The Everyday Miraculous

Because everything is so airbrushed and sparkly and “perfect” in the world and media today, I think we’ve lost sight of the everyday miracles. It seems like everything except grand, expensive gestures, and picture-perfect moments, and Pinterest-worthy backgrounds are lost and forgotten.

But lately, I’ve been trying to notice and appreciate the everyday miraculous.

Falling asleep in Riley’s arms the other night, I thought about when we were dating. We lived four hours apart for our entire courtship and engagement, so both of us spent countless hours driving back and forth to one another over the course of 18 months. I remember how I’d stop by Sonic on the way out of town, get a big drink, drive and listen to podcast after podcast, eagerly anticipating time with with my favorite person.

And when I’d leave Riley, I would tear up for the first few miles. He’d always stand on his front yard and sign “I love you” as I drove away and I would watch him until he was a tiny speck in my rear view mirror. I’d think, I can’t wait until we’re in the same place.

And now, we are. And the two of us spend more time together than any other married couple I know. We eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner together, we go on dates, we spend every day together. It’s such a gift; it’s an everyday miracle. That which I had so desperately hoped for is my life. My life everyday! What a beautiful thing.

When we were engaged, we started looking for a house. We wanted a home where we could put down roots and build a community, a place to gather and raise babies and grow together. And we looked…and looked and looked and looked. We put in four or five offers and got rejected every time. Almost two years of looking at houses every single day and coming this close to losing our minds, we found The One.

Waking up in our home everyday is nothing short of a miracle. This house, it’s so beautiful, so perfect for us in this season of our lives. It’s cozy and warm and we have room to host friends and family and space for future babies to sleep and Charley can run and play and really? It’s bliss. It’s a gift to be home, finally home. I’ve moved four times in three years and Riley’s done the same, so unpacking for the longterm? Bliss.

Every time I unpack a box (which yes, I am still doing), and put the contents away in a cabinet, closet, or shelf, it’s a miracle. I’m so serious. I could almost cry every time I work on unpacking thinking that this home is permanent and we won’t have to go through the wrapping, packing, moving, unpacking process again until we choose to sometime in the far-away future. (Riley often says we’re going to die in this house because we’re so over moving!)

Until we moved into our home, we were living in a small town that had a terribly understocked, tiny, run-down grocery store. Because I love to cook, I hated it. A lot. It meant that I had to drive 20-30 minutes to get our weekly groceries, which was a huge nuisance. Now, we live less than five minutes from an awesome grocery store, and that, my friends, is a miracle indeed. Tonight, we grabbed a rotisserie chicken and some fresh tomato basil pasta salad from the deli for dinner, and it was delicious. And easy. I will never, never take close proximity to a well-stocked grocery store for granted again. It’s a gift!

Our dog Charley is growing up–in fact, he’ll be three this September! I’m getting ready to write an update post on him, but one of the greatest gifts has been his decline in separation anxiety. He is now able to stay at home, out of his crate (a recent change!), alone and secure and comfortable, no whining or whimpering or crying or shaking. Anyone who has raised a puppy knows that this certainly falls into the category of the everyday miraculous! We’re so thankful for him and how far he’s come as he’s grown.

And there are so many more everyday miracles for which I am abundantly thankful. I’m working to tune my heart to notice these little blessings and thank my God for them.

// What everyday miracles have you experienced lately?