I’m standing in the kitchen remembering my call to my aunt last night.
My uncle answered the phone. His voice was sweet as he told his wife, “It’s Lisa.”
I heard her sweet “oh” in the background and even heard the shuffling of her slippers.
She began. I listened. We talked for an hour. We caught up on our Christmas Days and recalled the gathering, crazy and loud she’d opened her home for the week before.
It was New Year’s Day and she told me through tears that she’d been thinking about her daughter, about New Year’s Day decades ago being the last time she saw her.
I told her I think of the weight of her loss so very often even though it is a loss I do not know.
Then she shifted and said, “Lisa, that ornament…” in her long slow and sweet drawl.
There were 25 (I think) of us gift exchangers that day in a crazy loud game we call “white elephant”.
The week before in an antique store, I spotted the same bejeweled ornaments my grandmother made long ago. I chose one from the three to be my Georgia “White Elephant” gift.
The game began, the grownups crowded and noisy in the living room. I believe my aunt’s number was 8 of 25.
She chose the nondescript paper bag with ribbon. I watched.
I smiled.
I called my granddaughter over and whispered in her ear…
“She’s got the special one.”
She smiled knowingly.
I watched across the room and my eyes met the gentle expression of my aunt.
“I can’t believe you chose that one, I can’t believe. I can’t.” I said.
Later she told me “that was God, Lisa.”
I said, “I know.”
Miracle : an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs
The two of us stunned and a little bit oblivious to anything else in the room.
Last night, she told me she’d taken down her fabulous tree, carefully packed her ornaments away.
Except for bejeweled one.
This one, she said will be displayed with other treasures in her cabinet all year.
“We’re the same, Lisa.” she said. “We know about prayer and we know about patience.”
No one else understood or paused that day to see the gift as a “God thing”, a miracle.
Just Aunt Boo and I did.
As I stood in my kitchen this morning, the surest thought came.
We don’t see the miracles because somehow we’ve decided to not be amazed.
Amazed like my aunt and I were that day and in the days to follow.
Deciding it was a miracle, the last minute gift chosen by the one who’d most sweetly be excited.
“God is everywhere, don’t forget to notice.” me
Lisa Anne Tindal 
Your heartfelt story beautifully illustrates how God works in mysterious and wonderful ways, often through what some might consider small coincidences. The connection you shared with your Aunt Boo over that special ornament is a touching reminder of how God can bring comfort, joy, and a sense of His presence through seemingly ordinary moments.
This experience echoes the truth found in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” In that moment of shared understanding between you and your aunt, God’s presence was palpable, creating a sacred space amidst the chaos of the gift exchange.
Your aunt’s words, “We’re the same, Lisa. We know about prayer and we know about patience,” resonate with the biblical teaching in Romans 12:12, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” It’s clear that both of you have cultivated a deep faith that allows you to recognize God’s hand in the everyday miracles of life.
Your concluding thought, “We don’t see the miracles because somehow we’ve decided to not be amazed,” is profound. It reminds me of Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” God’s wonders surround us daily, but we often miss them because we’ve lost our sense of awe.
This story serves as a beautiful reminder to keep our hearts open to the miraculous in the mundane, to cultivate a spirit of gratitude and wonder, and to recognize God’s loving presence in our lives. As you said, “God is everywhere, don’t forget to notice.” This aligns perfectly with Colossians 3:2, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
I invite you to visit my blog, Christcenteredruminations.wordpress.com. There, you’ll find resources that might help you navigate this time, but I recommend starting with the following:
May we all learn to see the world through eyes of faith, recognizing the miracles that God performs in our lives every day, just as you and Aunt Boo did with that special ornament.
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