MIRACLES

I just got back from a 10-day trip to Mexico with my extended family. I had the most amazing time playing in the ocean, lounging in the pool, and catching up with all the relatives I don’t see very often. My fiancé, Cob, wasn’t able to come because he had to work so we could take a honeymoon later this year. I missed him so much, but because he wasn’t there, I was able to spend some quality alone time with my journal and scriptures and some really good books.

One of the books I read was called 20 Real-life Miracles. It might sound like a “chicken noodle soup for the soul” type book, and it totally was. I read it at the pool and I was crying within the first 10 minutes. The book told the true stories of real people who had experienced miracles of one type or another. The first miracle was the story of a woman named Judy who was injured on the first day of her honeymoon. She hit some rocks cliff jumping and was paralyzed from the waist down. Her doctor told her that she should keep her money away from people who promised “miracles” because her condition was not likely to change and there were lots of scams promising healing when it wasn’t possible. Judy was devastated and she entered into a period of deep depression and discouragement. After several months of trying to adjust to life in a wheelchair, Judy’s husband asked if he could give her name to a non-denominational prayer group and see if it helped. She was reluctant to put her faith in anything but because they weren’t asking for money, she agreed. Judy and her husband visited the prayer group to participate in the prayer for her, and while they were praying, Judy said that she was completely overwhelmed by the love of the prayer group and her husband and the love of God. She remembered how lucky she was to have someone to take care of her, the use of other parts of her body, and medicine to make her more comfortable. When the prayer was over, Judy knew she had experienced a miracle. Her legs weren’t healed—she was still confined to the wheelchair—but her heart was made whole. She was able to find happiness in her life that she had neglected before and her faith in God was restored.

I loved this story because of the principles it teaches.

1. The greatest miracles are the ones inside of us. Judy’s miracle wasn’t physical, it was spiritual. When she remembered her blessings and her faith, her heart was healed and her life was filled with joy.

2. We can have miracles if we ask for them. In Judy’s case, she knew her disability was irreversible. But that didn’t stop her for asking for a miracle. And she got it, even if it wasn’t in the way that she expected.

3. Miracles depend on our attitude. Judy could have seen her experience as a failure, because she wasn’t able to get up from her wheelchair. But she chose to see her experience as a miracle and her whole life was changed because of it.

4. Prayer works. So many times we think that our lives are stuck in one direction and we forget that we can pray for change and we can pray for miracles and that those things really work.

5. Everything is a miracle. When Judy looked at her husband and the hundreds of strangers who loved her and prayed for her to be healed, she realized what a miracle that was and how blessed she had already been. I think it’s the same way for us. When I look back on my life, I can see how many miracles have taken place for me. Being in college, getting married to the man that I love, being able to worship the way I want to—all of those things are miracles if I will open my eyes to see them.

The whole book was amazing, but Judy’s story really touched me and inspired me to be more aware of miracles in my life and to have a better attitude towards the miracles I am given. I’m going to pray more so I can access more of the blessings Heavenly Father has in store for me.

Love, Rebecca