It’s safe to say most people have witnessed at least one small miracle. It could be a stroke of good fortune or a little happy accident—how much you get just depends on your luck. The trick is spotting these special moments because they can really brighten up life.
1. When I was four, my mom and I were rushing to daycare, running late. Out of nowhere, I spotted a colorful piece of paper in a puddle and begged her to let me pick it up, but she barely glanced at it—we didn’t have a second to spare. Later, after daycare, my dad came to pick me up, and we passed by that same puddle. Amazingly, the paper was still there. I ran over, excited, and found out it was a $100 bill! Back in 1994, that was a lot of money!
2. I was a poor student and missed tons of classes. Graduation was coming up, and I only had my final exams to get through. One day, I stood at the bus stop with a few classmates, who were intently studying one of the “hardest” exam questions. Meanwhile, I hadn’t studied at all—I didn’t even know what the exam questions, or “tickets,” were. They were shocked. “How are you even going to take this exam if you aren’t prepared?” they asked, still drilling each other on that same “difficult” question.
When it was time to enter the exam room, I was among the first group to go in. I drew my exam question, looked it over, and, amazingly, it was that exact “very difficult” ticket they’d been going over. Without any preparation, I answered it on the spot. The teacher could hardly believe it, exclaiming, “How can this be? You don’t even come to class, yet you answered so well!” She gave me a B—a grade I hadn’t even hoped to achieve!
3. My friends had booked a vacation to Turkey: a modest 4-star hotel, about a half-mile from the beach. But when they arrived, they discovered that due to a mistake by the Turkish booking agency, their rooms had been double-booked. Per the agreement, they should’ve been moved to a hotel of equal or better quality. But it was peak season, so no one was sure what they would end up with. Tensions ran high, and they called their tour agency in frustration, even though the agency had no part in the mix-up. Eventually, they were sent to a different hotel, where they held their breath, hoping for the best. To their amazement, they ended up at a luxurious 5-star beachfront resort, a place that normally cost twice what they paid. It was a stroke of luck that only comes around once in a lifetime!
4. I recently stumbled upon a bit of luck. My elderly neighbor decided to sell her old house and clear out the attic, where she’d stored her now-40-year-old son’s childhood toys. She casually said, “Come see if there’s anything you might like for your daughter.” So, I went over with my 2-year-old, expecting some forgotten odds and ends. Instead, we found real treasures: classic metal cars, construction sets, and even a hefty iron dump truck—all in great condition. Naturally, we took it all, filling up three bags.
Just last weekend, while visiting my parents, my neighbor called me over again to show me even more bags she’d found. They were packed with everything from table hockey, puzzles, and collectible badges to naval battle games, table basketball, ring-and-peg games, holiday decorations, a miniature Christmas tree, garlands, a large doll, and even a train set. I couldn’t believe it—there was too much to list! Now, my daughter and I spend hours playing with these treasures. She’s completely thrilled, and I have to say, so am I.
5. It was just my daughter and me living together. I worked as a nanny at a daycare, but my paycheck barely covered rent and groceries. I didn’t own a pair of winter shoes, so every cold day was a struggle, and I couldn’t stop dreaming of warm boots.
Then, one morning as I left the house, I spotted something amazing on the bench by the entrance: a pair of suede women’s boots! They weren’t brand new but were in great shape and just my size. Today, I’m better off and wouldn’t wear secondhand things, even if they were brand new. But back then, a decade ago, I didn’t have that luxury. I wore those boots all winter, and my coworkers even asked me where I’d found such stylish footwear.
6. During my fourth year of college, I’d head to my parents’ house in a nearby town on weekends. The bus only ran twice daily—once at 1 p.m. and again at 9 p.m.—and I’d always return on the evening bus to enjoy a longer Sunday at home.
One weekend, I bought my usual Sunday evening ticket in advance, but after an argument with friends on Saturday, I decided to leave early and caught the afternoon bus instead. Despite my mom’s urging to stay, I left. Then, Monday morning, a classmate called with shocking news—the bus I would have taken crashed into a truck the previous night. If I hadn’t switched my ticket, I wouldn’t be here to tell this story. I had taken that bus every weekend for the past three and a half years.
7. We were in the process of buying an apartment, and while the price was a bit steep, the owner assured us that all the furniture would be included. Once the deal was done, however, we arrived to find an empty apartment—just bare walls and a shabby wardrobe full of junk. Stunned, we called the owner, but her only response was, “I don’t recall promising anything.”
Frustrated, my husband kicked the wardrobe, and out rolled a small metal tube. We opened it, hardly believing our eyes: inside was $3,000 in hundred-dollar bills. It felt like God was paying us back for the amount we’d overpaid. We used the unexpected cash to furnish our new home.