Easy To Believe

Frankly... this moved me. I'm lovin' Jose. I'm lovin' the simple everyday miracles, of faith, and life, and, well, the whole shebang.

From the column of my Max Lucado Devotional Bible...

The little house made me think of pictures I'd seen of the United States during the Depression. Unlit kerosene lanterns (no electricity). Basins of water to wash up in (no running water). A wall lined with well-worn hoes, shovels, and picks (no modern equipment)... I felt a long way from Rio.

Senor Jose took me on a tour through his segment of the world. For thirty seven years he had plowed and tilled his two acres. It was obvious that he knew every hole and turn. "I fed fourteen mouths off this land," he smiled, fingering a lettuce plant. "Where did you say you were from?"

"The U.S."

"What do you do there?"

I explained a bit about my work...

"A missionary, huh? Your job must be pretty easy."

"How's that?" I asked.

"I have no trouble believing in God. After I see what he has done on my little farm year after year, it is easy to believe." He smiled another toothless grin and yelled to his wife to bring out some beans.

As we drove home, I couldn't help thinking about Senor Jose. My, what a simple life. No traffic jams, airline schedules, or long lines. Far removed from Wall Street, IRS and mortgages. Unacquainted with Johannine theology, Martin Luther, or christian evidences.

I thought of his faith, his ability to believe, and his surprise that there were some who couldn't. I compared his faith with others I knew had more difficulty believing; a university student, a wealthy import-export man, an engineer.

His faith was rooted in the simple miracles that he witnessed every day;

A small seed becoming a towering tree.
A thick stalk pushing back the earth.
A rainbow arching in the midst of the thundercloud.

It was easy for him to believe. I can see why. Someone who witnesses God's daily display of majesty doesn't find the secret of Easter absurd. Someone who depends upon the mysteries of nature for his livelihood doesn't find it difficult to depend on an unseen God for his salvation...

God's testimony. When was the last time you witnessed it? A stroll through knee-high grass in a green meadow. An hour listening to seagulls or looking at seashells on the beach. Or witnessing the shafts of sunlight brighten the snow on a crisp winter dawn. Miracles that almost match the magnitude of the empty tomb happen all around us; we only have to pay attention.

From; No Wonder They Call Him the Savior by Max Lucado.

It’s not that unusual, when everything is beautiful. It’s just another ordinary miracle today.
The sky knows when its time to snow, you don’t need to teach a seed to grow. It’s just another ordinary miracle today.
Life is like a gift they say, wrapped up for you everyday; open up and find a way to give some of your own.
Isn’t it remarkable? Like every time a rain drop falls. It’s just another ordinary miracle today.
Birds in winter have their fling but always make it home by spring. It’s just another ordinary miracle today.
When you wake up every day please don’t throw your dreams away; hold them close to your heart cause we’re all a part of the ordinary miracle.
It seems so exceptional that things just work out after all. It’s just another ordinary miracle today.
Sun comes up and shines so bright, and disappears again at night. It’s just another ordinary miracle today.