The Floating Fig
Miracle
by Alan Cohen
 I arrived at Harbin Hot Springs at
two o’clock in the morning, tired and hungry. Quickly I found my way to the
locker room, peeled off my clothes, and immersed myself in the soothing
body-temperature mineral waters. Ahhhhhhhhh . . . Instantly I could feel my
tired muscles, stiff and aching after a long day’s travel, unwinding and
absorbing the warmth of the healing waters. I found a seat on the underwater
ledge, leaned my head back against the rim of the pool, and naked before God,
gazed into the endless starry night. Silently I uttered a prayer of thanks for
finding my way to this healing sanctuary.
But there was still a problem: I
was famished. I had not eaten for many hours and, unable to find a store or
restaurant during my late-night drive through the rural mountain region, I
arrived without any provisions. The onsite restaurant would not be open until
the morning, and I began to feel anxious about not being able to get anything to
eat until the next day.
Then I looked around me and
realized I was in a place of great beauty and well-being. An all-night candle
issued its mellow glow just above my head, while a mountain stream chanted a
playful lullaby just a few yards from the pool. Surely God was in this place.
Though I was alone, I was not alone spiritually. Somehow, I reasoned, I would be
taken care of; even if I had to go without food for a while, my heart was
full.
Just then my reveries were
interrupted by something touching my lip — an object had floated toward me and
bumped into my mouth. I reached to remove it and discovered it was a fresh fig!
Can you imagine my surprise and delight to find a sweet delicacy finding me in
the middle of a hungry night? In rhythm with the grace of the moment I opened my
mouth and received communion from providence — the tastiest fig I have ever
enjoyed.
Then I looked up to find that I
was sitting beneath a huge fig tree that spread its leafy limbs out over my
entire section of the pool! Below the tree were many figs, freshly fallen,
floating on the surface of the pool. I made a short round and collected a
handful. Then I went on to enjoy a most treasured midnight snack.
This most significant experience
has become a key metaphor for my life. It reminded me that wherever I am, God
is. I am always taken care of, often in ways I could not control or plan on. The
miracle fig arrived at the very moment I surrendered my sense of struggle and
remembered that all was well. What better formula for abundant
living?
Now I am recognizing that there
always figs (metaphorically speaking) wherever I go. A Course in Miracles
asks us to remember, "I am content to be wherever He wishes, knowing He goes
there with me." Perhaps Albert Einstein said it best: "There are only two ways
to live your life: As if nothing is a miracle, or as if everything is a
miracle."
My sense of awe is expanding
daily; I am recapturing the wonder of childhood, which faded from my life when I
was told that if I wanted something good to happen, I had to manipulate to get
it. Now I know that something good is always happening, and all I have to do is
discover it.
Recently, I was waiting in the
checkout line at the local health food store. In front of me was a little boy,
perhaps a year old, sitting in the seat of his mother’s shopping basket. I
caught the child’s eyes, and he burst into a huge smile. Then he began to giggle
and wave his hands in ecstacy. This child was living in pure bliss. At that
moment it occurred to me that his joy was not dependent on anything that was
happening around him. Waves of delight were just rolling up from inside of him.
He was thrilled to just be alive and feel the presence of life in him, through
him, as him.
Jewish theologian Abraham Heschel
wrote a wonderful book called God in Search of Man. We do not have to search for God; we
just need to show up right where we are, and God will find us. My fig miracle
was not an exception to the laws of life; it was the fulfillment of them. There
are an infinite number of figs to be enjoyed, and an infinite number of ways
they can reach us. "Wherever I am, God is, and all is well."
Recommended book:
 Why Your Life Sucks... and what you can do about it
by Alan Cohen.
With great humor, great examples, and exhilarating directness, Why Your Life Sucks
doesn’t just spell out the ways in which you undermine your power,
purpose, and creativity–it shows you how to reverse the damage. Here is
an encouraging but loud-and-clear reminder that in every moment we
generate our own experience by the choices we make, and that today is
the best day to begin your new life.
For more info or to order this book.
 About The Author
Alan
Cohen is the author of numerous popular inspirational books, including the
award-winning A
Deep Breath of Life. To request a free catalog of Alan's books,
tapes, and seminars, call 1-800-462-3013 or visit Alan's web site at www.alancohen.com.
For info on upcoming events, contact 455A Kukuna Road, Haiku, HI 96708,
(800) 568-3079, email:
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