Since I decided to adopt this philosophy, I am amazed at the miracles I see around me everyday. In my own life, recently a friend of Hunter's gave us a CD with pictures from their high school years. He also handed me a copy of their senior DVD. He told me he had no idea how he had ended up with two copies, but when he was going through things, there it was. I was talking to his mom about it later and she told me that the fact that he had not only the DVD, but an extra copy of their graduation program was a miracle, since she is one who regularly throws out duplicates of mementos collected by her children.
This is only one example of many such similar stories we have heard as individuals have come into our lives to share with us since our fire. Another story I will share is about our advent calendar. Our original calendar was made by my mother-in-law when Jon was two years old. This calendar had been an integral part of our Christmas ever since, even travelling with us when we have been away from home. As I looked to replace it, there was nothing I could find that appealed to my children. Where was the path for Mary and Joseph to travel, where were the wisemen, the shepherds, the angel, the star. Most importantly, where were the scriptures that would be read one a day to tell the Christmas story. When I talked about this with my mother-in-law, she said that she thought she had saved the pattern and would look for it. If she could find the pattern, she was willing to make another one for us. Not only was she able to find the pattern, but for some reason that she could not remember, 14 years ago when she purchased the original kits, she also purchased an extra set of scripture cards and an extra storybook. What a blessing this has been to my children!
Now it is springtime and we have been in our home for a year. This year has continued to be full of miracles. Hunter returned safely home from Montana and was able to get into all the classes he needed to at USU. As funding cuts did away with the scholarship that would cover his housing next year, he was able to find work as an RA (Resident Assistant). Other things just seem to "fall into place" for our family.
I don't want to sound like we don't have trials or struggles, but it is the trials that make us more aware of the miracles in our lives.
When Wil received his mission call to Japan, I was concerned, yes even fearful, of what this would mean for his health. We have struggled for so long with his asthma and finding a way to control it. Finally we had reached a point where even though he had minor episodes, they were quickly resolved with his emergency inhaler and we had not had a major episode in three years. How I prayed for understanding!! As his mom, who had spent so many hours with him in the emergency room, how was I to help him if he became ill? Who would be with him? The answer to my prayer was a calm, peaceful feeling that this was where he needed to go and we would see the blessings. As I learned more about the people he would be serving and the country, that feeling has grown.
Shortly after Wil entered the Missionary Training Center, I received a call from Rick's sweet aunt. She told me how she had met the wife of the just recently returned mission president of the Japan Sendai mission and through her was able to speak with this gentleman and he had offered to communicate with us and provide any help or information that we may need. She had also talked to a friend who makes frequent trips to Japan. This morning I received another call from this sweet aunt. She let me know her friend had called to ask if there was anything we needed to go to Japan as she was getting ready travel there. This sweet, concerned, caring aunt finished our conversation by saying, "Aren't I so lucky to have this opportunity? Look at the blessings it has brought to my life."
To me these blessings are small miracles. Just as the graduation program that hadn't been discarded or the extra scripture cards for an advent calendar, these sweet and caring individuals have enriched my life and let me know that my Heavenly Father does love me and is aware of my needs, sometimes even before I am.
As we approach Easter, and the celebration of the greatest miracle of all, Jesus Christ's breaking the bands of death, I want to help my children remember to express gratitude for the daily miracles and blessings in their lives.
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