Advent, Day 22: the actual miracle

“Mommy, there’s something called a miracle. It’s something really beautiful in the whole world. Like sunflowers.”

To this little toddler of mine, anything in the world that gives off beauty is a miracle.

Every flower, every mountain, every fleck of snow or sand grain, the water striders that dance on the surface of the river.

…except wasps. He omitted them from the list.

The Advent miracle is that Baby Jesus ever even came to be in Mary’s little belly.

The Advent miracle was that they made it when they did,

that the star shone when it needed to,

that wise men travelled because they felt the need,

and that Herod didn’t get to be the best in all the land.

The miracle then was Jesus’ first breath and last utterance,

“Father, Father…”

But what my sons see as miracle is everything that has

come before and came after

that miracle birth.

They see the world created and re-created day after day

by something they cannot understand.

Miracle of all miracles

in a kingdom that came, comes, and is still coming.

This is the miracle of Advent.