A couple years ago, my husband and I ran into one of our favorite coffee shops for a caffeine fix. I expected to leave with a vanilla latte in hand; I did not expect to be reminded that God does miracles in His time, in His space.
I really did not expect to find this reminder on a package of coffee. I especially did not expect this illustration to come from a play in a football game.
While we were waiting for our drinks to be made, I spied a package of “Skol Vikings Blend” coffee near the counter.
We live in Minnesota, where the Vikings are our hometown football team, and a coffee shop chain created this special blend in their honor. We are a low-key football family; we watch games every week without fail, mostly because our son absolutely loves the game – loves it – and the Vikings are his team. He used his own money to join the Vikings Kids Club, roots for his beloved Vikes no matter what the scoreboard says, dresses in jerseys and eyeblack whenever possible, and is training to be a Viking when he grows up. He’s brought his sisters into loving the game, and has big plans for teaching his baby brother how to play when he’s a little bigger. My boy has turned me into a fan too, especially of the family time watching the game brings.
That all in mind, I thought it would be fun to bring home some “football coffee,” so we bought it along with our lattes, and headed back to the car to complete our errands.
Then right there in the passenger seat of our minivan, I teared up as I read the description on the side of the package:
Just like a good cup of coffee, the Vikings have a special way of bringing us Minnesotans together. As we cheer on the team to rock ’em, sock ’em, and fight fight fight each week, we learn that when us Northerners come together as one, there’s not much we can’t accomplish. And that ten seconds is plenty of time for a miracle.
That last sentence, right on the back of the bag of coffee beans, stopped me right in my tracks.
In 2017, during a game — the final ten seconds of the game, to be exact — Minnesota Vikings player Stefon Diggs caught a twenty-seven yard pass and ran it to the end zone for a touchdown as the clock ran out. The announcer went absolutely wild (as did the stadium), and as he announced it, he excitedly said it was “a Minneapolis miracle.” The title and clip of the play went viral — you can see the “miraculous” play here. I vividly remember this game, mostly because my husband hollered so loud that our football-loving son got out of bed and came downstairs, and then we let him stay up and watch the replay.
Ten seconds is all it took for this play to make record books, to get millions of hits on the internet, to be called a miracle, to change history for a few folks.
And isn’t that so reminiscent of the true miracles of God?
How long did it take for Jesus to do His miraculous form of multiplication with a few loaves and some fish? How about when He swapped water for wine? With crowds gathered in both of those locations, both of them hungry and thirsty, I can’t imagine that Jesus took a long time making these miracles happen. People were waiting.
Sometimes God keeps us waiting. Other times, all He needs is ten seconds.
Okay, so I’m not actually comparing the “Minneapolis miracle” to those listed in Scripture, but it did remind me to take pause and remember how many times the miracles in life have taken very little time — when the car stops just in time to avoid being hit by an oncoming car, when I catch my toddlers’ hand just before the van door closes on it, when the diagnosis comes in and they say it was caught in the nick of time, when the phone call is made minutes before the decision comes through and the conversation changes the final decision. You know what I mean? How many times have we cut it too close for comfort and whispered, “Oh, thank you God!”?
And that’s just the protection kind of miracles.
When I raise my eyes from this computer, I see my four children that are absolutely miraculous in their own right, especially considering my years of infertility and miscarriage that came before and alongside them. Babies (all people, really) are total miracles. So very many things have to happen correctly in order to fully develop a human being, with all neurons firing, bodies forming, hearts beating. Each person is a miracle, right there in plain sight.
And then to look outside my window and see the blue sky, the frosted trees, the wonder of snowflakes — each one entirely unique. To hear music pouring from my headphones, artists gifted with both word and voice. To enjoy the transformation coffee goes through as the beans are ground and hot water is poured through. To watch the way ingredients come together, changing from eggs and flour and butter into warm cookies (anyone else immediately think of that scene/quote from Friends? “Ten minutes ago this was all just ingredients!”) To hold a loved one’s hand. There are more miracles in plain sight, beckoning to be seen.
So today, I raise my mug of Skol blend to you. Here’s to the ten-second miracles all around us. May we see them for ourselves. May we be them for another.
Leave a Comment
Beth Williams says
Anna,
Loved the football analogy. Everyday there are miracles happening all around us. We just need to open our eyes & slow down long enough to witness them. In these times we need miracles. We need people to call/text us at the right time. There may be times when I have been someone’s miracle & didn’t know it. Mostly because I like Jesus was just doing “my thing”-feeding people, checking in on them, praying for them, sending cards or texts. It’s the little things we do in life that can make a big difference to someone else. Today I plan on taking food to a co-worker for lunch. She has been dealing with her aging dad’s health issues (in hospital), friend sick from second shot & his sister in hospital. That in & of itself can be a miracle. Let’s all slow down open our eyes & see the wondrous miracles around us.
Blessings 🙂
Ann Woleben says
Reading your selection, I thought of the many times God has been there for me and for my family with His ten-second miracles. We simply have to stop, listen, think and remember. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and the photo of your beautiful children. They are precious.
Nancy says
This is beautiful. Thank you.
