Miracles come in moments. Sometimes they save our lives. Sometimes they change our lives. Sometimes they offer us insight. And sometimes they give us a gentle reminder and the strength to go on. The scene of this minor miracle takes place in the living room of my house under an old, broken ceiling fan with a little glass angel hanging from its pull string.

My youngest son has a severe form of Autism. Even though he is in his twenties now he still has the mind of a small child. He speaks only a few words. He is lost in his own world most of the time. Things I find silly delight him and little changes that wouldn't bother me at all bother him greatly. Most of the time he is happy but there are also times when he can be terribly upset. He will tear things up and cry for no reason that I can see. He will even hit himself. It always hurts me to see him suffer this way especially when there is little I can do to help. This morning was particularly trying for him. He ripped up a new shirt I'd bought him and cried on and off for an hour. Finally he calmed down again. I was still feeling stressed, however, and wearily sat down at my computer to see if I could get a little work done.

As I was turning it on, though, I heard my son laugh for the first time all day. I turned my head and saw him standing directly under the glass angel hanging from our ceiling fan. The light from our house lamps seemed to shine and sparkle all around him like a halo. His eyes sparkled too as the little angel swung gently above his head. He laughed again and smiled at me. In that moment my heart opened. I could see that God was reminding me that my son was more than his Autism. I instead saw the shining soul within. I saw the love and light of his spirit and knew he was here for a purpose. I could see too that angels were watching over him today and always. My eyes watered and I thanked God for this minor miracle and gentle reminder of His love for all of us.

Miracles and angels are all around us, but we can't always see them with our eyes. We often have to see them with our hearts. Keep your heart open to them then. Let God's love speak to you in your own life. Let Heaven guide you through your own days. And let yourself be the miracle you were meant to be!