Twice blessed

 In an attempt to help the people repent, the Lord's prophet Elijah prays for a draught and a famine follows. At first, Elijah lives by the brook Cherith and is fed miraculously by the ravens.  Then the brook dries up... 

1 Kings 17:8-16

8 ¶And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,

 9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.

 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

 11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.

 12 And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

 13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.

 14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that theLord sendeth rain upon the earth.

 15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

 16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.

There are so many things to love about this miracle.  My grandpa passed away almost exactly two years ago.  He was almost 90, and had been sick for a very long time.  He was very sick in the 10 days leading to his death, and my family prayed earnestly for his release.  Death didn't come quickly, and it was heartbreaking to witness.  Reflecting on it afterward, my dad said, "Maybe more people needed to be part of the miracle."  Many people reached out to serve our family, and their love was like rain in a time of draught.  God could have continued to sustain Elijah by the ravens, but rather, He intended to include more people in the miracle. 

I have also experienced the miracle of being saved by the service I have given.  I know as disciples of Christ we are supposed to go about doing good, but service does not always come easily.  The miracle reminds me that the Lord provides me opportunities to service as a means to bless me.  Everything the Lord does is twice blessed. 

A Miracle for Fathers

Matthew 2:13-15, 19-21

And when they [the wise men] were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.

And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

President Boyd K Packer said,

“Now, fathers, I would remind you of the sacred nature of your calling.  You have the power of the priesthood directly from the Lord to protect your home.  There will be times when all that stands as as shield between your family and the adversary’s mischief will be that power.  You will receive direction from the Lord by way of the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Many years ago, I was at a critical crossroads in my life.  My mother had done her best to steer me down a different path than the one I was on.  Her efforts caused me to slow down, be cautious, and figure things out.  But, it was my father that helped me have the clarity I desperately needed. I called him to wish him Happy Father’s Day, and because of that conversation, he helped me to “flee to Egypt,” and escape the certain destruction of the path I was on.  I know miracles happen and divine help comes as fathers seek to protect their families.

A Miracle for Mothers

The Book of Mormon tells of the miraculous preservation of 2,060 young warriors.  After converting to the gospel of Jesus Christ, their once blood-thirsty fathers covenanted never to shed blood again.  They found themselves in a precarious situation after continually being faced with war, and being forced to rely upon others for their defense.  The fathers were contemplating taking up arms again.  Not having made the same covenant, their sons offered to fight in their place.  

Their prophet leader recorded that he had never seen greater courage.  The young men recounted to him, "Our God is with us, and He will not suffer us that wo should fall; then let us go forth..."  It was written of them, "they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their live; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them." The young men rehearsed unto their leader the words of their mothers, saying: "We do not doubt our mothers knew it."  The stripling warriors fought in dangerous battles, receiving many wounds, but not one was killed.  

I have often thought about the mothers of this story, and the role they played in bringing about this miracle of protection for their children.  I believe that the only way they could have had no doubt regarding the return and preservation of their sons is if they had a witness of the Holy Ghost.  I can see in my minds eye these mothers pleading in prayer after their sons were determined to fight.  Given the history of this group of people, many of them may have been widowed mothers Alma 24:20-23.  I think these mothers advocated in their behalf and were promised blessings through the Spirit.  They trusted the promised blessings, and their sons were able to do the same.  Miracles follow praying mothers. 

The Miracle of Forgiveness

Mark 2:1-12

And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.  And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.

And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.

And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.  When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speaks blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? 

And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?

Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? 

But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)  I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.  And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

I love that Jesus is not only willing to forgive, but wants to make sure the man knows He is forgiven.  I am grateful for the gift of forgiveness in my life, but even more importantly, I am grateful for the ways God has let me know that I am forgiven.  

Here is a great talk on this subject.  

Cast about your eyes

Today's miracle took place when Moses was leading the children of Israel through the wilderness to the promised land.  

Number 21:5-9

 5 And the people ^aspake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? forthere is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.

 6 And the Lord sent ^afiery ^bserpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

 7 ¶Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have ^asinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses ^bprayed for the people.

 8 And the Lord said unto Moses, ^aMake thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall ^blive.

 9 And Moses made a ^aserpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

For me, this miracle shows God's availability to us, and His mercy. He makes it easy to qualify for His grace and intervention in our lives while honoring our agency. 

I often think of communing with God like the metaphor of Moses climbing the mountain to speak to Him. Much of my religious experience feels like mountain climbing. But equally as important and valid an experience is to "cast about [our] eyes," (Alma 33:20-21). To look and live. God's grace is powerful. His mercy is abundant.

A new heart

Today was feeling very unmiraculous.  It is a grey day in central Pennsylvania, and it is raining buckets.  I feel like I have been experiencing layers of difficulties for many months.  Not the kind of challenges that would make a good book or movie, but challenges that are significant and stretching for me. 

