Once upon a time Katie and I sang that in like 3rd or 4th grade. It was supposed to be a duet and the choir was supposed to come in at the end, but before they could, the guy in charge of the music stopped it. It was a wee bit awkward.
But that's not the point!!
The point is that miracles do happen. And I don't just mean in the past. I don't even mean in the way the sun rises and spring (eventually) comes. I mean, real, true miracles occur. God hears our prayers, our pleas in the middle of the night. He knows our sorrows, and counts our tears. And sometimes, if it is His will, He sees fit to completely show His hand in our life.
I shall now illustrate this point.
1. 9th grade. 9th grade was both a really bad and a really good year. I had just moved up from Arizona, and started going to school in a state where I literally didn't know anyone outside of family. I was terrified. I wanted to go back to Basha, or even *shudder* Hamilton ;). But as my parents were deciding on whether to let us stay in AZ until the house sold, or move up to Utah and move in with my grandparents, my mother felt prompted that we needed to move. Bless my amazing Dad, he didn't even question the prompting, and we moved. I was so mad at them for a while. Furious. We moved in with my grandparents and Katie and I were back to not only sharing a room, but sharing a bed.
We had a month with my grandparents before my amazing grandfather passed away. I got to spend a month living with him, laughing with him, and making memories. I still remember, we were sealing the deck after the annual pool-closing party, and as I was running up to the gazebo to put something away, Grandpa turned the hose on me and totally soaked me! As furious as I was with mom and Dad, I wouldn't trade that month for anything in the world.
Granted, 9th grade, as previously stated, was not a good year. I got bullied, ruthlessly, by a group of kids that ended up in one of them flat out punching me in the face. I cried a lot. I had to experience my first real winter. But I also had the chance to make several very good friends, which surprisingly enough, I have more of my friends from 9th grade up in Logan than I do friends from high school. The Lord knew what was best for me in the long run. It wasn't what I wanted, but it was an absolute miracle. It wasn't coincidence that I got to spend that last month with my Grandpa.
2. Mission call. The whole mission process was a miracle. In the summer after I graduated from high school, I felt like I should really study out of Preach My Gospel. My entire life, I had felt like I was going to go through the temple earlier than 21. Sure enough, October came around, and President Monson made an announcement that changed my life. Absolutely and completely. I know knew why my friends and I had been preparing as if to go on a mission. Because we were going on missions.
I was nervous about my call. Everyone thought I was going to Russia, to be honest. I knew I'd go stateside, simply because of some medical and emotional issues that I won't discuss here, but I was really worried I'd open my call and be disappointed in where I was going. I wasn't even sure this was the right decision. Plus, after I broke my wrist I was angry and upset and scared it would alter my report date. Every single one of those concerns was washed down the drain as I read my call. Louisiana. Practically a different country. July 24th. My wrist would be fine by then (actually, it's almost fine by now). Most importantly, I knew that this is where the Lord had ALWAYS planned for me to go. It was a miracle in timing, and a miracle in placement. This mission has changed my life already, and I'm not even on it yet!
3. I am not going to relate my entire LDV story, as it's been stated before. But Latter-Day Voices is a miracle. Absolutely. 100%. The people I've met, the things we've done have been perfectly and exactly what I needed in life. It didn't make the problems go away, but it certainly made them easier to bear.
There's another one still in progress right now, but it's one I have been praying for for almost a month now. He HEARS us! He knows us and only needs us to ask before He pours out blessings upon us! Every cry is heard. No matter if it's simply "I can't find my car keys" or "I really need to accompany this song well" or "I need to find a person's name to take to the temple today." Even if it's "I just need someone to smile and say hello" or "I just need to know there's someone listening." Ask, and ye shall receive. And He will answer in a way that is the best for OUR needs. This isn't just a generalized formula for output of blessings. This is an ISP--and individualized salvation plan. He's our Father. He knows EXACTLY how we need to receive blessings. Sometimes it's the 2x4 method, I can testify to that. But once you learn that, you will see that miracles are everywhere. Even big miracles are everywhere.
