Annabel Beam, a 12-year-old from Texas, lived in agony with an incurable digestive disorder. It required invasive and painful feeding tubes to eat and pain management drugs just to live. In 2011, she climbed a hollowed-out tree with her sister and ended up falling thirty feet. She landed on her head and remained stuck having fallen inside the hollowed-out part. It was a fall that most certainly should have killed or paralyzed her. When she was flown to the hospital, everyone was stunned to find that she only had a few bruises. But that wasn’t the biggest surprise. Immediately following the fall, her digestive disorder was healed.
Annabel relayed that when she was unconscious in the tree she experienced heaven and was told by God that she would be healed. Clearly, miracles do happen. It was a miracle in the truest sense of the word. God had healed the little girl in a manner that could only be described as supernatural. Whenever we show someone the face of God, acts of loving sacrifice, it brings a form of healing and peace in its own right.
Let’s talk through 3 ways you can allow God to work miracles in your life and in the lives around you.
Step out of your comfort zone.
Most people miss out on great opportunities and the best life has to offer because they stay where things are safe and comfortable. That’s like living life on a merry-go-round, where it is predictable, rather than a roller coaster. There’s no thrill. Befriend people who are different from you. Say that thing you have always wanted to say but didn’t because you were afraid. Seek forgiveness from that person you wronged so many years ago. Stop living life from the sidelines.
Look for the pain.
Everyone in the world has some sort of pain or burden that they are carrying. Some wear it on their faces while others keep it hidden. When you talk to someone, look for it. When you are able to identify it, you can speak words of truth and comfort. Sometimes an empathetic word or even a smile can make a huge impact. So be on the lookout next time you’re in line for food, picking up coffee, walking through the park, out at the movies, walking into church, or you start talking to your neighbor while getting the mail. Listen and look intently because even a five-minute interaction can be life-changing.
Be selfless and generous.
When you start paying attention to people’s pain, you’ll start to see needs everywhere. It’s like when you buy a certain model of car. You never noticed that car on the roads before, but now that you have invested in one, you see it everywhere. Sacrifice and give towards meeting those needs. We all have something we hold close to us—whether it’s our time, our money, or our abilities. We can either use them all for our own benefit or we can give them away. God gave them to you and He can work miracles through them. It just depends on how much you let Him. Being selfless with what we have is a great model for our kids. Take some time right now to think through what you have to offer and how you can best serve others with your means.
What has been one act of kindness someone has done for you that had a big impact on you? Please share your thoughts in a comment below.