Miracles (@Life)

After forty years of waiting for a miracle to happen and change my life, I had quite given up in believing in them. 

Well, today I am seventy two, and I believe that you reading my story at this very moment, is a miracle in itself. 

Let us trace the story of my life together and find out how my life has taken this turn for the better. 

********

"Mr. Andrew Benjamin! You're up next", I heard the receptionist lady at the hospital yell.

I silently sighed and braced myself for the verdict. What disease could it be? 

Alzheimer's? Probably not. 

I remembered every moment of my life.

Arthritis? But I looked fit as a fiddle.

I didn't feel fit though. Not at all.

A couple months ago, I'm pretty sure I could've easily beaten Albert (my brother) in the marathon held annually.

Today? I'm not so sure. 

(Although I'd never admit that to him).

"You're next brother" I heard Albert slide into the chair beside the one I was sitting in. 

I nodded.

"Oh and before you can say anything, I call dibs over the plushy cushion tonight", he joked.

I tried to smile. I failed.

"Chin up, old chap! What's the worst that can happen?"

"That the doctors conclude I have a deadly, fatal disease that cannot be cured?"

"Well, then in that case....you ought to write the plushy cushion in my name in your will!"

We smiled and walked through the doors into the hospital ward.

Little did I know that the decision of the doctors today would completely change my life forever.

********

The doctors held expressions that clearly depicted the utmost seriousness.

I could tell that the results of the tests, whatever they were, were clearly not good.

The room's atmosphere had a downhearted mood to it.

Albert felt it too. He had his fingers crossed.

After what seemed like an eternity, the doctors finally looked up with dejected expressions and said,

"Mr. Benjamin....we're sorry."

And what came next, was something I'd never ever have wanted to hear in a thousand years.

********

Albert and I were walking silently down the grassy lane.

The reason none of us said anything was pretty obvious.

Cancer, though not incurable, was still an extremely deadly disease.

The treatment would be extremely expensive and we both knew that even if we put all our money together, we could never come up with that kind of money.

"We'll figure something out brother. We surely will." Albert tried to comfort me before turning around the lane to proceed to his home.

Oh...we surely will.

********

Walking back home that day, I found myself taking notice of all the small things around me.

Typical human nature...

We appreciate all the little and petty details in our surroundings only when we know we have a limited amount of time left.

I came across a small, crumbling building.

It looked like it was a couple of decades old.

I'd been passing through this building every day of my life for the past three years, and I had no idea why I decided to find out about that building on that specific day.

"Sir! Excuse me, sir!" I called out to a man I saw around.

He turned around to register me. He was wearing the long, flowy, white gown worn by pastors who work in a church.

"How may I help you sir?" he asked me.

"Can you please tell me about this building? What is it and how old is it?"

"This is a church. Built around six years ago, it used to have a lot of visitors those days. As time passed, people stopped coming, we stopped receiving donations and funding for the maintenance of the area and the church couldn't be cleaned or preserved. The bricks slowly started withering, the grass went dry and, this is what you see today."

It seemed really depressing and grim to me.

I wanted to help the situation.

"How long have you been working here, may I ask?

"I've been working here since the first day of this church."

"Is there anything I can do to help this circumstance?"

He laughed and said, "Not unless you have a sum of money enough to reinstate the church."

"But it's really nice of you to ask, sir. People pass by this church everyday, busy with their own schedules, too much in a hurry to care about the withering building they pass through every day. You are the only person to ask me about this building in a long time. May you have a nice, long life ahead. There's nothing you can really do for the time being, but thank you again, kind sir."

Well, I had decided.

I had no idea how, but I was definitely going to find a way to help reinstate this church.

********

Well, let's fast forward a year.

My cancer had got worse and my condition just got more severed.

On the good hand, through door to door donations, savings, reduced spending for a year and grit and determination, I had managed to collect just enough money for the reinstation of the church.

********

With my shoulders pulled back and a confident smile enlightening my face, I went to the church I had been willing to restore for so long, about a year.

"Good morning sir!" the Pastor said.

We had become good friends with the passing of the past year.

Although, during the passage of the past year, I had never mentioned to him my plans for the rehabilitation of the church.

"Good morning to you too! I bring extremely good news today!" I beamed.

He looked curious.

I told him all about my plans and how I'd collected money for the restoration of the church.

He was baffled.

"But why not just use the money you've collected for the treatment of your cancer that's gotten worse with the passing of every day?"

"I am temporary. You are temporary. We're all temporary. Why not build something lasting that will remind people of the hard work we put in to build it. That way, people who come here to pray will remember us at least for a few seconds in their busy schedule and life. We are temporary, but we can be permanent in people's hearts by doing something good. Something that will make people think of us. Life doesn't require that we be the best, only that we try our best."

The Pastor was astounded.

"Well, I don't know what to say. I'm quite speechless. Thank you. Thank you so much for everything. I'm touched beyond words. We will get started on the restoration of the church right away. Your good deeds might seem invisible, but they leave a trail that is imprinted on the hearts of others. May He continue to bless you every day."

Now I know what it felt like to be able to summon a breath of fresh air anytime you wanted.

It felt like doing a good deed.

********

Fast forward another two months. 

I had helped with the restoration and we had finally managed to bring the church to its former glory.

I was late for an appointment with the doctor.

"Ah! Mr. Andrew Benjamin! Well, let's get on with the check-ups shall we?"

The doctor ran a few tests, but something was clearly wrong.

"No..hold on..this isn't possible. But..how on Earth...?!"

What was wrong now?!

Let's just say that what I heard next, was something that changed all of my beliefs completely.

********

What was it that had completely cured my cancer?

Was it luck?

Faith in God?

Or was it because of the good deed done by me? The restoration of the church?

Well, whatever it was.

It had changed me. People around me had also changed.

But I can proudly say that this journey in my life had definitely changed on belief in my mind.

Miracles do happen. And they happen everyday.