Guys! this is the GOOD NEWS!
AMEN till next time!
<3Cass
But that's not the point!!
The point is that miracles do happen. And I don't just mean in the past. I don't even mean in the way the sun rises and spring (eventually) comes. I mean, real, true miracles occur. God hears our prayers, our pleas in the middle of the night. He knows our sorrows, and counts our tears. And sometimes, if it is His will, He sees fit to completely show His hand in our life.
I shall now illustrate this point.
1. 9th grade. 9th grade was both a really bad and a really good year. I had just moved up from Arizona, and started going to school in a state where I literally didn't know anyone outside of family. I was terrified. I wanted to go back to Basha, or even *shudder* Hamilton ;). But as my parents were deciding on whether to let us stay in AZ until the house sold, or move up to Utah and move in with my grandparents, my mother felt prompted that we needed to move. Bless my amazing Dad, he didn't even question the prompting, and we moved. I was so mad at them for a while. Furious. We moved in with my grandparents and Katie and I were back to not only sharing a room, but sharing a bed.
We had a month with my grandparents before my amazing grandfather passed away. I got to spend a month living with him, laughing with him, and making memories. I still remember, we were sealing the deck after the annual pool-closing party, and as I was running up to the gazebo to put something away, Grandpa turned the hose on me and totally soaked me! As furious as I was with mom and Dad, I wouldn't trade that month for anything in the world.
Granted, 9th grade, as previously stated, was not a good year. I got bullied, ruthlessly, by a group of kids that ended up in one of them flat out punching me in the face. I cried a lot. I had to experience my first real winter. But I also had the chance to make several very good friends, which surprisingly enough, I have more of my friends from 9th grade up in Logan than I do friends from high school. The Lord knew what was best for me in the long run. It wasn't what I wanted, but it was an absolute miracle. It wasn't coincidence that I got to spend that last month with my Grandpa.
2. Mission call. The whole mission process was a miracle. In the summer after I graduated from high school, I felt like I should really study out of Preach My Gospel. My entire life, I had felt like I was going to go through the temple earlier than 21. Sure enough, October came around, and President Monson made an announcement that changed my life. Absolutely and completely. I know knew why my friends and I had been preparing as if to go on a mission. Because we were going on missions.
I was nervous about my call. Everyone thought I was going to Russia, to be honest. I knew I'd go stateside, simply because of some medical and emotional issues that I won't discuss here, but I was really worried I'd open my call and be disappointed in where I was going. I wasn't even sure this was the right decision. Plus, after I broke my wrist I was angry and upset and scared it would alter my report date. Every single one of those concerns was washed down the drain as I read my call. Louisiana. Practically a different country. July 24th. My wrist would be fine by then (actually, it's almost fine by now). Most importantly, I knew that this is where the Lord had ALWAYS planned for me to go. It was a miracle in timing, and a miracle in placement. This mission has changed my life already, and I'm not even on it yet!
3. I am not going to relate my entire LDV story, as it's been stated before. But Latter-Day Voices is a miracle. Absolutely. 100%. The people I've met, the things we've done have been perfectly and exactly what I needed in life. It didn't make the problems go away, but it certainly made them easier to bear.
There's another one still in progress right now, but it's one I have been praying for for almost a month now. He HEARS us! He knows us and only needs us to ask before He pours out blessings upon us! Every cry is heard. No matter if it's simply "I can't find my car keys" or "I really need to accompany this song well" or "I need to find a person's name to take to the temple today." Even if it's "I just need someone to smile and say hello" or "I just need to know there's someone listening." Ask, and ye shall receive. And He will answer in a way that is the best for OUR needs. This isn't just a generalized formula for output of blessings. This is an ISP--and individualized salvation plan. He's our Father. He knows EXACTLY how we need to receive blessings. Sometimes it's the 2x4 method, I can testify to that. But once you learn that, you will see that miracles are everywhere. Even big miracles are everywhere.
Guys! this is the GOOD NEWS!
AMEN till next time!
<3Cass
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