I woke up today trying to have a new day, but with the difficulties of yesterday following me.  I thought about gratitude preceding miracles.  I gave myself a pep talk.  I thought about what I might write about today.  Which miracle?  Sometimes it is easier for me to believe that Christ can raise Jarius’ daughter from the dead, or that he can feed 5,000+ with five loaves and two fishes than it is to believe that with His help I will be able to make potato casserole for 125 people, prepare my family for a 12 day trip, and be ready to speak in church for 20 minutes on Sunday. 

Then I rear-ended someone on my way to the store to buy treats for the airplane and pounds and pounds of cheese, butter, and sour cream for the potato casserole.  Fortunately, everyone was fine.  We exchanged insurance information, and then I went to the store to buy the groceries I needed. 

On my way home I prayed. I felt sad, overwhelmed, and picked on.  As I prayed, I felt the pit dissolving in my stomach, and the heaviness in my heart dissipating.  I felt hopeful. 

Tonight’s miracle is a short, but powerful one.  Alma 5:7 says, “Behold, He changed their hearts…”  A new heart is a miracle I am always grateful for, and one I often find myself seeking.  Often in life God is isn’t willing to change our circumstances for us, but in my experience, He will quickly help change how we feel about our circumstances.  For me that is what a change of heart is all about.  If I can feel right I can do and act right.  For me that requires divine help; the miracle of a changed heart. 

The Power of Gratitude

John 6:5-13

When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, “Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?”  And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, “There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?”

And Jesus said, “Make the men sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

I have often wondered if gratitude wasn’t an important part of what made this miracle happen.  It has been said that faith precedes the miracle, but maybe sometimes it is gratitude that precedes the miracle.  Perhaps gratitude is a powerful expression of faith that I ought to apply in my life more readily.  Many months ago I came across this TED Talk, and it has changed my life. Although there are still miracles I am hoping and waiting for, I have experienced the miracle of gratitude as a coping strategy.  My life is happier because gratitude helps me to have fewer Andrew moments, "but what are they among so many?"  Watch the talk and give thanks. 

It's not too late

The miracle of Jarius' daughter begins after Jesus returns by boat to the other side of the lake.  It seems as though Jarius, a ruler of the synagogue, has been waiting for his arrival.  When Jarius sees Christ,  "he fell at his feet, and besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.  And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him." Mark 5:22-24

While on his way to heal the girl, another woman seeks and receives a miraculous healing.  She has been sick for 12 years and has faith that if she can just touch Christ, she will be healed.  She does and she is.  Christ, aware of the miracle, stops to find her and tell her that her faith has made her whole.  Although it is beautiful and life changing experience for this woman, it appears that this delay has been fatal for Jarius’ daughter. 

"While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?”

But Jesus tells them in effect, “It‘s not too late.”

“As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.  And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.  But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.  And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.  And straightway the damsel arose and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.”  Mark 5:35-42

I love this miracle.  Elder Richard G. Scott taught, "To produce fruit, your trust in the Lord must be more powerful and enduring than your confidence in your own personal feelings and experience.  To exercise faith is to trust that the Lord knows what He is doing with you and that He can accomplish it for your eternal good even though you cannot understand how He can possibly do it."  Whether we think that Christ's power is limited by time, or by our own imperfections, or the good He is doing in someone else's life, or the sometimes daunting circumstances of mortality, we are wrong.  It's not too late.  Be not afraid, only believe. When we do, miracles like that which the family of Jarius experienced can be ours as well. 

A Hand

Teddy and I saw a miracle today. I wasn't planning to share my own personal miracles, wanting the events to be something we all can read and experience in the scriptures, but if you have a hand, this is your miracle, too. 

As Teddy's sentinel of sleep, I was by his crib helping him to be still and relaxed to invite a nap.  He was close to sleep several times. But instead, he kept extending his hand away from his body and repeatedly opening and closing his fingers, watching with keen interest how his hand worked.  Open. Close. Open. Close. Open. Close.  "Isn't it amazing?" I whispered.  

I recently read this talk from President Howard W. Hunter. Here is an excerpt: 

...startling and wonder-filled as they were, Christ’s many miracles were only reflections of those greater marvels which his Father had performed before him and continues to perform all around us. Indeed, the Savior’s humble performance of such obviously divine acts may be just one very special application of the declarations he made:

“The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise” (John 5:19) and “I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me” (John 8:28).

For example, the first miracle by Jesus recorded in the New Testament was the turning of water into wine at the marriage at Cana. (See John 2:1–11.) But poor, indeed, was the making of the wine in the pots of stone, compared with its original making in the beauty of the vine and the abundance of the swelling grapes. No one could explain the onetime miracle at the wedding feast, but then neither could they explain the everyday miracle of the splendor of the vineyard itself.

It is most remarkable to witness one who is deaf made to hear again. But surely that great blessing is no more startling than the wondrous combination of bones and skin and nerves that lets our ears receive the beautiful world of sound. Should we not stand in awe of the blessing of hearing and give glory to God for that miracle, even as we do when hearing is restored after it has been lost?

