Miracles We often hear that miracles cease to exist and about people who have turned away from God, because they have suffered. But the truth is that miracles still exist.
Ryan and I had the opportunity to witness several miracles first hand last week. Ryan had promptings for the last several weeks to go visit a particular friend. Our family had actually dropped off a treat to him and his wife Thursday evening, and we noticed things were a bit off. Something wasn't alright.
Saturday, I took the kids to the zoo and children's museum, while Ryan attended the temple. On our way home, he called me to tell me that he couldn't shake the prompting anymore. He needed to visit this friend.
I should also preface this with the fact that several other friends have attempted to stop by to see this friend and many times, he has shut the door in their face, because he didn't want to see anyone. That was definitely on Ryan's mind, as he traveled there.
What happened, though, is the miracle. This friend let Ryan in and they began talking and ended up talking for a couple of hours. Everything that we went through last year is just what happened to this friend. What are the chances of that?
What's even more is that Heavenly Father was able to consecrate our suffering from last year and earlier this year for our good and others' good. Ryan was able to relate so much to this friend, because he had complete empathy for him.
The next day at church, we didn't know if this friend would be in attendance or not, as no one has seen him in six months. When we arrived, he was already sitting in the pew next to his lovely wife. We immediately went over and hugged him.
As the meeting proceeded, the first speaker discussed pioneer events and such, relating to July 24th. He gave a fantastic talk and it was wonderful, but the whole time, we had a prayer in our hearts that something would be spoken in relation to our friend that would lift him.
The second speaker said that she almost called the bishopric earlier that morning to tell them there was no way she could give the talk that day. Every time she sat down to write her talk, she got the feeling she needed to talk about the love of God and the atonement of Jesus Christ and how trials can bless our lives and about her experience with clinical depression. She ended up going with her feeling and she spoke for 30 minutes on the subject. I happen to know this particular sister really well, and so I was hopeful that she would share her experience with depression. She had alluded to it multiple times, but not in detail. Again, we kept prayers in our hearts that she would communicate this. Sure enough, the last few minutes of her talk, she shared this very personal trial.
What are the chances that this would happen on the only day that our friend attends church once in six months' time? What are the chances that the particular speaker would have direct experience with the exact thing he was going through? What are the chances that she would say all of the things he needed to hear?
Heavenly Father loves each of us as individuals. He specifically orchestrated a sacrament meeting for one of his children just to let that child know that He is aware and cares for him.
Miracles still exist. I know that as we keep our eyes open, that we can witness them each day.
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