We say we believe in miracles, and we do, but how many of us actually believe that miracles happen on a regular basis?  Seriously, it’s not very easy to feel into that miraculous space when your mind is constantly being put to the test in this overwhelming world.

So, I have an urge to share this incredible little story that has taken me weeks to chew on and digest the lessons behind.  I can hear the song “When You Believe” playing in my ear. Lol.

<Beginning>

One of the areas in life that I set my intention to cultivate this year is sister love.  I was craving to deepen the relationship with my siblings for long, but it hasn’t always been easy to do so when they have their own family life to engage with.  The past summer, I was finally able to arrange a mini trip to Singapore with one of my sisters, Grace.  Even though it was only for a couple of days, I know it’s a huge leap for a mom of two (Self-pleasure?! Talking about Mommy’s guilt)!

Before our departure, my 3-year-old niece, Erin struggled to let her mom leave unless we promised to get her a present on the way back.

“What do you want, Erin?”

“Mr. Blue Crocodile!” she exclaimed with excitement.

“Ok, be a good girl, and Mommy will bring back your Mr. Blue Crocodile, pinky swear?” (sound like a fair deal) my sister snuggled her in the arms.

“Who’s Mr. Blue Crocodile, by the way, a new Disney character?” I stared at my sister.

“Oh, it’s just a random character I made up for her bedtime story, and she is obsessed with it,” she responded lightly.

Well, that’s just great…where do you think we can find that Mr. Crocodile in Singapore and it has to be in BLUE?!  A Mission Impossible, period.  We were just being called to look for “a customized gift from the Universe,” knowing the consequence of a possible broken promise with kids this age wouldn’t be fun.

We had no idea how exactly it’d be carried out, but letting it unfold without expectation was probably the ultimate guide for the moment.  I silently prayed to the Universe, lol.

So, that’s how everything got started.

<Middle>

Our stay in Singapore was a blast.  Beautiful weather, amazing food, and hanging out with our dear local friends really had made the trip worthwhile.   But, there was that little naggy thought in the back of our mind… How do we find Mr. Crocodile? 

From one shopping mall to another, searching nonstop felt like a total chore.  Hundreds of toys displayed in front of us with a wide variety of stuffed animals, Lego, games, but none were related to the word “Crocodile” (not to even mention the color).  I guess crocodile isn’t popular in the animal toy kingdom. Lol.

“I just saw some dinosaur toys; can’t we just get her a dinosaur instead?  Aren’t crocodiles the ancient cousins of dinosaurs”? 

Obviously, I was starting to lose my grip.  I caught myself getting upset with my sister’s random promise to her daughter that had made both of us so exhausted.  It was challenging not only our Patience but our “sister bond” for real.

Not till the very last day, we both agreed to raise the white flag.  I felt that the Universe was laughing behind my back for simply trusting too much on the “divine flow.”  Well, if worse comes worst, I can always draw her a crocodile on paper for whatever color she wants, or we can just take her to the zoo one day?  I could already foresee the disappointed look on that 3-year-old’s face.

My brother-in-law called before we were heading towards the Airport.

“Hey, can you guys get some lollipops for Erin, if you happen to see them?  She’s been nagging me about it for days.”

”Oh, lollipops?  My goodness, of course!  That’s called a practical wish to be fulfilled!  I had the feeling of breaking out of invisible handcuffs.  Now we are officially off duty from chasing after something that doesn’t even exist!

As we were giving each other a high-five to celebrate our mission impossible turning possible, we heard the voice came from the other side of the call full of enthusiasm “Mommy!! Is my Blue Crocodile taking the flight with you and auntie Jen today?”

Speechless…  Well…miracle does happen, right?

<Divine Ending>

When we arrived at the airport, the first thing was to grab some quick souvenirs for friends and family at a Duty-Free shop that sold only specialty chocolates.  As I walked towards one of the retail display shelves where different boxes of assorted chocolates stacked on top of each other, I noticed something.  The bottom layer of the shelf was so low to the point that it could barely be seen, but I could tell that there was something placed underneath.

I arched my back and bent down my knees to reach out to that mysterious shelf space.  Instantly, I felt something fluffy… it definitely doesn’t feel like a chocolate box.  The moment I pulled IT out, I got goosebumps all over my body.  I couldn’t believe what popped up in front of my eyes.

“Hey, Grace, look…at this…”  I stuttered while raising IT high up to show my sister.

A CROCODILE holding a lollipop in his hand, filled with assorted lollipops in his tummy!!  And…it is a BLUE one!  Guess what, it’s a backpack for kids too (manufactured by the lollipop company, Chupa Chups).  I thought we were in a place selling ONLY chocolates?!   Apparently, the Blue Crocodile backpack was the last one in the store.

I had a hard time wrapping my mind around it because everything appeared so surreal.  I could never think of such a perfect all-in-one combo made of a Crocodile toy, lollipops galore, in blue, a backpack (as a bonus) showed up in our very last moment before leaving the country!

