My life has been filled with so many miracles that it was hard to just pick one or two to share on this blog. Not that we all don’t have miracles happen on a daily basis, because we all do. We just need to remind ourselves to look for them. I have personally witnessed miracles that will forever sustain my testimony, shape my character and define who I am as a person and as a daughter of God. I thought I could share a few recent experiences.This past year I was called into the bishop’s office to receive a new calling. As I sat down with our Bishop he said “Sister Jones we would like you to be the new ward Organist” I started laughing and said “ very funny” and the Bishop responded by saying “I am not kidding”. I think we went back and forth like this a few times and then it went silent for a few moments. In my head I was thinking-( does he not know that I don’t actually play the piano, yet the organ?) I shared with him my concern and he told me that this was in fact what the Bishopric had felt was the right thing for me personally. I listened to what his reasoning behind this call was and then I left his office with a pit in my stomach and a very clear -I need to pray about it as a response. I must have revisited his office another three times over the next few weeks to make sure that he knew what he was doing. I kept asking him to ask Heavenly Father again if this was what he indeed wanted for me. I kept praying and asking Heavenly Father to help me know what to do. After about a month of crying, praying and trying to figure out an excuse to get out of the calling( trust me carpel tunnel surgery looked promising) I nervously accepted. I have to admit I almost passed out standing up to receive the calling in church. As I was set apart that same day I felt an overwhelming peace and comfort that this was indeed what Heavenly father wanted for me. So, that night I prayed to know how to begin the process of teaching myself to play the organ. That same night I had a dream that I could play God Speed the Right on the piano. So I awoke the next morning and walked down to our piano in the office and started slowly plunking out the notes to that song .Note by note, the right hand and then the left. I then had the impression to put in a CD of the hymns into the Stereo and try and play the notes one by one along with the CD. That morning I practiced for two hours straight and by the end of the day I had probably practiced a total of four to five hours. The next night I once again had a dream that I was able to play God Speed the right. So first thing that morning I walked down to the piano and sat down to play. I played the entire song all the way through and by the end of the day was able to play it at the right tempo as well. When I finished playing it all the way through I began crying because I knew that I had truly been given this opportunity to witness a miracle of great proportion and was given a very special gift from my Heavenly Father. Within two months of receiving this call I could play 12 hymns. I have played prelude for Sacrament meeting and look forward to my goal of playing for an entire sacrament meeting in the new year.
Does this mean all of us should expect to be able play an instrument by tomorrow? No,. Miracles come in all shapes and forms. This experience was very personal. Heavenly Father and myself are the only ones that will truly understand its magnitude and its purpose for me on this earth and I am truly grateful for his knowledge of what he needs form me and what I need to learn.
Recently my 27 year old little sister became very ill. Family, friends, doctors and ward members and even complete strangers were able to witness a miracle in her behalf.
There wasn’t much hope for her condition at one point. The Doctors couldn’t find what was causing all of her problems. She had already been revived multiple times after flat lining due to an allergy to anesthesia while Doctors were trying to find the cause of her body attacking itself and her internal tissue dying. She had so much tauma to her body and over 20 blood transfusions. Her physical problems had begun 2 years earlier after the birth of her twins, however her condition had become critical over the last 6 months. My husband, children and I would fast and pray for her constantly along with hundreds of others. My parents and siblings stepped in to help care for her children and household. So many others pitched in as well bringing meals, rides to school for the children etc. As a family we knew we had to have hope and faith that she would be okay. There were moments when I would catch myself preparing for the worse and then I would say a little prayer that Heavenly Father would help to sustain my faith. My sister received a blessing that she would eventually be healed, but she needed to be patient. But, when her Doctors began losing hope for her situation it became harder to have a positive attitude. Despite all of the odds against her our family held on tight to the promise of what her blessing had said. Finally after 6+ months her miracle came. A doctor who had seen a case similar to hers and who had performed the surgery that could save my sisters life happened to visit the hospital where my sister was and spoke with her doctor about her case. She knew what could help her- finally. Within days she was taken by life flight to Salt Lake city and received a very complex and high risk surgery. A few days after the surgery her body began to respond. She is now home with her Husband and Children, slowly but surely healing. Her healing has truly been a miracle. It has been a miracle to watch her ward members come to her families aid. It is a miracle the closeness that was felt between my siblings and parents.
