The Miracle of All Miracles

We pray for miracles. Sometimes it seems, our prayers are not answered; at least not in the way we would like. We pray and ask God to lift our burdens of pain, illness, loneliness, sorrow, grief, disappointment, fear, anxiety: we even pray to remove death itself.

We pray and we wait, we hope, we beg, for a removal of the trial that seems unfair, and too painful to endure.

Sometimes, a quick and miraculous healing occurs; sometimes a burden is lifted in a swift moment of light and Heavenly intervention. (Like some of the Mormon Pioneers, who were instantly healed so they could keep walking.)

But in my experience, more often than not, the miracle is not a complete removal of the trial and pain; the miracle is in the Heavenly assistance that is granted, in order to have the strength to endure the pain, and face trials with faith and hope. (Like when the angels came to help push the Pioneer handcarts.)

I have seen such miracles in my life. I have felt the hands of Heaven, on both sides the veil. Angels have lifted me up to endure with strength beyond my own, as I have faced the trials of my life, including the trial of death.

I am so grateful for the miracle of those who lift the hands that hang down. I am grateful when swift healing occurs, and prayers are answered quickly. I am grateful for when trials fade away promptly into joy.

But I am even more grateful for Jesus.

My heart has been taught the great reality that there is a Miracle of Miracles, and that Miracle is our Savior, Jesus Christ. He was willing to take on all of our sins, trials, and afflictions of every kind. He has already performed the Atonement (click HERE for more on the Atonement), so the miracles we all pray and hope for, are tied intimately to our Savior, and His infinite miracle of Ultimate Love.

Because of what Jesus did for us, we will one day be set free from all of our pain and trials and sorrow. Because of His eternal love for us, He has promised the faithful a place of peace and rest from the cares of this world. There are glorious things ahead, as we follow the Lord. He has given us everything to hope for; a beautiful existence in the eternities, forever.

This is The Miracle -- when we pray for miracles -- the Ultimate Miracle has already been granted to us from Jesus, because of His performance of the Atonement. No matter what happens in this life, Jesus has already made the future beautiful, hopeful, and full of light. He is the Light. Our prayers of healing will one day come to fruition, because of Jesus. We will rise in the Resurrection and be made whole. All of our heartfelt pleadings through prayer, will burst forth into glorious reality. He is the reason to have hope for a better life in a better world, as we remain faithful during our short time here on earth.

Hope.

Jesus is hope.

Sometimes when someone dies, or does not recover, or when trials of horrendous proportion occur, we question our faith. We wonder if we could have saved a friend or family member had we somehow shown our faith more fully. Perhaps if we would have prayed until our souls burst into a million pieces, maybe that would have been enough? Maybe if we fasted more, served more, gave more, begged more... we could have prevented tragedy?

No.

We extend our faith in healing, but it is up to God to determine the outcome, not us. It is not up to us to question God's purposes, as they are far greater than our own. But we should ask, "What would you have me do, Heavenly Father?" He will guide the way as we faithfully seek His help in all things.

Tragedy, pain, heartache, sorrow, and even death, are part of this earth life, and come to all who have ever walked the earth, and deep trials will continue to come into the future, for all of us. We are all familiar with pain and sorrow, to some degree or another.

It is part of the plan. It is a hard part of the plan, but it is essential that we pass through trials, so that we can know our Heavenly Father and Savior better: so that we can become more like Them. We have a choice when the trials come, and that choice is: Which way will we turn?

Will we turn to the Light, or the darkness?

The trials of life can bring on a form of darkness, such as: anxiety, depression, and despair. But even in those dark moments... never let go of the light! You can always turn on the light, even when you are surrounded by darkness. If you do not feel the light within you, continue to pull in the light around you, through prayer and scriptures, and every good thing. Share light that you may not think you have by serving others. The more you serve, the more that light will begin to flicker within you, until a spark will be lit, and the fire of love will consume your spirit into a burning joy.

I know this to be true, from personal experience.

So, if pain and sorrow are a part of life, then why do we even pray? Why do we ask for specific miracles to occur, in the form of healing, and health, etc.? Well, God is our Heavenly Father, and just like a loving parent, He wants to hear from us, and He wants to know our hearts and desires. And just like a loving parent, He can see what is best for us. Heavenly Father can see forever. He knows how certain trials and tribulation will change us in the future. Perhaps our hardest trial, will bring about our greatest triumph, and He knows this, and allows each of us to suffer from time to time, so we can learn and grow, and rely on Him.

And sometimes, like a loving parent, Heavenly Father says, "Yes."

And other times, He says, "No."

Or maybe, He says, "Wait."

It is up to us to trust Him: nothing doubting, nothing wavering -- no matter what.

He loves to hear our thoughts, feelings, and desires through prayer. He really, really, does, I am sure of it.

I am also sure, that one of Heavenly Father's most favorite prayers is:

"Thy will be done."

And when we get to this point of praying, that is when the real miracle occurs.