His angels to guide you, protect you and
help you to ever greater love, joy and goodness in your life?
Embrace the miracles in your life and the miracle of life.
Rejoice in these miracles, and use them to choose to share
ever more love and joy with others. It's not a coincidence
that God put you in their lives. You're there to share His
miracle of life!
Celebrate in the knowledge that you are loved, cared for
and watched over by God. Always remember that Life is full
of Miracles not coincidences.
-- © 2003 Joseph J. Mazella
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