When I was a child, I remember hearing many stories about Jesus performing miracles. I remember thinking that Jesus must be like "superman", able to do things none of us could ever do.

As a child, I saw Jesus as a non-human who did non-human things. However, as I became a teenager and young adult, I began questioning these stories - like, how is this helpful? How do the stories of Jesus performing miracles help me get through my day to day challenges? I couldn't make a connection.

I mean really, how does knowing that Jesus fed hundreds of people on five loaves of bread and two fish help us when we are hosting a party and suddenly find ourselves short on food?

The problem is when we take a literal interpretation of the stories of Jesus, Jesus becomes the exception rather than the example. I believe that as long as Jesus is the exception, it greatly limits our ability to use his life and teachings to get through challenging times .

Seeing Jesus As An Exception or An Example?

Then one day, I came across a scripture from the gospel of John where Jesus assures us that what we can do what he can do...

John 14: 12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do.”

I remember thinking, 'Ok, why don't we talk about this more?' Why wasn’t I assured in Sunday school and as an adult in church that I can perform miracles too? How CAN we do what Jesus did? Why aren’t most churches teaching us how to become trained in performing miracles?

I don't think we will be able to do what Jesus did unless we are open to shifting our interpretations about the stories of Jesus’ miracles. We need to look into these stories at a much deeper level - the way our English teacher encouraged us to do with a text - like with Shakespeare. When we are open to looking at the stories of what Jesus did with a new lens of curiosity and wonder, then Jesus becomes the example, not the exception.

A New Way Of Looking

I was recently reading that when we believe we can't do great things, it is simply an error in our thinking. Our belief system is what helps us achieve success and find happiness. Our belief system is also what can block us.

For example, believing we are entirely on our own to figure out how to do great things is like thinking that the light from a light bulb comes from the bulb itself rather than the electricity running through it. Without connecting to the current of electricity, the bulb is powerless. It is just a bulb taking up space.

We are like the light bulb, residing in this structure called a body and sometimes I believe we forget or are not aware that we are connected to a current, a power greater than us in which we live, move and have our being. This power allows us to shine and do great things.

IF we recognize the higher power source that enlightens us, if we connect to the “Christ” within us, we can do incredible things, perhaps even miracles.

How Can People Perform Miracles?

It was not Jesus, the man alone, who could do great things, it was Jesus, the one who connected to his “Christ consciousness”, the Father within, as it is referred to in the scripture, that enabled him to do great things.

Are there people performing miracles on the planet, doing what Jesus did? Yes, there have been many on the planet in the past as well as on the planet now.

What The Ice Man And Jesus Have In Common

I think Wim Hof, otherwise known as the Ice Man, as an example of someone who can tap into his Christ consciousness to do great things.

Recently my husband Scott was away on business, and so my youngest daughter Grace decided to sleep with me. We decided we would watch a movie. When we couldn't find a movie that interested me, (it is hard to find a movie that interests me) Grace decided to show me this youtube channel called the Yes theory. It is about a group of young people who say yes to daring things. One of their shows is about meeting with this man named Wim Hof otherwise known as the Ice Man

What struck me while watching the Ice Man was how he doesn’t fight the cold, he embraces it. He believes he is stronger than the cold.

Could you imagine what our lives would be like if we stopped...

Fighting that which we did not want?
Fighting pain?
Fighting cancer?
Fighting the common cold?
Fighting with our neighbours?
Fighting a war with another country or religious groups?
Fighting with ourselves?

Watching Wim Hof was just what I needed that night.

I had done a full day of gardening the day before, and I was in a lot of pain. And I asked myself: why am I fighting with this pain?

What we resist, persists. What we fight, we empower.

As I researched Wim Hof more I realized that he is teaching people about the power of their own minds. He teaches us that we are getting the results of our thinking and therefore our body’s number one limitation is our beliefs.

He uses breathing techniques to connect to his own power. Many spiritual paths have taught for centuries about the power of becoming more conscious of our breath. Clearly, there is something very empowering about this. By connecting our breathing and our minds to empowering beliefs, we are now capable of doing many things, perhaps even miracles. Defining what is a “miracle” can be very subjective. What is commonly agreed upon is miracles are acts or accomplishments most would have believed not possible.

Watching Wim Hof challenged me to ask myself what am I believing about my body? What stories do I hold on to about my pain? What do I believe I am capable of doing to heal my body? What do I believe about aging and what my body is capable of doing at certain stages of my life? What is my body trying to tell me through this pain? Do I allow my pain to anger or frighten me? Do I fight the pain? Or do I use it as an opportunity to question my mind and perhaps even do things that most thought would not be possible for me?

So Why The Ice Man?

I believe people like the Ice Man and Jesus have a lot in common.

I believe the Ice Man is able to connect to his Christ consciousness, that electrical current of higher power and not stay in our society's collective consciousness. He does not believe what others in the medical field say are the limitations to our bodies. He decided that he would choose his beliefs about his body and then live them.

Watching the Ice Man made me ask myself:

What are my beliefs about my body and aging?

Am I connecting to the electrical current of a higher power that is within me?

Am I connecting to my Christ consciousness so I too can do what Jesus said I could do?

I found the answers to these questions came by visualizing myself connecting to that higher power, that electrical current running through me. The result was a much clearer sense of myself. Once I became aware of my weakening beliefs, I was able to question them. Questioning my painful beliefs allows me to create space between myself and my beliefs. If I find my thoughts are creating suffering, questioning them allows me to release them, leaving me feeling self-empowered and connected to an inner knowing that I am capable of doing great things.

Questioning my thoughts is an ongoing process. Unfortunately, I am very attached to some of my limiting beliefs, those same ones I frequently hear in our society. You may hear and believe some of these yourself:

If you go outside without a jacket you will get sick.

I got sick because I work with kids.

Once you hit 50 it’s all downhill from there.

I can’t help it that I got sick. It’s because…

Questioning our thoughts and letting go of painful limiting beliefs and connecting to our power within seems to be is a never-ending requirement if we want to feel happy, empowered and do great things. We strengthen our minds each time we do, but we are never done “house cleaning” the mind.

Physical, mental or emotional pain is a wonderful indicator that it is time to stop, question our mind and use our mind to connect to the power within. When we stop to connect to our Christ consciousness not only will we be able to do great things, as Jesus assured us, but we will be more equipped to do what Jesus also asked us to do:

Love one another.

I now invite you to sit in silent reflection and perhaps, if you are brave enough, witness and question your own thoughts.

What Do The Ice Man and Jesus Have in Common?