Is it not the same for the return of one’s sight or the utterance of our speech, or even that greatest miracle of all—the restoration of life? The original creations of the Father constitute a truly wonder-filled world. Are not the greatest miracles the fact that we have life and limb and sight and speech in the first place? Yes, there will always be plenty of miracles if we have "eyes to see and ears to hear."

Teddy seemed to recognize that truth today, and he helped me do so, too. "There are nothing but gifts on this poor, poor earth."  Czeslaw Milosz

A Countdown to Christmas

In an attempt to help us believe in Christ and come to know Him, Moroni (a prophet of the Book of Mormon) declared, "I will show unto you a god of miracles,"Mormon 9:11 The Book of Mormon Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

John similarly invited us to come to know Christ by pointing to his miracles: "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name,"  John 20:30-31 Holy Bible. 

To countdown to Christmas this year, I am going to write about a different miracle recorded in the scriptures each day. I hope you will join me, and that we will come to see ourselves in the miracles, become better acquainted with Christ, and have more faith in His love, power, and willingness to bless us.   

Today's miracle is recorded in 2 Kings 20:1-6

     In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death.  And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. 
     Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying, I beseech thee, O Lord, remember how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight.  And Hezekiah wept sore.  
     And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard they prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. 
     And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.  

I have often wondered if my prayers had any real power. If we are supposed to pray for God's will to be done, and He is just going to do His own will anyway, I have wondered what is the point of praying for what I want?

The LDS bible dictionary teaches, "The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them."

I love Hezekiah's miracle. It shows that the blessings God is willing to grant are generous and miraculous, and that our prayers do have power.  There are other instances in the scriptures where God specifically points out that the outcome is directly because of a person's prayer (Alma 31:38, Mosiah 27:14).  In such cases, God's will isn't being changed because of prayer, but rather it is more fully accomplished.  Because of our prayers and His power, we can change what is and what will be.  That is a miracle.

Best Family Home Evening Ever

Tonight was my turn to plan Family Home Evening, and I asked Harris if he wanted to be in charge of the lesson.  He used his toy microphone, and told us to find a place to sit on our rug.  We sang a song, had a prayer, and then he taught us a beautiful, simple, powerful lesson.  

I suggested he choose a picture from our gospel art book.  The book was opened to page with this picture and he said, "Heavenly Father wants us to hold this lamb like Jesus."  He said it as if the purpose of the picture was for Jesus to show us how to hold a lamb.  I admit, in the moment, Clark and I looked at each other trying to hold the laughter in.  Then Harris gave each of us a turn with the microphone and book.  It wasn't until I was getting Teddy to bed that I thought about what he had taught us.  Heavenly Father wants us to do everything like Jesus did them.   I feel like this is the answer to my prayers about how to handle a difficult social situation in my life.  I need to be kind and truth telling (sometimes seemingly  mutually exclusive). 

This weekend was conference weekend*.  We watch 4 (5 if you are male 12 yrs. old or older) 2-hr. sessions of prophets and church leaders teaching us the good word via a worldwide tv semi-annual broadcast.  We are invited to come with questions, praying that we will receive answers, and are promised divine response in return for our preparation and sincerity.  I tried to prepare myself and my boys.  I wrote down a list of questions, or situations that I hoped to receive guidance on.  I talked with Harris for several days leading up to conference about what it was, why it was important and who would be speaking.  I made treats, and little games and activities to try to create enthusiasm, and some order so we could listen.  Despite my preparation, I didn't feel like I could listen as  I would have liked.  I felt uplifted, but I didn't feel like I received specific guidance for me.  I wondered if next year Clark and I should each have one session where we locked ourselves in a room to watch it solo.  But, that didn't seem to be the answer.  I think there is something important and powerful about gathering as a family to listen.  As I thought about it, I felt a little sad that I had missed out on something.  But, quickly felt the assurance through God's Spirit that although, I couldn't participate without distractions and interruptions of two darling boys, God would use those very boys to teach me-- daily.  I felt that my role as a mother wouldn't make it more difficult to receive divine response, but easier.  Tonight I experienced it, and I am grateful for the beauty of God's hand in my life.  

*to view or read transcripts of conference click here

A difficult question

Weeks ago I attempted to create a profile for mormon.org.  I was doing it out of a sense of duty, and thought I could quickly check it off the list while Harris operated his toy crane and while Teddy gnawed on his super-sized lego.  But, I was wrong.  

The template asks, "How do you live your faith?" It seems like a serious question deserving of a serious answer. I thought about it and determined the allotted 2000 characters weren't sufficient.  I couldn't think of anything I could say to capture how much my faith means to me, and that although my efforts to be Christ-like are quite incipient they are also fruitful because of His power and goodness, not mine.    

Because I failed to answer the question and create the profile, I decided to keep this blog instead.  I will record my day-to-day attempts to apply the teachings of Christ's gospel and my evolving understanding of them .  I am hopeful that it will help me to someday be able answer the question in 2000 charcters, but if I only had two words they would be: grace and progress.