It's not that unusual
When everything is beautiful
It's just another ordinary miracle today
The sky knows when it's time to snow
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 every day
Open up and find a way
To give some of your own love
Isn't it remarkable?
Like every time a raindrop falls
It's just another ordinary miracle today
Birds in winter have their fling
They always make it home in spring
It's just another ordinary miracle today
When you wake up everyday
Please don't throw your dreams away
Hold them close to your heart
Cause we are all a part of the ordinary
miracle
Ordinary miracle
Do you want to see a miracle?
It seems so exceptional
The things just work out after all
It's just another ordinary miracle today
The sun comes up and shines so bright
And disappears again at night
It's just another ordinary miracle today
It's just another ordinary miracle today
I discovered this song “Ordinary Miracle” by Sarah McLachlan when my sister
Amanda included it on a music mix she made for one of our recent sisters
reunions. It is one of those songs that just speaks to my soul, like
discovering a new friend that I’ve actually known forever. Music can be so
magical like that. As I’ve played and replayed this song over the last couple
of years, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what it is that speaks
to me, and I think I’ve partially discovered the answer:
In 2002 I attended BYU’s Education Week for the first time. While I enjoyed it
quite a lot, I found myself becoming a little irritated with how it seemed like
every speaker’s life was so perfect. They were constantly receiving revelation,
having these amazing experiences to draw from, and just really living outside
of an ordinary life. As the week drew to a close, I remember one night I was listening
to a particular speaker that I liked (even though I had launched some of my
criticism his way earlier in the week) and had this significant 'Eureka!' moment.
His life was extraordinarily ordinary. In fact, it was actually extraordinarily
difficult. He shared some very personal trials and other experiences I would
never wish on my worst enemy. I also realized that the reason he (and many of
the other speakers) seemed to have so many "dramatic" spiritual experiences and miracles in his life was because… wait for it … he
was actually looking for those things among the small details of otherwise ordinary
events of life and found in each of those events profound teaching moments
that would ultimately deeply affect his life. This might be summed up in the
words Alma to his son Helaman in the Book of Mormon (Alma 37:6-7):
Behold I say unto you,
that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small
means in many instances doth confound the wise. And the Lord God doth work by
means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the
Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.
I realized that I was no different than any of those speakers; that if I were willing to open my eyes and heart to the seemingly mundane things around me, I, too, could have amazing experiences and see miracles in my life every day. Since that night at Education Week I have tried to have a specific intention each day to
look for and be grateful for the small and simple things – the ordinary
miracles – that not only bring me happiness, joy, faith, hope, and love but
give me the courage and strength to share those things with everyone around me. So yes, I love this song because it describes
some of my favorite ordinary miracles that have given greater meaning to my
life, and it encourages us all to continue discovering those miracles each day. As Sarah so beautifully expressed –
Life is like a gift they say
Wrapped up for you every day
Open up and find a way
To give some of your own love
When you wake up everyday
Please don't throw your dreams away
Hold them close to your heart
Cause we are all a part of the ordinary
miracle
Thank you for spreading light.
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