FOOD FOR THE SPIRIT--Miracles Still Happen

Whew! Yesterday (Sunday) was a whirlwind, but such a wonderful, uplifting day. First, I was the visiting speaker to another ward in my stake. The other speaker was a high council member and he spoke about the power of prayer and how to recognize answers as we receive them. He made a good point when he noted that many of us pray like we're putting coins into a vending machine. We wait for the answer to instantaneously fall into the tray, like it's a candy bar or something. But usually, prayers come after much study, reflection, and time has passed by. It was an excellent visual and a helpful reminder to me.

Then, I had the opportunity to "visit" my own ward for our ward conference. It was such a spiritual day!

One of our dear ward family members fell into a diabetic coma several months ago and was lifeflighted to Ogden Regional Hospital. There, her family members were told that she likely would not be able to pull through. Still, a week later, she was taken off her ventilator because she was able to breathe on her own. She continued to improve, but was still not expected to live long. After several weeks, she was moved to a nursing home, still in critical, but stable condition. The nurses there all reaffirmed to her family members that it was only a matter of days or weeks until she would be gone. About this time, she received a priesthood blessing from our stake president. He didn't feel prommpted one way or the other about whether or not she would be healed, but after the blessing he looked at her, saw how sick she appeared, and called the relief society president of our ward and told her to expect a funeral in the next few weeks. Miraculously, the next day she woke up. Not only that, but she began talking coherently to the nurses, asking for family members, recognizing visitors. By the end of the day, she was asking for food and able to walk to the bathroom herself. That was about two weeks ago. Yesterday, she walked into sacrament meeting with her husband, who has been inactive for years. As ward members saw her, they could not deny that a true miracle had taken place.

During sacrament meeting, our stake president (who is a member of our ward), told us of yet another miracle that happened during the week. His daughter and son-in-law and their five sweet children have been living with him for about a year because the son-in-law was battling stage four sarcoma. The cancer had already metasticized, and he too, had been dealt a death sentence. Countless doctors had told him that with all the tumors that riddled his insides, there was absolutely no way he would pull through. Still, to buy him as much time with his beautiful family, they commenced with chemotherapy, surgeries, and radiation. At each appointment, with each specialist, he was told the same thing: "Get things in order. Spend as much time with your family as you are able. You will not live long."

At one point, a radiologist looking at his x-rays, said that it looked like there was a "hail storm of tumors" inside his body. There were tens of thousands of them.

Two weeks ago, in one last-ditch attempt to remove some of the largest tumors, he had another major surgery. A day or two later, he and his wife met with their doctor to go over the results of the surgery. The doctor was visibly moved as he tried to explain the unexplainable: according to new tests and scans, the cancer cells were dying. This was medically impossible, but it was still happening. The doctor began crying as he told the couple that a miracle had happened. There was no other word.

So yesterday our stake president announced with tears in his eyes, that his son-in-law is cancer free.

I wish each of you could know this family. They are so sweet and special. They are remarkably strong in the gospel. I've never met a family quite like them. I can't think of anyone more deserving. There was not a dry eye in the congregation.

So my testimony to you is this: miracles still happen. All. The. Time ...