Yes, God Speaks to Us Through Ordinary Things
By: Mary Gallagher
Tags: Miracles, Christianity, Prayer, Grace, Hope

Have you ever wished that God would speak to you directly to comfort you? He can and He does, and once I heard His voice as a whisper in the lilacs.

My life at that moment revolved around a hospital room on the pediatric floor of Mt. Sinai Hospital. The sight of spring flowers in bloom had been replaced by intravenous tubes and heart monitors. The inescapable odor of alcohol swabs and latex gloves overpowered the memory of my favorite flower.

As I sat with my sick baby, alone in a sterile hospital room, all I could think about were the lilacs just beginning to bloom at home.

It seemed strange to be thinking about lilacs at a time like that. Our first child, Ryan, at seven weeks old, had just been diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening liver disease called biliary atresia.

Still in shock

While my husband and I were still trying to recover from the trauma of all Ryan had been through in his short life, the doctors were telling us that he was not out of danger, in fact, he never would be.

Their words seemed to be meant for someone else as I heard them say things like “incurable, chronic, serious, complications”.

They explained that the surgery had saved his life and might have bought him some time, but they also warned that he would always be a sick boy, suffer from infections, and possibly require a restricted diet. Chances were good that he would eventually need a liver transplant.

Maybe it was too much to absorb all at once, perhaps it’s the soul’s way of survival in a time of crisis, but I remember thinking to myself,

Everything will seem so much brighter if I can get home and see my lilacs blooming.

Small kindnesses in a time of crisis

Looking back, I can see it was the simple kindnesses of those who showed their concern in the ways that came naturally to them, that leave a lasting impression.

A card from a teacher colleague read, “My mother’s heart breaks for yours.” Those words are forever etched in my mind.

Sally, the nurse, faithfully made Ryan’s crib each morning she was on duty because she knew I liked his little bed to be neat.

My sister-in-law brought us simple take-out meals, and my mother-in-law pressed twenty dollar bills into my husband’s hand to help us pay for gas and parking.

Then the whisper

Like Elijah, my head was downcast and my physical stamina was low. I wanted a loud miracle from God. An announcement from the doctors that Ryan was completely cured, a release from the prison of the hospital walls, a normal life again.

I felt alone and forgotten as the world moved on without me — even my lilacs were blooming without me there to enjoy them.

Then I heard a cheery “Hello!” from the other side of the door and there was the vase of purple lilacs in the hands of the mother of one of my first-grade students.

She couldn’t have known, but God did. She didn’t know lilacs were my favorite flower. She hadn’t heard my thoughts that morning of longing to be home to see them in bloom.

The sight of those lilacs assured me I would adjust to this challenge and I could count on God to sustain me.

Not only was He still in control, but He also heard the unspoken desires of my heart.

The miracle

God’s faithful love sustained us through years of pain and worry, and for reasons I will never understand fully, He granted our family a modern-day miracle.

My son shows no signs of liver disease and leads a normal life. The doctors’ worst predictions never came to be, and I have never again missed a season of lilacs.

My miracle. — Author’s photo

God proved to me His grace is indeed sufficient and that no matter what I may face in this life He has promised never to leave me nor forsake me.

Life, at times, is hard and nothing is predictable, but God’s love for us is constant and sure.

Listen for His whispers in every detail of your life and share this story with someone who needs a miracle! ~ Mary

This story has been adapted from A Whisper in the Lilacs, originally published in an anthology called A Cup of Comfort for Christians. Click here if you would like to see this book.