No Small Miracles
by Norris Burkes
Published by Integrity Publishers
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Reviewed by Connie Anderson
Chaplain Norris Burkes has learned two things around hospital waiting rooms and serving the military: Miracles happen every day, and none of them are small--just unexpected.
In his introduction, the author says, "...like Jesus' disciples, we, too, often overlook the real miracles...while we're waiting and watching for one preconceived miracle...something else happens but we fail to see the miraculous in it."
Maternity wards, the author says, are the happiest of places, except when they are the saddest. He feels humbled by the love he's witnessed from family members of the sick and dying of all ages--the presence of perfect holy love.
He defuses the often used, "God won't give you more than you can handle," by saying that the Bible doesn't say that, and sets the facts straight. Corinthians 10:13 paraphrased says, "In his day, Jesus didn't want people burdened with loads that they could not handle themselves."
In talking about the grief of those left behind by suicide, suicides is the second leading cause of death of among college students and third in the 15-24 age range. I know: my apparently happy 21-year-old godchild took his life.
I was especially impressed by Burkes' writing about tears--that there is great courage and strength in shedding tears. His wife likes to say that he makes people cry, but he says, "I help people cry." Sharing tears in the presence of a loved one brings us into a place where none of us have been before.
Often when tragedy strikes, we ask "Why? Burkes' friend told him the only answer is, "Because," and to stop trying to figure it out.
Ecclesiastes 3:4 says: "There's a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to dance and a time to mourn." As a chaplain, Burkes says when you help strangers through difficult times, your tears dry quickly. However, tears that come from helping a friend flow and flow and require more tissues.
This book was filed with sometimes sadness--and sometimes gladness and hope. I was surprised how meaningful so many of his stories were to me--and will be to you, too.
Armchair Interviews says that Chaplain Burkes' advise about dancing with joy every day because you never know when the music will stop--is seen in many of his stories. We need to find hope among sadness, for prayers may be answered but not always in the way we hoped for. No Small Miracles, a real two thumbs-up read and a great gift book.