The “Tipper” Miracles: Part Three: The Incredible Tippers

We now find ourselves to the final part of this series of blogs. The most enjoyable part most likely. Not to mention the part we will all be most familiar with. In the world of the “wait staff” the incredible tipper is always the most welcome. They go above and beyond in gratitude and generosity. This doesn’t, necessarily mean that they are the best in the bunch. Truth be told, in my experience, many of these tippers don’t just hand out these tips on a whim. They make sure that their waiter or waitress earns it. They expect attention, respect, smiles, and gratitude. Some will even run us ragged. They expect us to understand that they aren’t required to leave extra...they aren’t even required to leave anything at all.

What’s this have to do with miracle? I think some of you may already know. This is about the incredible miracles. This is what you find when you type the word miracle into a Google search. This is what you hear about in messages at church or in synagogue. This is what people remember and desperately pray for. This is the stuff that commonly makes people in general sit back and say “wow” and even makes some nonbelievers rethink everything they thought they knew. These miracles are G-d giving us a very slight taste of what He can really do. They are also G-d reminding us just how mortal we really are.

These miracles are when someone beats all odds and recovered from a horrific illness or injury. When a parent sudden feels that something is very wrong and finds that they just knew their child desperately needed them right away. When a husband or wife knows that something is wrong with their spouse even though the two could be miles apart. The list is limitless because G-d is limitless. I believe G-d absolutely loves giving us these miracles. Like any parent, I believe He loves being able to help us out and lift us up out of a rough situation and make things better. But like any good parent, He also knows that constantly saving us from a situation or even ourselves is counterproductive.

I have heard it a million times, “If G-d is so powerful, why doesn’t He fix the world? Why doesn’t He snap His fingers and get rid of the violence and the hungry? If this stuff still exists, maybe He doesn’t care or even exist. G-d hasn’t given me any miracle, maybe I did something wrong.” I am sure many of you have heard at least one of these lines as well. We’ve seen some of our readers comment with these lines. In my past, I myself have used at least one of these lines. In difficult times it can be harder to believe that there is an all powerful being looking down on us. But consider something with me as I paint a picture for you.

Some of you are parents or even aunts/uncles or grandparents. When your child messes up, they instantly look to you to fix it, especially when they are young. As they get older, as hard as it can be for a parent, you need to start stepping back and letting them clean up their own messes. It’s the only way they can truly grow. When a parent instantly fixes everything, all the child seems to learn is that it doesn’t matter if I do this (again), mom and dad will fix this. The same goes for us and G-d. Our human side has a sinful nature that is here to stay. G-d can cleanse and cleanse all day long, day after day, but do you really think that is going to make everything better? He could snap His fingers and force us to be G-dly and well-behaved but that would consist of taking away our free will to choose. He loves us more than we can even begin to imagine, in good times and in bad. And sometimes, in those bad times, we need to lean on that more than anything. In some of these bad times, we may be left with only our faith in G-d to help us move forward. So many at times seem to think that it’s enough to acknowledge G-d and claim faith; but do you REALY have faith in Him? Faith is an “easier said than done” thing in the worst of times. It’s these struggles that will ultimately define you and your faith in G-d.

Now back to the miracles. Some of you have or are witnessing these incredible miracles. I myself have been privileged to witness them on more than one occasion. And I will tell you now, I can’t even being to describe the feeling when you see it. For me, my face lights up, my heart swells with a mixture of excitement, relief, amazement, joy, and awe; and my eyes fill with happy tears. Now, like our tippers, I believe that G-d wants acknowledgment as well. When are we most likely to pray and lean on Him? In bad times. When money is tight or life is changing or there is a chance of losing someone to sickness, you will find people praying like they have never prayed before. But what about when we are in good times? What about when all your ducks are all in a row and there are very few worries in your life? G-d wants our love, prayers, and praise in these times as well. He’s there by our sides no matter what, watching and loving. Shouldn’t we do the same for Him in return? As I said, the incredible tippers aren’t required to leave extra or anything at all. You know what, neither is G-d. He’s here and He loves us because He WANTS too. He wants nothing more than to see His creations blossom and thrive and to love Him in return. Don’t you think we could do that for Him...at the very least?