I’d like to tell you a story that sounds like a fairy tale, but is not a fairy tale. In fairy tales things happen by magic. In this story things happen by the power of God.
What do we call it when something happens by the power of God? We don’t call it magic. What word do we use? It’s another “m” word. That’s right, miracle. We call it a miracle.
In this story a miracle happens. But miracles can be easy to miss, so you need to pay close attention to see if you can find the miracle. Here’s the story:
Once upon a time a young peasant girl watched over her grandparents’ sheep.
Here are the sheep. Here is a common wayside flower and some very small rocks.
As she watched the sheep and explored the woods and listened to her Aunt’s stories and read hundreds of articles mailed to her by her other grandparents and went about the business of being a modern young peasant girl, God spoke to her. God said, “You must leave your home and follow Me. If you do, I will bless you and keep you; I will make My face shine upon you, and I will be gracious to you; I will lift up My countenance upon you, and give you peace.”[1]
That seemed like a good deal to her, so she sold bread to raise money for her trip, mounted her noble horse Falada, and set out.
Here she is on her noble horse, Falada. You can see she is wearing armor and carrying a banner, because she was always very theatrical. The armor happens to be made of paper, but that’s another story.
God was unclear about exactly what she was supposed to do after leaving home. She interpreted that to mean she should do something unclear, so she decided to study economics.
At the same time, in a land far away, there lived a king. His was a small kingdom, but his subjects loved him because he cared for them and he was just.
Here are his subjects asking him questions. This one would like to know whether light is a particle or a wave. This one would like to know how to discover the will of God. This one would like to go to the restroom. The king will help them all. He was a good king.
From this picture, however, you may notice something interesting about the king. Can you see what it is? He doesn’t have a crown. Usually, kings have crowns. This king did not. That was O.K. with him, though. He knew he could be a good king without a crown. Sometimes the king’s friends would say, “Highness, you gotta getchoeseff a crown!” But he was content.
One day the young peasant girl, who had grown into a lovely young maiden, arrived in the kingdom. She had sold Falada to buy economics textbooks. Before she sold him, however, she discovered in his saddlebag a crown. She carried the crown in her backpack along with her books.
The king liked what he saw. He had never taken much interest in economics, but gradually he became more and more interested.
One day God said to the king, “I’d like to give you a crown.”
“Maybe a crown wouldn’t be such a bad idea,” said the king.
“I want to give you a crown,” repeated God, “but to receive this crown you must give up everything, even your very life, and become a servant, and wait upon Me.”
“I’d like to think that over,” said the king.
“Do you not know?” asked God. “Have you not heard? My judgments are unsearchable and My ways are beyond finding out.” [2]
The maiden placed the crown upon the king’s head.[3] In that instant both of them disappeared. Where they had been there appeared an eagle. The eagle spread his wings and cried for joy. Then he rose upon the wind that rolled beneath him and he was off. [4]
Did anyone notice the miracle? What happened at the end of the story? That’s right, the king and the maiden turned into an eagle and soared off into the sky.[5] Very good, you didn’t miss the miracle. Now I want you to pay close attention to everything else you see today, so you notice any other miracles as well.
[1] Numbers 6:24-26
[2] Isaiah 40:28, Romans 11:33
[3] An excellent wife is the crown of her husband. Proverbs 12:4.
[4] The Windhover by Gerard Manley Hopkins.
[5] The two shall become one. Matthew 19:5. Those who wait upon the Lord . . . will mount up with wings like eagles. Isaiah 40:31.
