Every so often we read or hear about some happening that defies reason, like this personal account by Activated correspondent Misty Kay in Taiwan: About thirty concrete steps led down to the parking garage under the apartment complex in Taipei where my husband Andy and I were living with our four small children. I had taught the kids to be very careful when negotiating that stairway, and was especially concerned about Chalsey, who was still a wobbly toddler. A fall down those stairs could be fatal.

One day I was helping one of her sisters put on her jacket when Chalsey took off running ahead of me. Even as I rushed after her, I could tell I wouldn’t get to her in time. I also knew that at the speed she was running she wouldn’t be able to stop herself when she came to the top of the stairs. Just beyond my reach, I watched in what seemed like slow motion as she tried to stop, lost her balance, and lurched headlong over the steps. My heart skipped a beat, and I silently screamed a split second prayer.

The only word I have to describe what happened next is “miraculous.” Chalsey froze in midair, then fell backwards and sat down on the top step. It was as though an invisible hand had caught her, lifted her back up, and set her down. I held her in my arms and thanked God over and over for His loving care.

Was this, as Misty believes, a miracle? Can God bend His own rules, the laws that govern the physical realm in which we live? If so, why does He sometimes intervene and sometimes not? Who qualifies for such divine intervention? What parts do our faith and prayers play? Besides the immediate result, is there a higher purpose He hopes to accomplish? The articles on the following pages offer some answers to these questions—and some of the answers may surprise you.

Keith Phillips For Activated