Who doesn't love a newborn? No judgments, no mistakes; they are perfect just as they are. Each one is a miracle.
And each one will have the chance to create miracles in his own life. Miracle workers are everywhere, and I see them every day. They are disguised as ordinary people; teachers, cashiers, nurses, artists, sales clerks, policemen, mothers and fathers...
If we love what we do and see it as a ministry to help and encourage people, no matter what our profession or place in life, we will cause miracles to happen all around us.
An example: my friend Cori Beth.
Cori Beth is a first grade teacher. She wipes noses, wipes bottoms, breaks up fights, cleans up throw-up, cleans up poop while teaching social graces, responsibility, right from wrong, truth from lies....oh, and also the alphabet, colors, math, science, as well as teaching children how to read.
I have seen her throwing up in a trashcan in the hall while at the same time maintaining order in the classroom, waiting for her sub to arrive so she could go home.
If you are looking for a hero, look no further than a first grade teacher who really cares. Cori Beth is one of those teachers.
Cori Beth is pregnant with her first child, due on Leap Day. She has been looking forward to becoming a mom for a long time and is very excited to meet her baby son. She has carried this baby with unusual grace while teaching 20 needy, hungry souls, minds and bodies each day. When I see her with her class at school, I almost forget that she is pregnant, in spite of the obvious, because she is so focused on her students. She is a teacher. And she is creating miracles on a daily basis.
An encourager to her peers, she (honestly) always has a smile on her face (even at 7:30 in the morning) and a kind word to say. Well, almost always...I did mention she is a first-grade teacher, right? She does not waste precious time on pettiness that we sometimes find ourselves engaging in at the workplace. Her words are kind, uplifting, caring and funny. She enjoys her work, her co-workers and
Cori Beth does not complain of normal pregnancy issues despite being on her feet all day long, and when I press her for how she is feeling, she will sometimes come up with a brief sentence containing the phrase, 'a little tired.' Cori Beth has chosen a job in which she puts others first in order to minister to those who need a miracle on a daily basis. And because of that, she makes miracles happen all around her.
My friend is an inspiration to me. I have enjoyed her company for almost four years, and I admire her very much. I wanted to take some pregnancy photos of her as a gift of appreciation for our friendship and celebration of her motherhood. We took these photos after school one day last week and as I loaded them onto my computer later, I was struck by her beauty. She had no children pulling on her, interrupting her words, requiring her discipline; no ponytail, no glasses, no books or papers. She was just my friend, relaxing after a long day, talking about her baby while I photographed her.
Her beauty shines, not only because she is beautiful, but because she has the inner beauty of one who chose to be a miracle worker. It is so easy to be overwhelmed by our problems, the problems of the world and those of our families. We wish for a miracle, not realizing that the miracle can be found in us, and by what we choose to do. When ordinary people decide to make a difference in their own home, workplace, and community, things change and miracles do happen. We have all seen it in our own lives.
We can't change everything and we can't be perfect. But we can make a decision to be our best self and go make something that seemed impossible possible. And if we just do that, it will make all the difference in the world.
