When Miracles Happen Out Of The Blue
Marguerite Theophil
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A poster i recently read got me thinking. It said: “The grass is always greener where you water it.“ I thought of what some people speak of as miracles, and some call luck; both groups refer to something desired but kind-of-unexpected. In both instances, one feels a bit surprised. What is often ignored is the `background' to the actual lucky event or miracle.Of course miracles sometimes do hit us seemingly out of the blue that's why we call them miracles. If we believe or have some faith, then we tend to notice these small or big miracles. If we don't, or even are pessimistic, it is all too easy to overlook them when they do happen.But there is an element of what in modern books we read as: “Believe it and you will see it“, or “Just act as if“.
A Taoist master was approached by members of a village, during a time of great drought. They confessed trying many other approaches before reaching out to him, but with no success, so they now asked if he could help bring rain to their dry fields.
The master agreed, and asked for a small hut with a garden that he could tend. For three days, he tended the garden. Much to the surprise of the villagers, he performed no special rituals, chanted no particular prayers, or needed anything more from them. All he did was to plant seeds and carefully work on his garden.
On the fourth day , rain began to fall on the parched earth.
When asked how he had achieved such a miracle, the master simply smiled. It was left to the villagers to later recall and recount how, even in that dry spell, he had lovingly cared for the garden as if he expected the rainwater to come and complete his task.
Many people consider themselves to be either lucky or unlucky . But, these words, attributed to Roman philosopher Seneca are worth a second thought: “Luck is what happens when prepared ness meets opportunity .“
Good luck like good faith works much in the same way as bad luck or lack of faith.
During a terrible flood a pious man trapped on a rooftop prayed fervently and expressed strong conviction that God himself would rescue him. He refused offers of help, telling a neighbour, then a boatman and finally a helicopter rescue team that a bigger power God himself had promised to save him. In the end the waters rose above him and he drowned. Meeting God in the afterlife he expressed his deep disappointment that despite his unshakable faith, God seemed to have let him down, and God tenderly reminded him that He had sent not one but three of his representatives to rescue the poor, foolish man.
So-called lucky people generate their own good fortune or miracles mainly by being attentive to subtler signs and opportunities. They listen to their intuition as well as logically analyse things when making decisions. They create self-fulfilling prophesies through fostering positive expectations. They don't allow disappointment or slowness in getting results to make them give up and they generously become conduits of miracles that benefit others.
Choosing to live with wise faith in things not seen, not proven, and not guaranteed we replace the limited and predictable and tap into the unlimited power of the possible.
A Taoist master was approached by members of a village, during a time of great drought. They confessed trying many other approaches before reaching out to him, but with no success, so they now asked if he could help bring rain to their dry fields.
The master agreed, and asked for a small hut with a garden that he could tend. For three days, he tended the garden. Much to the surprise of the villagers, he performed no special rituals, chanted no particular prayers, or needed anything more from them. All he did was to plant seeds and carefully work on his garden.
On the fourth day , rain began to fall on the parched earth.
When asked how he had achieved such a miracle, the master simply smiled. It was left to the villagers to later recall and recount how, even in that dry spell, he had lovingly cared for the garden as if he expected the rainwater to come and complete his task.
Many people consider themselves to be either lucky or unlucky . But, these words, attributed to Roman philosopher Seneca are worth a second thought: “Luck is what happens when prepared ness meets opportunity .“
Good luck like good faith works much in the same way as bad luck or lack of faith.
During a terrible flood a pious man trapped on a rooftop prayed fervently and expressed strong conviction that God himself would rescue him. He refused offers of help, telling a neighbour, then a boatman and finally a helicopter rescue team that a bigger power God himself had promised to save him. In the end the waters rose above him and he drowned. Meeting God in the afterlife he expressed his deep disappointment that despite his unshakable faith, God seemed to have let him down, and God tenderly reminded him that He had sent not one but three of his representatives to rescue the poor, foolish man.
So-called lucky people generate their own good fortune or miracles mainly by being attentive to subtler signs and opportunities. They listen to their intuition as well as logically analyse things when making decisions. They create self-fulfilling prophesies through fostering positive expectations. They don't allow disappointment or slowness in getting results to make them give up and they generously become conduits of miracles that benefit others.
Choosing to live with wise faith in things not seen, not proven, and not guaranteed we replace the limited and predictable and tap into the unlimited power of the possible.
