I have had a couple of small miracles happen this last week. Sometimes when miracles are small, we don't see them as miracles or blessings at all. I'm here to tell you that when you ask the Lord no matter how great or small, He answers.
Miracle # 1 - I went on vacation over the weekend down to Kanab and Bryce Canyon. Friday morning as I was packing the car and getting the kids ready I turned on my flat iron in hopes to do something with my hair. Well, one thing led to another in the stress and chaos of packing for a trip and I no sooner realized that it was time to go pick up my husband from work and get on the road. I would not have time to do my hair let alone put make up on. So I threw my hair back in a ponytail and put on some sunglasses to help with my appearance.
When I got on the I-15 and was about 25 minutes away from home it was then I realized I never went back into the bathroom to turn off my flat iron. This thing gets pretty hot and my concern was if something from above it were to fall and land on it such as a decoration or hand towel there would surely be a fire. Either that or it would start a fire because it is old and after being on for 3 days I think it would do some damage. I could have been completely wrong but still the fact that I had left it on and it was very hot did not ease my mind any. I had left it on before for about 2 days at a time, however while I was home. This was enough to remind me that the flat iron does not turn off by itself - it never has before.
I knew I couldn't turn back, so it was then I said a prayer in my heart while I was driving. I asked the Lord to turn it off for me and protect my house while we were gone. Again that night at the hotel I said the same prayer before I went to bed. Saturday and Sunday I had forgotten all about it. When we pulled up the house Sunday night I remembered. I went up to the bathroom and discovered that someone had turned my flat iron off. I smiled and thanked my Heavenly Father for answering my prayer.
Miracle # 2 - Last night I had taken on the daring feat of making peach butter for the first time. I got started pretty late but worked quickly to get it finished. While I was dumping some ground cloves into the boiling peach mixture on the stove, I was distracted and turned my head. During this quick second of looking away, I accidentally dipped two of my fingers completely into the pot. I quickly pulled them out and ran to the sink to run them under cool water. That split second when running from the stove to the sink seemed like an eternity and the pain seemed to worsen as I ran. I could not believe how careless I had been and how much pain I was in. As I went to put burn ointments on it, it only worsened the pain. It was then I realized an ice pack was the only relief. I wrapped the ice pack around my fingers as I stayed up for another 2 hours completing my canning project.
By now the family was all long gone to bed and fast asleep. I had to keep my pain to myself and suck it up. It was not easy canning with an out of service hand and I was worried I might make the same mistake since there were two boiling pots on the stove. It was a little scary. Needless to say for the next 2 hours I went through 4 ice packs and had melted them all. I took off the 4th ice pack hoping the pain would be minimal and I could get to bed. To my surprise the pain worsened and felt like my hand was on fire. Imagine the worst sunburn you have ever had magnified by three. I had boiled my fingers and it was painful. I knew I would not be able sleep with this pain.
I went back to the freezer and the first ice pack I had used was finally frozen again so I decided I would take it to bed with me. As long as my fingers were wrapped in an ice pack everything was fine, but I knew that sooner or later that pack would melt and I would be awakened to that miserable pain. I expected that I would just have to wake up every hour and grab a new pack. What a night this would be - or would it?
I knew that my husband could give me a priesthood blessing and this whole problem could go away. However he was fast asleep and had to wake up early for work so I didn't want to disturb him. I thought to myself what do people do who don't have access to the priesthood and need the Lord's help- and of course the answer came as a clear thought "Just pray Lindsey". Several scriptures began to flood my mind.
D&C 14:5 - Therefore if you will ask of me you shall receive; if you will knock it shall be opened unto you.
Matthew 21:22 - And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
3 Nephi 18:20 - And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing ye shall receive, behold it shall be given to you.
Moroni 7:26 - ....And as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you.
There are 20+ or more scriptures that mention these same words. I knew that God was Almighty and there is nothing that he can't do. As long as I believed this He would answer my prayer. I said a prayer - thanking Him for all my blessings and asking him to literally heal my finger and take away the pain so I could sleep. As soon as I turned out the light and hit the pillow I was fast asleep. At 6:00 am when my husband's alarm went off, I woke up to find a warm ice pack lying underneath my pillow and two fingers completely free of pain with no visible damage. I thanked the Lord in my heart and quickly woke up to tell my husband what had happened.
Yes, these two miracles or "blessings" is what I like to call them, may seem so small to some, but to me they greatly increased my testimony of prayer. This morning the thought clearly and strongly came to me that I needed to update my blog and share my experience.
If we ask, the powers of heaven will come down and aid us in our time of need. When we fail to ask or we lack the faith needed, we keep the doors to heaven closed. No matter how great or small our trials we need to be on our knees asking for help. We need to be clear in what we ask for and have the faith. We need to do this often in order to build our faith. Our Heavenly Father waits to help us 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It brings Him joy to hear our prayers and to help us. With two small prayers being answered within a week of each other, my faith is ready for the larger trials that may come. This I say in the name of Jesus Christ - Amen.
