For years I have heard and pondered on the amount of faith required to be a part of miracles. Greg's family has books full of stories of great faith. Wine being turned to water, dieseased tonsils being cured without surgery, cancer being removed without doctor care or surgery, even strep throat being cured in time for a party. Water sources found for wells, and locomotives fixed by novice mechanics and great accidents being avoided or protection given through explosions. I heard these stories from the mouths of some who experienced the blessings and was moved by their faith.
I have pondered what makes great faith? Is it hoping more, praying and fasting more, being more righteous? How do these miracles occur? I have wanted with all my heart for my children to be made well, I have asked for blessings and believed they would work. Yet we still have strep throat when we go to the doctor and we still have things happen.
This past conference our prophet shared a story about a young pilot down at sea commanding a rescue boat to come and find him and his crew. He was inspired by the Holy Spirit to do this. We are also reading in the Book of Mormon (Alma chapters13 -15) where a prophet (Alma) and his mission companion (Amulek) watched while many believers were burned for their belief in Christ. This same Holy Spirit had constrained the prophet (Alma) from stopping the murders, saying that sometimes God allows these things to happen so when he pours our his judgements on the offenders it will be just. Yet later in the same story the prophet and his companion are instructed by the Holy Spirit to command the prison walls to crumble to the ground.
An apostle (Elder Nelson) in the same conference counseled how important it is to learn to be more faithful and to learn the workings of God. We must pray more sincerely, study more, and exercise faith. Additionally wise women have shared their experience from changing their prayers and pleas to God for more sleep or restful children to gratitude for the few hours they do gather, and petitions that they will be able to do the necessary things moms must do each day.
So as I continue to learn about faith, miracles, and my relationship with God I'm thankful we have not succumbed to rheumatic fever, we are mostly cured with amoxicillin, we haven't had strep yet this year (a rare thing for us), and we are generally healthy. We have no long term disabilities, we are safe, well fed and loved.
Although these were not the miracle cures I may have been seeking, I have learned that opportunities nurturing and pondering lead to greater blessing than the I want it now! things I hope for. It's after the trial of my faith and the broadening of my understanding, compassion, and need that I learn and understand what others also came to know. I don't have a collection of stories yet, and maybe I won't, but I do have a relationship and trust in God that he will not withhold blessings and has not even if I fail to understand them at the time.
As I write this I remember times when we sorely needed help, much more than the tedium of strep throat and were blessed. From Harold's scary birth and lingering heart problem, to Livy's whopping cough, to our business from year to year we are able to carry on and if we choose to count them we are very blessed. Life is good, it is better when acknowledging God's hand in all things. Speaking to myself --Count your blessings name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done!
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