Dawn Ferguson-Little says
Anna your kids are so beautiful a merical on to God and a beautiful merical from God too you and your Husband. In all the seconds we live in this beautiful world we live in that God has given us to live in. Despite all that is going on at the moment to do with Covid. We have alot to thank God for. As Psalm 118 verse 24 says. This is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it. Yes let’s rejoice and be glad in it. No matter what we go through. I have so many things to thank God for. I wake up to enjoy another day in his beautiful world. As I used to take seizures. Before I had Hysterectomy. Because my periods used to throw me into seizures. My hormones would then go up the left. Then I would take seizures. You could find me at the bottom of my stairs. But thank fully to God I never broke any bones. As I got no worring to say when I was going to take a seizure. So God was good since my operation I only had one tiny tiny one. That is 3 years ago. So in all the seconds of life we have so much to thank God for. I praise God for every day I am alive. Every day he give me to live. I pray for you all incourage. Even though I am living the other side of the world from you all in Enniskillen in Co.Fermanagh. I love the work you do for the Lord. May he richly bless you all. Dawn Ferguson-Little xxx
Mechelle says
I really needed this reminder in this season of my life! Thank you.
Anne Capozzi says
This is so beautiful. I could just weep from the joy we have of sharing, encouraging and being able to see with the eyes of faith that can only come from the lover of our souls. Thank you for sharing this….May God bless you abundantly
Madeline says
What a beautiful way to begin my morning. I sit here early in the morning with my cup of coffee and am blessed to be connected to women of faith. Thank you for your comforting words.
Dianna L. Tichenor says
Here in Maine the snow is falling like fairy flakes, each one different, sitting on limbs of pine trees. Birds come to breakfast on the feeders, each taking turns. I have eyes enough to see, ears to hear lovely classic music coming from my radio. Today, let us rejoice in the day the Lord has made. Thank you Anna for reminding me.❤️ Be blessed.
Dee
Phyllis says
It was a beautiful day here, wasn’t it! I was happy to see another Mainer commenting on here– God bless you!
Jeanne Takenaka says
Anne, I loved your reminders here. Sometimes, we just need to look outside of ourselves to see the ways God shows up in our days. And, I loved reading about how passionate your boy is for football. I have one of those too. As a 16-year-old boy-man, he actually chose to watch the Superbowl with his parents rather than his friends. It kind of made this mama’s heart happy. Each moment our teenage sons want to talk with us and share their hearts? I call that a bit of a miracle.
Kimberly Colón-Möller says
I just loved this. My dad was a Vikings fan as my parents divorced and he landed in Minnesota. Thank you for reminding me of him and the miracle I was when my parents had me. Being a child of divorced parents, I always felt I was a nuisance and a burden. Thank you for changing that. Enjoy your coffee.
Olivia says
Praise God for his miracles. Thank you God for your miracles. I am a miracle. Thank you for sharing this awe inspiring miraculous word.
Rita says
Thanks for sharing your story. It made me smile ! I love in courage me. It sets my day and reminds me to turn everything over to God.
Hilda says
Thank you for this reminder. I’m not a football fan, by I did get teary watching that “miraculous” play you shared.
Joan Moore says
Beautiful reminder of all the miracles that surround us daily. May we pause for 10 seconds, take them in and live them out. Blessings to you and your precious family. Your children are adorable!!!❤️❤️❤️
Kellie Johnson says
What a great reminder that God’s timing is not always ours. In fact, it rarely is. BUT, it just takes a moment for a miracle. For that unannounced check to show up in the mail, that oxygen level of a loved one to level out, that spouse to finally agree to counseling and that friend to say yes to Jesus. Let us be patient and let God do His thing. And let us testify to His miracles.
Kellie
Regina says
Love this!!!! i needed it so much today! Thank you and blessings to you and your family!
Go Vikings!
Dawn says
This piece resonates with me so deeply. I too struggled with infertility for years. Looking at my precious children, I see the hand of God and His amazing miracles. I pray we will always take time to clearly see the miracles around us.
God Bless.
Jill Foley says
You have a true gift of story telling! Great writing & you kept my attention. Bravo!
p.s. ~ God is sooooooo good. All the time.❤️
Courtney says
I loved this! Thank you.
Debra says
May we appreciate the miracles around us, both seen and unseen.
Linda says
This was a wonderful article. It made me stop and think about all the little miracles that happen everyday. Sometimes we just don’t think about it as a miracle but it is and we just take it for granted. Thank you for a nice reminder.
Irene says
Oh Anna! This is so lovely. It’s like a warm hug and a cup of hot coffee rolled into one. Love to you and yours from the frosty northeastern corner of Oregon! Driving back to the northwest corner this morning, after a visit with two of my three daughters and one granddaughter. All miracles!
Elizabeth Curry says
Love this post, Anna! And not just because I am a fellow Minnesota girl. Blessings on your day.
Michelle Layer Rahal says
I’m not a big football fan, but this was BEAUTIFUL! All we need to do is open our hearts to allow our eyes to see the miracles all around us.
Jana says
Dear Anna @(In) Courage,
Your “10 Second Miracle,” article is GOOD! AND I NEED SOME MIRACLES RIGHT NOW!!!!!!
I would appreciate if you folks and whoever would, would Pray for me!
Thanks and Blessings! Jana
Penny says
This was so beautiful Anna thank-you
.Blessings to all,
Penny
Carmel Joyce says
So beautifully put and so true.
Thanks so much….Carmel
Stephanie says
Thank you for this reminder! And thank You Jesus for miracles! Amen!
Karen Knowles says
Anna, I thank God daily for all miracles, large and small. Great post! Your children are so adorable! Yes, each one of us is a miracle.
Lisa Blair says
This is a great story! And I appreciate your thoughts on, “And that ten seconds is plenty of time for a miracle.”
fannetta h gore says
I am a miracle. Father, thank You for creating me. Thank You for being the Creator of all things. Thank You for being our Sustainer and Provider. Thank You, Lord.