Shocked.  Yet, pure joy.  A miracle, I smiled in tears with so much gratitude.

After processing it, I’d love to share some lessons learned from the story of Mr. Blue Crocodile that’s relating to life.

1. Keep up the faith

Our mind, an expert in creating a horror movie, loves to protect you by telling you the worst scenarios ever so you can avoid getting hurt.  And if we choose to believe it, our body as an actor will do the magic to play out the script as real as possible, and voila, we create exactly what is projected out from our inner fear.

In the midst of looking for your life purpose or going through deep confusion, you may feel blindfolded or even want to give it all up.  But don’t give up.  Experiencing a downward spiral is temporary.  If it doesn’t turn out the way you expected it, it means something better is waiting out there.  The Universe is way more intelligent and creative than us.

Some changes look negative on the surface, but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge.  ~ Eckhart Tolle. 

2. Miracle exists in the present moment

I’ve mentioned the power of staying present before.  This is not only a concept because it is real.  I used to have a love and hate relationship with the present moment.  The tendency of snapping out of the NOW was based on my fear of experiencing certain emotional intensity.  I was too scared to feel.

The truth is that it’s safe to feel whatever you need to experience every moment.  Of course, staying in the present does not guarantee that you will only feel happiness or other positive states.  But, any conscious decision can only be made when you choose to live in that very moment.

Our lives are what they are because of the choices we have made up to this point.

We can only choose a fear-based or love-based action in the NOW.  Once we choose consciously or unconsciously, that specific moment turns into part of the history that becomes who we are in the next moment.

Senses are our great gifts. But when we fall out of the NOW, our senses become numb.  Chances are we can miss out on the clues, resources or inspiration that are available for us to tap in.   We can’t possibly see or feel any miracle because our mind is just way too occupied!

Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. ~ Eckhart Tolle

3. Don’t make assumptions

We could jump into conclusion at the very beginning that there’s no way we could find a virtual animal in this physical realm because Mr. Blue Crocodile was just some airy-fairy tale that my sister made up for her little one.

As Don Miguel Ruiz said in his book, the Four Agreements, “The way to avoid making assumptions is to make a conscious effort to find the quieter space in our minds.”

Most of us rely on our brains to rationalize everything so we can feel safe to be in control of the outcomes.  But, overcontrolling can actually make things more complicated and cause unnecessary pain in our life.

Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion. ~ Michael Jordon

4. Surrender to divine order 

I believe that everything is in divine order.  There’s a higher intelligence that works beyond our human plan.

If we’ve found the Crocodile toy (can’t promise to be a blue one) within the first couple of days during our stay, we might’ve still needed to buy lollipops separately somewhere else.   And if it was easy – I wouldn’t probably appreciate as much as what it has taught me through this experience.

People, place, things, mundane stuff in our life are placed for good reasons to teach us what we are here to learn and desire to experience. It has all been perfect, even though our ego might hate it.  Trust that the Divine has its plan to serve your highest good, and you don’t have to figure out everything all at once.

When I get caught up in something that I can’t possibly understand, I ask for higher guidance:

What are you trying to teach me here, Universe?

What can I do so it serves everyone’s highest good (if there are other people involved in the picture)?

Sit with this question. Ask it often. Listen closely. Look around. Remain curious, see what comes up (no judgment) and most importantly, be patient.

5. Gratitude, Gratitude, Gratitude

An attitude of gratitude is not a worn-out cliché, but it is a cycle of doing, recognizing, saying thank you to everything, and starting again.  If we can embody the energy of gratitude as we live throughout our days, weeks, months or years, we allow ourselves to feel into the truth, blessing, and wisdom of what each moment is given to us.

When I say that I am grateful, I recognize my gifts.  When I make a gratitude list, it moves me from a funk to an awareness of what is going well in my life.  When I say thank you, it is apparent that someone has or will be doing something for me whether I deserve it or not.  It is a proactive way of doing Self-Love because we are the beneficiaries of our conscious actions (even when things get challenging in life).

“Gratitude is my attitude.”  Not an easy mantra for daily living but certainly worth a try.  I love this song “I’m so Grateful” by Karen Drucker and let’s continue to believe in miracles.

 

Every moment is a miracle.  You will notice miracles happening in your day-to-day life if you allow yourself to be present enough.  Recollect any bizarre but true encounter you’ve been through that leaves you wondering something greater than you do exist.  Perhaps a book, song, or a stranger answered an important question that was on your mind.  Or perhaps you had a dream one night that came true the next day.

Look back at the time when you got married, or when you became a parent, or perhaps important events of your career.  Perhaps help arrived suddenly just when you needed it.  You were broke or lost, and suddenly you got financial support or found your way when you least expected it.

What would you call all such sudden happenings that were beyond mere coincidence? I would just call them miracles!

MI.R.A.C.L.E- Me Regularly, Actively, Seeing Light in Everything (Every moment).  ~ Jen Yang.

Sending you lots of love, joy, peace, and happiness,

xoxo, Jen