Miracles are Real

I’ve been studying the Atonement in the Book of Mormon for the past while. Well, let’s be real. I’m super slow at reading the Book of Mormon. Yes, I started reading it last February and I’m finally getting to 3 Nephi. Proud of me? Haha. Oh well J

However! Guess what I learned today? Miracles are products of our faith. They are extraordinary events put in place by God in response to our faith in Him. As I was considering this, because I have stated over and over that I have experienced miracles this past year, one in particular came to mind. And I decided that I wanted to share it J

So, when I came down to school I was still in fairly rough shape. I look back now and I can’t believe that I actually came. It was definitely the right thing but it was a step of faith. I started out with just 2 hours of class a day, and then I slept for most of the rest of the day. I could hardly walk to and from my classes without falling limp into my bed, let alone wearing a backpack with even 4 pounds of items in it.

I came to school and met with my bishop as soon as I could. I told him I needed home teachers as soon as possible. Haha #needy. But, we didn’t get home teachers for about 3 weeks. Lucky for me God helped me out a little bit those first few weeks.

I was expecting to get weak every once in a while. When I say weak, imagine feeling like the muscles in your arm can’t lift your bones, because they aren’t strong enough. Imagine that throughout your entire body. It’s slightly alarming, but I was used to it occurring at least once a week. Then I increased my activity level by coming to school… and those first couple of weeks were, to put it rather bluntly, pretty scary.

I remember walking up to campus one morning, sitting on the very south side, knowing that I had to get my way into class. However, my body was not cooperating. I was sitting on the wall of a raised flower bed and I knew that if I got up I wouldn’t make it very far. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been; I just needed to get home. However, it’s intimidating to walk even 2 blocks on your own when you really can’t judge if your legs will collapse under you or not.

One day, actually September 11, 2014 (funny that I remember that), it got so bad- worse than it had been in a really long time. I had class until 1:00 that day, which was later than my other days. My first class started at 9:30, and then I had devotional, and then New Testament at 12. Anyways, that doesn’t sound very long, but I woke up with the odd unresponsive feeling in my legs and I knew it would be a rough one.

By the time I entered my 12:00 class, I dropped clumsily into my seat. I slowly lifted my arms to my keyboard and let my head drop onto the soft cushion of the chair behind me. And I clumsily fumbled to type out the notes I needed for the class. As the end of class neared I began to be nervous- I couldn’t stand up. I couldn’t carry my backpack. And I had no idea how I was going to get back home, somewhere safe.  The longer I had sat there, the weaker it seemed I had gotten.

I was praying my head off.

“Father, please help me. I don’t know what to do. Please help me.”

I mustered all of my strength to stand up and swung my 5-pound backpack over my shoulder as though it had 40 pounds of boulders in it. I stumbled out the door, but, prompted to take a different exit, I did. As I fell out into the stream of people flooding the hallway I literally ran into an angel- my friend Janene. I collapsed into her and tried not to cry as she supported my weight and helped me to a bench. I hate feeling helpless. It has happened a lot over the past year. It has helped me to learn how to ask for help. It has helped me to learn to be humble. It has been a blessing to me.

She called her husband, and then my good friend randomly ran into us because he accidentally came to his class at the wrong hour- that is not a coincidence. I got a blessing from them, while Janene stroked my hand and helped me feel okay.

Here’s the miracle, as defined above: When they pronounced the blessing upon my head, I felt strength come back into my arms, in that moment.

I was not back to normal strength. However, I was able to walk home.

That’s a miracle, everybody J

So, if you are ever wondering if modern day miracles exist, remember me! September 11, 2014, at about 1:30 pm, when I experienced a small miracle of healing, just like the ones the Savior performed that we hear about in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, because of the power of the Priesthood of God that has been restored to the Earth. I knew He could help me, I had faith that He would, and He did.

When we decide to believe, God will never leave us alone J I know that’s true.

Love you all!