Be The Miracle
In the miracle business, we like to say that everybody has a job
and only you know what that job is. - Katie Mahon and Joan Luise Hill The Miracle Collectors, Uncovering Stories of Wonder, Joy, and Mystery
A few weeks ago, Flaviane Carvalho was going about her evening job in Orlando, Florida as a waitress when she came across a family that had neglected to order any food for their scrawny-looking son. They made an excuse as to why, but she found it odd and upon a closer look saw bruises and cuts on the boy's arms and face. She was alarmed and decided to act. She wrote out a sign in large letters that read, "DO YOU NEED HELP?" and held it up as she stood behind the parents but facing the boy. He barely shook his head "yes." She called the police, his stepfather was arrested for child abuse, and the boy is now safe from his abusive home.
While this is a sad story, it is also a wonderful example of how we can choose to show up for each other, especially when you are the right person in the right place at the right time. In Flaviane's case, she wasn't supposed to be working that night but was filling in for a co-worker who had called in sick. The boy sat in the only seat where the sign would be seen by him but hidden from his parents. Though it is sometimes a risk to get involved, Flaviane chose to the be the miracle for that boy and, according to further reports, likely saved his life.
I love the notion of being the miracle for each other. As we say in The Miracle Collectors, "If you like to pretend you are in control like we do, you can always choose to be someone else's miracle. It may be the only miracle that is coming, and it beats waiting around for a thunderbolt from the sky." (Katie)