In his time we will all receive the miracles and blessings that he wants us to have.
Elder Dallin H Oaks has said Miracles are not available for the asking. We know this from the Lord’s revelation directing that the elders should be called to lay hands on and bless the sick: “It shall come to pass that he that hath faith in me to be healed, and is not appointed unto death, shall be healed” (D&C 42:48).
Sometimes I feel like I am a laman or a lemuel ( Although I am striving really hard to be a Nephi) because I have truly witnessed so many miracles in my life and I still seem to need a refresher course once in awhile in faith. But, I know that miracles still do exisit, that there are so many different types of miracles that are to be seen all around us everyday. A beautiful summer sunset here in the north east still makes me gasp and makes me remember that nature in itself is a miracle. It is in recognizing of these miracles that we will find gratitude and joy, peace and happiness, knowledge and increased faith. I have a true and forever engrained testimony in my heart that miracles still in fact do happen.
Recently my 27 year old little sister became very ill. Family, friends, doctors and ward members and even complete strangers were able to witness a miracle in her behalf.
There wasn’t much hope for her condition at one point. The Doctors couldn’t find what was causing all of her problems. She had already been revived multiple times after flat lining due to an allergy to anesthesia while Doctors were trying to find the cause of her body attacking itself and her internal tissue dying. She had so much tauma to her body and over 20 blood transfusions. Her physical problems had begun 2 years earlier after the birth of her twins, however her condition had become critical over the last 6 months. My husband, children and I would fast and pray for her constantly along with hundreds of others. My parents and siblings stepped in to help care for her children and household. So many others pitched in as well bringing meals, rides to school for the children etc. As a family we knew we had to have hope and faith that she would be okay. There were moments when I would catch myself preparing for the worse and then I would say a little prayer that Heavenly Father would help to sustain my faith. My sister received a blessing that she would eventually be healed, but she needed to be patient. But, when her Doctors began losing hope for her situation it became harder to have a positive attitude. Despite all of the odds against her our family held on tight to the promise of what her blessing had said. Finally after 6+ months her miracle came. A doctor who had seen a case similar to hers and who had performed the surgery that could save my sisters life happened to visit the hospital where my sister was and spoke with her doctor about her case. She knew what could help her- finally. Within days she was taken by life flight to Salt Lake city and received a very complex and high risk surgery. A few days after the surgery her body began to respond. She is now home with her Husband and Children, slowly but surely healing. Her healing has truly been a miracle. It has been a miracle to watch her ward members come to her families aid. It is a miracle the closeness that was felt between my siblings and parents.
In his time we will all receive the miracles and blessings that he wants us to have.
Elder Dallin H Oaks has said Miracles are not available for the asking. We know this from the Lord’s revelation directing that the elders should be called to lay hands on and bless the sick: “It shall come to pass that he that hath faith in me to be healed, and is not appointed unto death, shall be healed” (D&C 42:48).
Sometimes I feel like I am a laman or a lemuel ( Although I am striving really hard to be a Nephi) because I have truly witnessed so many miracles in my life and I still seem to need a refresher course once in awhile in faith. But, I know that miracles still do exisit, that there are so many different types of miracles that are to be seen all around us everyday. A beautiful summer sunset here in the north east still makes me gasp and makes me remember that nature in itself is a miracle. It is in recognizing of these miracles that we will find gratitude and joy, peace and happiness, knowledge and increased faith. I have a true and forever engrained testimony in my heart that miracles still in fact do happen.
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