Miracles Can Be Slow
Written by Reed Manning
Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus,
suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,
“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
He asked, “Who are you, Lord?”
The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
Acts 9:3-5
Acts 9 describes Saul’s first meeting with Jesus, which takes place while he is walking down the road. In this one moment, Saul becomes Paul and his life changes. As both a church attendee and a leader of students, I’ve noticed Christians often seem to be looking for their big moment with Jesus. I have heard dozens of students say they believe in Jesus, but have not had their moment that really made them feel it. We want God to reveal himself to us with a flash of light like he did with Paul. But what if miracles can be subtle and slow?
There was a point in college where I ran into a mental wall. I began to deal with anxiety and depression and just felt stuck. I felt like I was constantly trying to climb out of a pit in my mind. I still had my faith in Jesus, but it was impossible to feel connected. I told God that I did not think getting better was a possibility and that only he had the power to fix this issue. I would do all I could to improve, but I knew legitimate change could only come from God.
When COVID-19 hit and we were sent home from school, I had no idea what to feel. I moved home, my classes and therapy sessions went online. The world appeared to grow more uncertain every day. But I didn’t know I was in the middle of a miracle.
With a slower pace of life, I found myself spending time with God in new ways. Some of these included writing in my journal, eating breakfast outside, and talking with my therapist. The thing I’ll remember most is taking my dog on walks. I would go by myself, with my now-fiancé, and with my family. When I went alone, I would use the time to think and reflect. When I walked with others, I was able to shift my focus away from myself and onto the person I was with. I often went with my mom and we discussed everything on our minds. I certainly spent some of that time processing my own feelings, but the insignificant time talking about our lives proved to be just as valuable.
For much of this time, I still felt the same frustrations. My exhaustion did not vanish in a big moment like I wanted. But I noticed things changing as I consistently met with God. Over time, I noticed I was having less bad days. I had a moment more than a year after COVID hit when I realized I was okay. I still had work to do, but I was legitimately okay.
I remembered when I told God that healing could only come from him and realized that I had been part of a miracle. The encounters I had with God were slow and subtle, but they had been as significant to me as God appearing in a flash of light. When I go for walks now, I am reminded of how the Lord met me when I needed him the most.
There was a point in college where I ran into a mental wall. I began to deal with anxiety and depression and just felt stuck. I felt like I was constantly trying to climb out of a pit in my mind. I still had my faith in Jesus, but it was impossible to feel connected. I told God that I did not think getting better was a possibility and that only he had the power to fix this issue. I would do all I could to improve, but I knew legitimate change could only come from God.
When COVID-19 hit and we were sent home from school, I had no idea what to feel. I moved home, my classes and therapy sessions went online. The world appeared to grow more uncertain every day. But I didn’t know I was in the middle of a miracle.
With a slower pace of life, I found myself spending time with God in new ways. Some of these included writing in my journal, eating breakfast outside, and talking with my therapist. The thing I’ll remember most is taking my dog on walks. I would go by myself, with my now-fiancé, and with my family. When I went alone, I would use the time to think and reflect. When I walked with others, I was able to shift my focus away from myself and onto the person I was with. I often went with my mom and we discussed everything on our minds. I certainly spent some of that time processing my own feelings, but the insignificant time talking about our lives proved to be just as valuable.
For much of this time, I still felt the same frustrations. My exhaustion did not vanish in a big moment like I wanted. But I noticed things changing as I consistently met with God. Over time, I noticed I was having less bad days. I had a moment more than a year after COVID hit when I realized I was okay. I still had work to do, but I was legitimately okay.
I remembered when I told God that healing could only come from him and realized that I had been part of a miracle. The encounters I had with God were slow and subtle, but they had been as significant to me as God appearing in a flash of light. When I go for walks now, I am reminded of how the Lord met me when I needed him the most.
Reflective Question for the Day
What’s a miracle in your life that you may have overlooked?
Is there a time you encountered God and may not have realized it?
Reed Manning volunteers at Coastline in high school ministries and on the worship team. His favorite holiday treat is his dad’s homemade fudge and he always likes it when people give him LEGOs for Christmas. His favorite clothing item is a pair of shorts from Lululemon. His favorite Christmas songs are “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy'' and “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”