Little Miracles…
On Dictionary.com, there are a few definitions of the word, “Miracle.” These are the first two:
an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.
such an effect or event manifesting or considered as a work of God.
I would like to share a recent “little miracle” that began in my life on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, and it is still reverberating in my soul today.
I love to study scriptures! I also love the “Study Guide” that our church provides to help us understand the meaning of the scriptures better. It is called, Come Follow Me. This year, we are studying the New Testament. The church has provided printed manuals we can read, or we can study the weekly lessons by reading or listening to them on our cell phones or other devices.
Each Monday, a new lesson is introduced. My habit is to quickly read through the lesson on Monday and bookmark all the additional talks that are suggested or the talks from which quotations have been taken. I like to listen to these talks throughout the week as I run errands or do housework and laundry.
On Monday, 2/27/23, I quickly read the lesson and bookmarked all the talks. On Tuesday, 2/28/23, I decided to listen to the weekly lesson as I was running errands. As I listened to the voice reading the section, “JESUS CHRIST HAS POWER TO BRING PEACE IN THE MIDST OF LIFE’S STORMS,” something was different from the day before. The voice said:
Have you ever felt the way Jesus’s disciples did in the storm at sea—watching the waves of water fill the boat and questioning, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?”
In Mark 4:35–41, you will find four questions. List each one, and ponder what it teaches you about facing life’s challenges with faith in Jesus Christ. How does the Savior bring peace to the storms of your life?
See also Lisa L. Harkness, “Peace, Be Still,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 80–82.
Or…
I couldn’t remember exactly what the voice said next. All I could remember was that it spoke of a talk about “faith not fear.”
I thought to myself, “That’s strange. I don’t remember reading about that talk yesterday when I bookmarked all the other suggested talks. When I got to my destination, I stopped and looked at my cell phone at the lesson for the week—February 27–March 5. Matthew 8; Mark 2–4; Luke 7: “Thy Faith Hath Saved Thee.”
The “faith not fear” talk was NOT listed under Lisa Harkness’s talk. Very strange.
When I arrived home, I decided to Google, “Faith Not Fear. LDS” to see what might pop up. I thought perhaps it would be a General Conference talk that I had listened to before, which most of these suggested talks are. At the top of the Google list was a talk entitled, “A Time for Faith Not Fear” by Elder Larry W. Gibbons. It was a talk I had never heard before because it was from a “North America Southeast Area multi-stake conference broadcast address delivered on January 31, 2010.”
I immediately started reading this talk. It was perfect for the circumstances I was going through at the time. I thought back to the silent prayers I had offered earlier that week when I told the Lord I needed to learn more about faith. I realized that He had answered my prayer by sending me this audible message to listen to the talk, “A Time for Faith Not Fear.”
I rarely get answers to prayers that come so quickly or that come in such a miraculous way. I was amazed! This was truly an “extraordinary event” and a “work of God.” Indeed, it was a tender mercy and miracle for me!
If you want to increase your faith in our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ, I suggest you read this whole article! For now, I will share my two favorite quotations with you:
Many years ago, I took a rafting trip through the Grand Canyon with my son and friends. It was a great adventure. As we traveled down the river through the canyon, we would sometimes hear the roar of the rapids around the next bend. It was frankly a bit frightening. We were tempted to pull over and park the boat. But shooting the rapids, though a bit scary, turned out to be the best part of the trip.
Rapids are a part of our journey. Sometimes they may even upset the boat. But navigating the rapids of life brings a great sense of accomplishment and exhilaration we would miss if we got out and waited on the bank. The rapids really are the best part.
When I read these words, I had to stop and re-read them a few times and ponder their message. I thoughtfully looked back on the many trials I have experienced in my life and had a sudden paradigm shift. I realized, with new appreciation, that my “trials” were indeed “rapids” that had changed the course of my “journey” by forcing me into uncharted waters time and time again.
I never would have used the words, “a great sense of accomplishment and exhilaration,” to describe how I survived trials in the past, but I found myself smiling at this thought. I said out loud, “OK! This is going to be awesome!”
I know I will have more trials in life, but I now feel better prepared for “shooting the rapids” because I understand what the end result will be—increased faith in the Lord. I completely believe in the truth of this second quotation:
When the night is dark and the clouds are thick,
we have an opportunity to put our hand in the Lord’s hand
and rely on Him to help us through.
It will be another miracle.