“Wisdom for Wealth. For Life.” Episode 49: A Million Little Miracles: Rediscovering Wonder in Everyday Life

Key Takeaways:

• We experience countless miracles daily, from the innumerable biochemical reactions in our bodies to the intricate ecosystems all around us.
• There are three essential truths about God: He’s bigger than we think, closer than we realize, and better than we imagine.
• God’s original intent was blessing, not judgment. Understanding this changes how we relate to Him.
• Reclaiming childlike wonder helps us move from taking things for granted to living with gratitude.

When Mark Batterson, lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC, published his latest book, A Million Little Miracles, he had a simple but profound goal: to help readers rediscover the wonder that surrounds them every day.

Mark recently discussed his new book with Blue Trust senior private wealth advisor and senior partner David Campaigne, in an episode of the “Wisdom for Wealth. For Life.” podcast. During their conversation, Mark shared the heart behind his latest work, revealing how this book differs from his previous titles and why recognizing God’s daily miracles can transform our perspective on life.

The Genesis of Wonder

“I’ve met people who would say they’ve never experienced a miracle,” Mark said. But the reality of simply being alive is a miracle in itself. Mark shared some incredible statistics that illustrate the miraculous nature of life:

• Your heart beats 100,000 times each day.
• Six quarts of blood flow through 60,000 miles of veins, arteries, and capillaries—twice the circumference of the Earth.
• If the DNA in your body was stretched end to end, it would reach to the moon and back 150,000 times.

“There is this false narrative that we’re a cosmic accident, the result of random chance,” Mark said. “It’s not true. You are God’s workmanship. You’re fearfully and wonderfully made.”

A Different Kind of Book

Unlike Mark’s previous books, which focused specifically on prayer, hearing from God, or biblical narratives, A Million Little Miracles has a unique spin. Mark describes it as a call to “instead of taking things for granted, take them for gratitude.”

Mark organized the book around three essential truths about God’s nature:

He’s bigger than we think. “In the beginning, God created us in His image,” Mark said. “We’ve been creating God in our image ever since.” This tendency leaves us with a God who “looks like you, thinks like you, maybe even votes like you.” We also “end up with a God who can’t amaze you or surprise you or transcend you.”

Instead, Mark challenges readers to reposition Him as God Most High. “Is your God getting bigger or is your God getting smaller?” he asked. “Is He bigger than your biggest problem, bigger than your biggest mistake, bigger than your biggest dream? We need to remind ourselves that God can do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine.”

He’s closer than we realize. While God is incomprehensibly vast, He is also intimately personal. “You are seen, heard, and loved by God like your name is tattooed on the palm of His hand. He collects your tears in His bottle,” Mark said.

This paradox—that the Creator of the universe knows and cares about each of us individually—forms the foundation of our security. “No one knows us better, and no one loves us more,” Mark said. “That is the ultimate affirmation.”

He’s better than we imagine. Perhaps most importantly, Mark reminds readers that “before original sin, there was original blessing.” In Genesis 1, God looked at His creation and declared it good seven times. His original intent was to create a relationship of blessing, not judgment.

“God doesn’t want a fear-based relationship with us,” Mark said. “He wants a love-based relationship. Part of this is rediscovering God’s heart toward each and every one of us.”

Lessons from Creation

Throughout the conversation, Mark drew examples from the natural world. He described how trees serve as our “external lungs,” processing the carbon dioxide we exhale into the oxygen we need. He marveled at the tamarisk tree Abraham planted in Beersheba, which shoots its roots deep enough to reach the water table in desert conditions (Genesis 21:33).

The ultimate goal of recognizing these daily miracles is to recapture what we possessed naturally as children: a sense of wonder. Jesus’ words in the gospels take on new meaning in this context: “…unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).

A Call to Gratitude

In a world often characterized by division and discouragement, A Million Little Miracles invites us to see daily life through a new lens. When we notice the countless ways God reveals Himself in creation, from the smallest detail to the vast expanse of the universe, we shift from taking things for granted to living with a deeper sense of gratitude.

 

Related Resources:

• Please, Sorry, Thanks: The Three Words That Change Everything
• How God Can Do the Impossible
• 5 Timeless Principles for Living a Meaningful and Purposeful Life