That random German word popped into my mind yesterday as I watched the monarch migration at Hilton Head Island. Die Schmetterlinge - the butterflies. It was incredible to see this miracle of nature - thousands and thousands of monarchs making their way south to Mexico. I might have never seen it had I not been at Hilton Head on THIS day. Just one day. I went back to the beach this morning - no sign of them. They are probably approaching Florida about now. I feel somehow honored to have experienced this beautiful event. I know there’s a lesson in it; a lesson in being present, honoring where you are, noticing life’s miracles. Miracles truly are all around you - big miracles, little miracles. The only rule - your eyes have to be open to them
I played a game this week. Robb read a new book that talked about a BINGO game. This wasn’t an ordinary bingo game, however. It’s a bingo game where you make your own BINGO card. On this card, you make predictions about good things that could happen this week. It’s not a “to do list” (who needs one more of those?). Rather, it is a list of miracles….a list of things that you predict COULD happen in the upcoming week. There are 25 squares on a BINGO card. I have to admit it was challenging coming up with 25 positive things that could happen in a week. Some were big, some were small, some were serious, some were silly, some related to work, some personal stuff. But as I sit here at the beach thinking about my BINGO card, I realize that just about EVERY square has happened. Did I make this happen with my predictions? Did I put it out to the universe and the universe responded? Is it luck? Or do things always happen like that and we just don’t NOTICE?
I will give you a couple of examples of items on my card -
Receive random unexpected money. (ha! this is a good one, huh?)
However, I was refinancing my mortgage and had expected to have to come to the closing table with a little cash. Instead, I got some back!! Miracle.
BINGO.
Say yes to someone who needs help
I was working at Emory hospital and a man came up and asked if I would give him some money for food.
BINGO. I gave him a crisp 20 dollar bill I had just pulled from the ATM.
Receive an email or message from an old friend
BINGO. I heard from someone I hadn’t talked to in years on Facebook.
See a beautiful sunrise at the beach later in the week
BINGO. See Facebook photos - simply stunning.
Be positively impacted by a stranger
BINGO. Different day at work - I met an old African American man in an elevator. He had the most beautiful giant smile I had ever seen. He told me to have a beautiful day - so I did.
I’ve watched that card fill up with check marks all week. I still have a couple of days left; not sure they will ALL happen, but wow - most of them have!
I can’t decide if this is an exercise in making things happen or in noticing the things that happen. Die Schmetterlinge make me think the latter. There are miracles everywhere if we are present and observant of them. It definitely makes me feel part of a miracle. It makes me realize my thoughts are powerful. My intentions are powerful. Life is powerful and miraculous.
Make your own BINGO card this week……watch the miracles unfold right before your eyes.
Here’s a link to a “do it yourself” BINGO card. Enjoy the miraculous.
http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/materias/bingo/5/