Have Faith...Expect Miracles!

This week my mind has been whirling in a turmoil of thoughts over all the happenings in our world right now. We could "almost" pass through a presidential election without much thought, or very passively feel sorry for those involved in natural disasters, especially when they are far from home--but the economic turmoil is one that no one can ignore or be remiss about. The economy of our nation affects all of us. We're in a crisis with the inflation of necessary goods alone. I doubt there is one of us who has not had some trepidation for the uncertain future--or more probably FEAR! Or wondering if it will be our turn next to experience a natural disaster. Or what on earth the outcome of this election will bring us. I've been fighting off thoughts of fear, and thinking a great deal about faith. The other day I started thinking about miracles, too. Whenever life's challenges seem to be at their peak, whenever we fall to our knees in prayer needing the Lord the most---that's when we begin to see miracles. I was pondering all the miracles I could expect as I exerted my faith in these troubled times and the phrase, "Have faith--expect miracles!" just kept popping into my head. It never fails that when I am pondering and praying about something that is bothering me, that as I study my scriptures and gospel literature the Lord directs me (small miracles) to something beautiful and profound. As I've stated in other posts I am currently reading John H. Groberg's book "The Fire of Faith"....yesterday I read this, "Miracles are things that happen that we cannot readily explain, but which are nonetheless real. We are daily surrounded by miracles that we do not recognize as such because of the constancy of their occurrence...What a blessing it is to know that God is guiding our lives regardless of how tough things sometimes seem to be."
As soon as I read that phrase about not recognizing the miracles because of the constancy of their occurrence, I thought about President Eyring's conference talk last October (Ensign 11/07 page 66-69) "O Remember, Remember" about how he said he felt impressed, many years ago, to write down the times when he had seen the hand of God reach out to touch the lives of himself and his family, and that he was inspired that it would be important for his family to remember later when they needed to remember it. And then he admonished us; "Tonight, and tomorrow night, you might pray and ponder, asking the questions: Did God send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life or the lives of my children? I will do that. And then I will find a way to preserve that memory for the day that I, and those that I love, will need to remember how much God loves us and how much we need Him." If only we can learn to recognize those miracles when they come, if only we can cultivate an attitude of gratitude, there would be no place for fear in our hearts...I think faith would naturally follow.

I also kept thinking, this week, of the scripture Moroni 7:29, "Have miracles ceased? Behold, I say unto you, nay!" Of course we can expect miracles in our times, how wondrous!

And then I thought of the story of Moses, and how he was able to free the Israelites from their captivity in Egypt, and how he led them out, fleeing the Egyptian army as they went. All this only to come to the Red Sea and find themselves trapped between the sea and the armies of the Pharaoh. The Israelites panicked. It says they were "sore afraid." They wanted to surrender. They told Moses it was better for them to serve Pharaoh than to die in the wilderness. After the miracle of being rescued, they had no faith or trust in the Lord that He would continue to deliver them. Moses was understandably frustrated with them. I love what he said to them, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."
Wow, what a great message! Do we find ourselves trembling with fear TODAY, trapped between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army? Or in today's words, trapped between economic difficulties and a Tsunami of trials and afflictions and evils and failing moral values? Do we stand trembling with fear? Or do we:
Fear not!
Stand still!
Watch the salvation of the Lord which He is going to show us!
And see Him fight for us as we hold our peace!

With all this in mind I have been looking forward anxiously to General Conference, to see what messages the Lord would send through His servants, and praying all week that I would be receptive through the Spirit to receive the messages the Lord has prepared for me. I did expect and hope for words of comfort. I was floored by the power of the messages today. I witnessed a miracle today in those messages. I've thought all afternoon since the last session, how you would put into words for another person who may have missed the sessions, what the messages were. I decided you could not. To say them would be to simply put out words. The true message was in the power of the witness felt by each individual who listened to conference today. I was consumed by the power of that Spirit in a way that I have only felt on a few other rare occasions. Not that I don't feel the Spirit often, it's just that sometimes it comes with a power so strong it takes your breath away---today was such a day.

One thing I can say is that Elder Jeffery R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke of angels attending us, both on this side of the veil and the other, and his talk was the most powerful witness of all of the love that our Heavenly Father has for us--
And when Elder Holland quoted the scripture that has been on my mind this week, "Have miracles ceased, Behold I say unto you nay!" and then continued on with, "Nay; neither have angles ceased to minister unto the children of men."....I cannot describe with what force that entered into my heart!!

O remember and have faith! O remember to expect miracles! Jesus Christ lights the way and marks the path. As we live righteously He will be there to help us through the most difficult of times, as well as the angels sent by a loving Heavenly Father. As Elder Holland quoted President Monson's favorite scripture:

"...I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." (Doctrine & Covenants 84:88)

What more do we need?!