Daily Miracles and Service Opportunities

My Desires to Improve
For the longest time, I've wanted to improve my ability to recognize daily miracles that happen in my life, as well as recognizing opportunities to serve other people. So, it's been 3.5 years since I came home from Peru, right? To those of you who haven't served missions or aren't members of my church or perhaps any church, please don't be turned off by this. I promise there's a point to me bringing up my mission experience. Basically, and any returned missionary can attest to this, when you've dedicated 18 months or 2 years of your life to serving Jesus Christ and bringing people to Him, there's a special feeling that comes with it. Feeling the Holy Ghost much more in your life is the easiest way to describe it. Well, when you come home from your mission, no matter how hard you try, you just can't replicate that feeling you had as a missionary. Believe me, I've been trying for 3.5 years, and I haven't been successful. I feel little "moments" you could say of what I used to feel, but I haven't been able to feel it consistently like I used to.
But I've had a thought recently (probably inspired by the Spirit), that one of the major things that made that "mission feeling" so incredible (at least for me, I can't speak for anyone else) was that the ability to recognize daily miracles came super easily to me as a missionary. I basically saw everything as a miracle, whether it be something small like receiving a free mandarin orange from someone (that happened to me a LOT) or something huge like someone I taught accepting the invitation to be baptized. It was easy to see these miracles and attribute them to the God I worship.
Before I go on, I know there are many of you reading this who either are members of my faith and haven't served missions, or you're not members of my faith or perhaps any faith. To you, I'd like to share a quote by Albert Einstein: “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” I find a lot of truth and wisdom in this statement. The choice is ours what kind of lives we want to lead, but you can have different beliefs than me and still believe in miracles if you so choose. You don't even have to be religious to believe in miracles!
Miracles
The real question is, what can be considered a miracle? Some may think of things like walking on water or the most unlikely remission from a terminal illness. Others may think of the heavenly gaze of newborns, the love felt at Christmastime, or shooting stars. For me, I try to see miracles in my daily interactions with friends and loved ones, hot showers (which I HAVE gone without ;), my miraculous ability to roll out of bed even when I'm tired, and making progress on my seemingly endless mountain of homework. And you know what has happened as a result of this practice? I've been able to see miracles every single day of my life, and I've been able to feel a more consistent Spirit similar to the "mission feeling" I referenced earlier. I write miracles down in a note in my phone when I see them, then at the end of the day, I look over them again and copy them into a small notebook I have designated for this purpose. I do this every night. When I first started this in late October, I wrote 2-3 things down. Now I'm up to 8 things a day, and I'm sure I could write much more than that.
One thing I've noticed is that when you start looking for something, you're sure to find it. Then you get better at finding it because you get used to looking for it. For instance, if you look for the faults in people (consciously or subconsciously), you're sure to find them, until that becomes the predominant thing you see in people. Conversely, if you start looking for the good in people, you're sure to find that, then you start to see that more and more. It's the same with miracles. Once you make a habit of looking, recognizing it gets easier and easier.
Service
Same goes for service opportunities! The more you look, the more you find, and the better you get at finding them. It could be something as simple as taking out the trash or listening to/giving advice to a struggling friend. It doesn't have to be huge. That's what I've learned from this. We're ALL struggling with hard things. Service in all its forms is a reminder that we're not alone, and that there are people watching out for us. The beauty of it is that we don't necessarily have to know what a person is struggling with to help them. And yet, the recipient's burdens are still made lighter. Imagine how different this world would be if everyone served one another instead of competing with each other, tearing each other down, and warring with each other. That's a world that I want to see.
We do get a glimpse of that world every December though. Why do people always wish that the Christmas season could last all year round? Because there's a special feeling of hope and love that is completely unique to this time of year. We gather together. We give each other gifts. We forgive debts. We put aside our differences. We bury our hatchets. We sing joyous songs of peace! We put up lights, candles, and trees! We wear bright colors! And we look to the new year with optimism. 
An Invitation and A Challenge
This December, no matter what religion or beliefs you profess, I'd invite you to look for the daily miracles in your life, because I guarantee that they're all around you. I promise that if you do, your heart will be filled with gratitude for all the miracles around you, and you will feel loved. And you'll get better at seeing the little miracles that happen everyday. I'm also challenging you to find ways to serve other people every day. I promise that even if you feel like your own personal burdens are too heavy and difficult to bear, you will make someone else's burdens lighter, as well as your own. Look outward, not inward. I can testify of that from both the giving and the receiving end. Life will become easier, not because the challenges we face on a daily basis get easier, but because we get stronger. Build others up, and build yourself up. Be a light this holiday season and beyond! And make both the world and yourself better in the process. :)