Miracles and Listening to Guidance

 by Novice Maya Paul

Miracle: “a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.” – Oxford Dictionary definition

Maya with guides

Recently I have been thinking a lot about miracles. What are miracles? Have I ever experienced a miracle? How do I open myself up to miracles? I knew that my mind couldn’t truly answer these questions. My intention was to open to intuition and my Guides to help bring through whatever answers would help me grow.

I have heard many others talk about miracles they have experienced. I noticed that when I heard these stories of miracles, there was a part of me that was skeptical (my mind). At the same time there was another part of me that knew without a doubt that miracles happen (my intuition/Spirit).

During my recent time of reflection and curiosity, it became clear that the definition of “miracle” that I had been holding was limited. It was an old way of understanding the idea of a miracle. The definition I was holding made me think that I had never experienced a miracle and that I never would. In opening up to my Guides and asking for their help, they reminded me of an experience I had while growing up.

In 1989, when I was about 12 years old, I was diagnosed with scoliosis (abnormal lateral curvature of the spine). It was a bad enough case that the doctor fitted me with a back-brace that I wore at all times except for when exercising or sleeping. The doctor hoped that the back brace would stop the progression of the scoliosis. After a year and a half there came a point when I had a 33° curve. The brace didn’t seem to be working and the doctor told us that if my back got any worse, I would need major back surgery. (He told us that they recommend back surgery once there is a 35° or higher curve.)

That moment was a turning point. It would have been easy to simply accept the doctor’s expert knowledge and say “yes” to back surgery. Instead, my mother listened to her intuition. She knew that surgery was a major decision that would affect my whole future. She chose to explore other options. Looking back, I recently recognized that that was the first miracle connected with this journey. My mother didn’t accept the expert opinion of the doctor as law. She was willing to trust and explore options outside of the accepted norm even though the doctors told her that there were no other options. That choice showed me that it is possible to trust intuition and listen to that “still small voice” within.

We didn’t know where the journey would take us. My mother asked friends for ideas. And I was open to trying whatever was suggested. Eventually, we found two healers; one was a man who called himself a body worker and the other was an acupuncturist. The body worker focused on the musculoskeletal system. He manipulated the bones, joints and muscles so that they learned how to be held in new ways. Those body work sessions were followed by acupuncture appointments to support the flow of energy through my body.

After about six months of receiving body work and acupuncture we had a follow up appointment with the back doctor. He did an x-ray and measured the curvature of my spine. The doctor was completely flabbergasted. I only had a 17° curve, which was considered to be in the mild range and something to simply pay attention to. There was no longer any need for surgery. He told us that he did not understand how that change had happened. It wasn’t within his reality.

At that time, it didn’t strike me as a miracle. I was really glad that I didn’t need surgery, but I didn’t recognize what had happened as something so extraordinary. It was simply what had happened. Only recently, as I was opening to a deeper understanding of miracles, and reminded of that experience, did it become clear to me that what happened with my back was a physical miracle. My back was healed without surgery!

This new realization was only possible because I was curious and open to something beyond my current understanding. I was reminded of all that is possible when I get out of my own way and let myself be led beyond the boxes that I have become comfortable with. A friend recently shared a song with me that fits this theme perfectly. The lyrics say: “I lean not on my understanding; My life is in the hands of the Maker of heaven; I will climb this mountain with my hands wide open; There's nothing I hold onto.” I hope you will join me in this space beyond.

How to reach Maya:
Website: http://www.mayawpaul.com/

Email: mayawpaul@gmail.com