Excerpt
A Million Little Miracles Study Guide
Based on chapter 1 of A Million Little Miracles.
Start with a MiracleDid you know scientists have snapped pictures of black holes in intergalactic space? Not just one either. They’ve photographed multiple black holes—including Sagittarius A. It’s a supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. Though the pictures themselves may not be as impressive as the ones taken by the James Webb Space Telescope—the black holes look like colorful donuts—the fact that they’ve been photographed at all is a monumental feat. They are black holes, after all!
Black holes exist thousands, tens of thousands, even millions of light-years away from Earth. Some are small enough to fit in your pocket, yet stellar black holes can be twenty times as large as the sun. And some supermassive black holes have a mass that is millions to billions times the mass of the sun. They are so dense that nothing can escape their gravitational pull—not even light.
Think about that last point for a moment. When we look at a photograph of a black hole, we are seeing what is unseeable. We’ve captured something that captures light itself. We have the privilege of studying a phenomenon that is unfathomable and in many ways unimaginable.
What are the chances that humans—such small beings with such obvious limitations—would have the opportunity to interact, even in this tiniest way, with such cosmically significant wonders? Is that not miraculous?
When have you been awestruck by something from the natural world? Do your best to draw that moment in the space below.
How have your interactions with nature informed or transformed your relationship with God?
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Study the WordsOne of the tragedies of what we call modern life is that it’s become a lot more modern and a lot less life. Modern conveniences have separated us in very real ways from the actual experiences that make up our lives. And as amazing as it is, so has technology.
Screens are Exhibit A. How much of our time is spent looking at life through a screen rather than experiencing life through our own senses? Actually, how much of our lives are spent looking at screens to vicariously watch other people enjoy meaningful experiences? Too much.
When we lose touch with nature, we lose touch with the God of nature. More specifically, one of the ways we’re impaired by our current comforts and conveniences is that we’ve insulated ourselves from the natural world.
I appreciate the roof over my head. I appreciate air-conditioning, running water, indoor plumbing, high-speed internet, and hundreds of other luxuries that technology affords us. I prefer glamping to camping. I once hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, but I brought along an inflatable mattress. Did I feel less manly than the other guys in our group? Yes, I did. Did I regret it? Not for a single second of sleep!
I’m grateful for the comfort and convenience of modern life, but there is a hidden tax. When we lose touch with nature, we lose touch with nature’s God. Edison’s lightbulb is a gift to early birds and night owls, but it fundamentally altered the built-in rhythms of sunrise and sunset. Refrigeration allows us to enjoy exotic foods from faraway places, but farm-to-table is lost in the mix. If we aren’t careful, we’ll fall victim to the numbing effect that Robert Michael Pyle called the “extinction of experience.” We’ll stop climbing trees. We’ll become mere spectators to life. We’ll settle for creature comforts.
—Mark Batterson,
A Million Little MiraclesHow has this “extinction of experience” impacted your life in recent years?
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It’s difficult to draw the line between being comfortable and being too comfortable—but that’s a line we must identify if we want to enjoy the former without drifting into the latter. What are some of the luxuries or technologies that bring comfort and convenience to your life? Are there any that bring too much comfort and convenience?
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Emotions are a critical part of the experience of life. Often it’s our emotions that tell us when we are truly living rather than merely existing. One of the core emotions—and evidence that we are living life the way it was meant to be lived—is wonder. Or we might call it reverence. Or amazement. Or good old-fashioned awe.
Nature inspires wonder in us. There’s something about standing at the top of a mountain or feeling the force of a crashing wave that reminds us just how big the world is—and just how small we are. That’s because the natural world offers a direct pipeline to the Creator of that world.
But nature isn’t the only element of life that’s awe-inspiring. Remember your first kiss? Or the first time you held your child in your arms? Or the first time you heard what became your favorite song?
Where do we find awe? The answer is, anywhere! I love art galleries and national parks, but that may not be your jam. Awe is more of a mindset than a circumstance. It might have more to do with pace than place. The psalmist said, “Be still, and know that I am God.”2 Notice the change of pace prescribed by the psalmist. The slower you go, the more you notice! There is something about awe, no matter when or where we experience it, that deactivates the default mode network in the brain.3 This is how heaven invades earth.
—Mark Batterson,
A Million Little MiraclesWhen was the last time you were in awe of something—the last time something affected you so profoundly that you got goosebumps?
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Review the concept of a two-foot field trip on page 10–11 of
A Million Little Miracles. What might that look like today? What are the “tents” that obscure our view of God?
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Do you want to experience more miracles? Or, more accurately, do you want to become more aware of the miracles that are happening all around you? One way to do that is to make an intentional effort to get out of your normal routines. Routines are incredibly important, but when routine becomes routine, it’s time to change the routine.
Remember the formula from chapter 1?
Change of pace + change of place = change of perspective
Routines and miracles mix like oil and water. Meaning, they don’t. If you’re unaware of everyday miracles, there’s a good chance your life has become too routine. Consider taking a step back. Mix things up. Do something you’ve never done so that you can experience something you’ve never felt.
I get some of my best ideas when I’m hiking or biking or running. Why is that? Scientific studies suggest that exercise intensifies brain-wave amplitude and frequency. It also improves slow-wave sleep, which reduces brain fog.4 Even something as simple as a change in posture can shift your perspective. When I kneel, that body posture affects my heart posture. I also close my eyes to open them! . . .
If you want to experience miracles, sometimes it’s as simple as introducing a change of pace or a change of place. Go on a silent retreat. Establish a Sabbath ritual. Do a social media fast. Pick up a copy of Draw the Circle, and take the forty-day prayer challenge.5 You do you, but do it differently than you’ve done it.
—Mark Batterson,
A Million Little MiraclesWhat are some of the routines that define your typical week? How do those routines benefit you?
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What steps could you take this week to change those routines and intentionally experience something new?
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