Black Church

I am The Miracle! Part One

By Pastor Melvin O. Marriner

Grove Baptist Church

Portsmouth, Va

One of my favorite congregational affirmations is “I am a walking, talking, living, breathing miracle!” That’s why I appreciated “Miracles in Motion” as last month’s Pastoral Anniversary theme. However, I must admit that sometimes I wonder if we really believe those words and embrace them, or if are we just repeating them out of habit.

It’s all too easy for us to say something, but believing it and living it can sometimes be difficult. Do others see the ‘miracle’ in us and, more importantly, are WE approaching life in a manner that exudes it? If we are honest, many of us must admit that we place too much emphasis on the ‘woulda, coulda, shoulda’ part of our lives—also known as the past. However, when we look at our past, we ought to find some comfort in realizing where God has brought us from or what He has taken us through to get us where we are today. When we think of the mistakes we’ve made, the hurt we have caused or overcome, the loves we have lost, the pain we’ve passed and, yes, even the breath that we breathe, the very fact that we are still standing is a miracle and cause for gratitude!

God created us in His image and He does not make mistakes. We judge each other on the outside and compare ourselves to each other from our earthly perspective. God knows our good, bad and ugly, and He still loves us unconditionally. Moreover, we may succeed in fooling the ‘world,’ but God knows our heart. He knows if we are sincere or putting on a façade. The good news is that, once we become HIS, He forgives us, in spite of us.

Login to www.grovechurchVA.com to read this blog in its entirety.