Miracles happen all around us,
but they often go unnoticed or unrecognized. Many miracles are common events,
such as the birth of a new baby, the rising of the sun, or the new growth that
comes each spring. Other miracles are specific and come as blessings in answer
to prayers and pleadings with Heavenly Father. I know that miracles come as we
exercise faith in Jesus Christ and place our trust in Him.
More than twenty years ago I
witnessed numerous miracles in the life of my sixteen-year-old daughter, an outstanding
soccer player. She ran fast and was hard to catch once she was out in front of
the defense. She made many break-away goals because of her running speed.
In the beginning of her
sophomore year of high school, Cindy was asked to join a group of elite players
on a team for a soccer tournament to be held in Dallas, Texas, over the
Thanksgiving holiday. She wanted to go, so I made it a matter of prayer. I
wanted to be sure that the tournament would be good for her and make good use
of our limited funds. I received an affirmative answer and had high hopes as
she left for Texas.
A couple of days later I
received a telephone call with bad news from the mother traveling with the
team. In the first half of the first game Cindy was running for the goal, and
the goalie came out to meet her. For some unknown reason, the goalie planted
both of her feet on Cindy’s leg, breaking the tibia and the fibula. Cindy screamed
in pain as she fell to the ground. She was taken to a hospital where I arranged
for her to receive a priesthood blessing.
Meanwhile, I was wondering how a
broken leg could be good for my daughter. I immediately attempted to make an
appointment with Dr. McElvoy, a highly recommended orthopedic surgeon. I called
his office, but I was told that he was not taking any new patients. I settled
for the second-best doctor and made an appointment. This doctor treated Cindy for
two weeks, and he could see from the x-rays that her tibia was not stabilizing.
He explained that the bone had broken in two places, forming a triangular piece
of bone that kept moving. He recommended surgery and referred us to Dr.
McElvoy, a young doctor who was better with that type of operation. I breathed
a sigh of relief at this miracle.
Cindy was scheduled for surgery,
and Dr. McElvoy inserted a titanium rod into her tibia from her knee to her
ankle to stabilize the bone. After the surgery, Cindy was in excruciating pain,
and I pleaded with the nurses to give her something for relief. They did, but
the pain quickly returned. As I stood beside her hospital bed, watching her
suffer and being unable to do anything to help her, I heard the sweet voice of
the Holy Ghost. I marveled as this thought entered my mind, “This is how I felt
as I watched my Beloved Son suffer on the cross and could not help Him.” I knew
in my heart that the message came from Heavenly Father, and I felt great
comfort and peace. I gained much understanding from this message because I had
never previously considered the feelings of the Father in the Son’s atoning sacrifice.
The pain from the surgery
eventually stopped, and Cindy’s leg slowly healed. The rod was removed six
months later, again causing severe pain for my daughter. We went back to see
Dr. McElvoy. He had just returned from a conference where doctors reported
bones breaking during the removal of the titanium rod, and he was concerned
that Cindy’s tibia had broken again. I recognized another miracle as a new
x-ray showed her leg to be whole. We all breathed easier, and Dr. McElvoy released
Cindy to play soccer again with no restrictions.
Other miracles happened, but the
supreme blessing from this experience was spiritual growth. As my daughter lay
immobile on her bed for two full weeks between the accident and the surgery,
she had plenty of time to contemplate her situation and her goals. One day she
said to me, “Mom, I came to the conclusion that soccer will never get me to the
celestial kingdom.” I pondered her statement and then stepped back to watch
what would happen.
Cindy still loved soccer and enjoyed
playing it. She was voted captain of her high school team and chosen as the
Gatorade Player of the Year for Alaska. She eventually played for the
University of Kansas and was the captain of that team. However, she had her
priorities straight and her eye firmly fixed on eternal goals. She continues to
play soccer today, but she focuses on her eternal marriage and family.
Most of the miracles I see are so
small that they could be easily missed, but they follow the pattern explained
by Elder Robert D. Hales. “Generally, those miracles will not be physical
demonstrations of God’s power – parting of the Red Sea, raising of the dead,
breaking down prison walls, or the appearance of heavenly messengers. By
design, most miracles are spiritual demonstrations of God’s power – tender
mercies gently bestowed through impressions, ideas, feelings of assurance,
solutions to problems, strength to meet challenges, and comfort to bear
disappointments and sorrow.” (Hales, Robert D. “Personal Revelation: The Teachings and Examples of the Prophets,” Ensign,
November 2007)
I am grateful for the many small
miracles that come into my life as I exercise faith in Jesus Christ. I know
that these tender mercies come from a loving Heavenly Father and demonstrate
His power as well as His love.
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