Today the Roman church celebrates ALL SAINTS DAY. I'm fascinated by the stories of these sainted brothers and sisters in Christ. Mostly for the steadfastness of their faith and their hearts for God's people. But sometimes my imagination is captured by the miracles associated with them.

There was St Denis, bishop of Paris, who, in the third century, was beheaded by pagans. But to the pagans' surprise, Denis picked up his head and walked away from the execution site preaching the Gospel.

There was St Joseph of Cupertino who had such a simple yet deep love for Jesus and the saints that he would go into ecstasy and levitate upon hearing their names, as well as during Mass and Liturgy of the Hours.

There was St Margaret of Antioch who was consumed whole by Satan. He had taken the form of a dragon. Luckily she had a cross on her and used it to cut the dragon open from the inside and escape.

I believe God has done miracles to advance his kingdom and to benefit his creation; and continues to do so (especially for us).

I think about Elijah and the widow at Zarephath (1 Kings 17). A drought struck the land. There was no water, no crops. It was a famine. The woman and her son were on the brink of starvation. But through Elijah, God made a way that her small portion of flour and olive oil was never used up; for as long as the drought continued.

I think about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3). They couldn't obey their king because it would cause them to disobey God. By law, they HAD to be punished. King Nebuchadnezzar had them bound up, had his furnace stoked seven times hotter than usual, and marched the men into the furnace. But, God. He met them there. In the fire. And they were saved.

I think about Joshua's army in battle with the Amorites (Joshua 10). The tide of the war had turned in Joshua's favor. But he knew that he needed a little more daylight to assure victory. God could have struck down the Amorites where they stood (see 2 Kings 19:35), instead, God made a way for Joshua. He made the sun stand still and the moon in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies.

And, of course, there's Moses, the children of Israel and the Red Sea (Exodus 14). You know the story. You've seen the movies (The Ten Commandments, Prince of Egypt, Exodus: Gods and Kings). But there's a nuance here I want to point out.

At this point in the story, it's clear that God could have done ANYTHING to get the Israelites out of the jam they were in. Rivers of blood, angels of death, FROGS! But here, God didn't remove the Red Sea (although he certainly could have). Instead, God makes a way THROUGH the Red Sea.

And, in my life, that's how God has always shown up.

I mean. I've prayed (a LOT) for my troubles and tribulations and trials to be removed from my path. And I know that God has provided THAT kind of solution to countless believers through the ages and people I know. And yet, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, I got marched into the fires.

The fires of bankruptcy, divorce, suicidal ideation, abandonment, joblessness, illness, and anguish. I was all bound up and walked into a fire that was all stoked up. And God; he met me there. He didn't remove the problems - although he could have. He gave me a way through them. Showed me the way through them. Walked with me through them.

And THAT kind of miracle has made all the difference in my life since.

I don't know that I'd be as loving, courageous, faithful, humbled, empathetic, and God-fearing as I am today if all my troubles, trials and tribulations were simply removed from me. I think making my way through those troubles made me who I am; by the grace of God.

While he's a defeater of 185,000 enemies in one night for some, he's a WAYMAKER for me. Way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, a light in the darkness.

He wants to be that for you if you'll let him.

But you have to give it to him. You have to stop wishing your troubles away or ignoring them. You have to stop scheming ways around your troubles or avoiding them. You have to stop crisis-managing your troubles or controlling them. He'll make a way if you let him. He'll meet you there if you let him.

Invite God into your trouble.

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Praying for God's grace and peace in your life,

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