What’s better than a miracle?  

Do I really want to see a miracle?

Or would I rather just go quietly along in life without needing one?

Some time ago I thought there were probably lots of miracles, (or unknown actions as they may be called,) happening but we just don’t recognize them.  

So I decided I wanted to be aware of them.

Now, I’m not so sure.

I like to be in control.  Or choose someone else that I trust to be in charge.  (But that’s still holding on to being in control isn’t it?)

And miracles tell me I’m not.

Paul was mowing trails when his tractor started to flip over.  It’s an 8N Ford with a five foot mower attached.

No roll bar - no seat belt.

It's tipping!

The right wheels of the tractor had driven over a heavy branch-log that had been hidden in the high grass and gotten stuck in the mower.

The tractor started tipping over.  Paul found himself falling off to the left but his right foot got caught under the brake pedal.   

Then -  amazingly - the tractor "righted itself"!  And his leg accidentally pushed the gear shift into neutral so it stopped moving ahead.

Paul was still pinned and in a lot of pain, with one leg up over the transmission and his head and shoulders on the ground.  But he believed he was no longer in danger of being run over by the huge rear wheel and chopped up by the mower.

Then he also realized he could reach up to the ignition switch and turn off the tractor.

But he still couldn't get loose.

Any help?

His cell phone had flown from his pocket.

He was about an eighth mile from the house.

No one heard him call out for help.

Or did they?

For some reason at that time I decided to ride my bike the half mile to get the mail at the county road.  Haven’t done that this year. 

I had heard the tractor turn off about 15-20 minutes before but that’s not unusual if Paul is working on a project.  He had been chainsawing trees in the woods by himself previously and stopped many times.  (Every time I heard it stop I had thoughts of chopped off arms, etc. but figured I had to control my imagination.)

So as I pedaled along the road I noticed the tractor stopped down the hill on a trail from our entry gate.  I might not have seen this if I had been driving the car.

I called out, “Are you OK?”

No answer.

I figured he had just gone off somewhere but I called again and heard a small voice respond: “No.”

I leaned my bike against a fence post and went to check him out.

Power Lifter?  Nope.

       Remember hearing those stories about a 90 pound woman who lifts a car off someone?

Not me.

I’m more than 90 pounds anyway - and Paul is a chunk - so I told him he was going to have to pull himself up but I would help!

He was probably still in shock so he just did what I told him to!

And thinking what it might have looked like if the mower had run over him, I told him that I would not have wanted to be the one to find him then!

We finally got him back up and he raised the PTO lever and got the mower lifted so I could pull away the log that had tipped the tractor.

And off he went to finish the job.

We were concerned about his back surgery from a few months ago but he seems to be recovering with just scrapes and scratches.

So what really happened?

Paul believes God and the angels were helping him.

I don’t know much about miracles.

But now I think that “not needing” them is a nicer way to live!

Although, with all the bad stuff happening in the world, maybe just living a “quiet and peaceable life” is the real miracle!

Amen.

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