When Miracles Cease

The year 2020 has brought much more than we expected it would, and unfortunately, much of what it's brought has been ugly and painful: natural disasters, financial strain, political turmoil, social injustice, prejudice, illness, death. It's been a year to remember for all of the worst reasons, and more than ever before I've prayed for the world to have peace. I'm not alone in that. Religious organizations across the globe have called for worldwide fasts and days dedicated to prayer. Social media campaigns have been created as designated places where people of faith can unite and support each other. Celebrities have begun using their platforms to promote change, raise money for relief efforts, or to simply share encouraging messages with the people they have the capacity to influence.

The world is different now, far more different than it used to be.

I wish the Savior would come.

I wish there were peace and relief in the world.

I wish we lived in the days of miracles.

In Darkness There is Room for Light

"We have seen in this dispensation no parting of the Red Sea. We have seen no feeding of 5,000 from a few loaves and few fishes... But the quieter, subtler actions of the Holy Ghost that affect only one person, or a few, are common in every dispensation."        —Jay A. Parry

This isn't a post to tell you to be grateful for what you have or to look on the bright side of your situation. That isn't helpful when you're facing oppression on a national scale or depression on a personal one. You have every right to be angry, afraid, confused, and concerned. I feel those things too. Every. Single. Day.

And yet, today I found myself pouring my heart out to the Lord in gratitude and humility, driven to tears by the miracles I've witnessed lately. They weren't miracles for me. They were miracles for people that I know and love. And what were these miracles? They were prayers that were answered after years of searching. They were charitable donations made to a family struggling to make ends meet. They were happy declarations of being officially cancer-free. A sudden and unexpected opportunity for distant family members to come home and be with us. A missionary who has seen the Lord open new doors and find ways for her to continue to serve. A chance for steady unemployment after the world seemed to collapse, in the dream position for that individual no less!

Temporal needs being met. Physical health improving. Spiritual edification and enlightenment in greater doses than ever before. These are miracles.

And I've seen more miracles, these ones perhaps less obvious. I saw a struggling friend receive the support and understanding of her family when her mental health was declining. I watched the most deserving person I know find the love of someone who treasures her, something she hasn't ever had before. I've witnessed marriages, the restoration of broken relationships, and the priorities of thousands of people change for the better.

For all of the pain and heartache that is in the world, from which I've been feeling physically and emotionally ill, I've also seen an outpouring of miracles that I will never be able to adequately describe. In a world of chaos and confusion, heaven has never been closed. In fact, I think the heavens might be open in a greater capacity than ever before.

In her recent book, The Heavens Are Open, Wendy W. Nelson boldly declares, "I believe in miracles. Actually, I count on them." 

During a year filled with so much darkness, I'm thinking that I should start counting on miracles too. They haven't ceased. I've seen them come in increasing amounts.

Seeking Miracles of Our Own

If you're yearning for your prayers to be answered, and you're desperate for a biblical kind of miracle, I think the Lord is eager to help. It may not come when you want it to. Again, the miracles I've seen lately have been blessings in the lives of other people. But their miracles strengthen my testimony that I can receive my own. President Jeffrey R. Holland promised us that,

"God is eagerly waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But He can’t if you don’t pray, and He can’t if you don’t dream. In short, He can’t if you don’t believe."

If you're struggling to believe, start by acting like you believe. Put in the work. Put in the faith. Eventually, the hope for a brighter future will come. Sister Nelson, forever counting on miracles, extended an invitation during a Women's Conference that is worth putting to the test.

"Would you be willing to try an experiment? What would happen if... we each selected a 21-day period of time and then did whatever it took in order to make a sacrifice of time to the Lord by increasing the time we spend in temple work and in family history work during those 21 days? What blessings, miracles, and other positive changes would come to our lives?"

While temples around the world are currently closed, there are also far more opportunities than ever before to work on family history, increase our personal conversion, and share our testimonies with the people around us. While many of us are spending more time at home, we could take a break from our hobbies and methods of entertainment and make time for the Lord.

Inviting Him into our hearts invites Him into our homes. Inviting Him into our homes opens the way for miracles to rain down on the people we love.

If miracles have ceased, then God isn't unchanging or merciful. So perhaps it's really our faith that's ceased. Perhaps our efforts have ceased. Or perhaps our spiritual eyes just need a check-up so that we can see the hand of God more clearly in our lives.

Blessings are coming. Heaven is waiting to pour them upon you. So believe, count on miracles, and put in the work to make those miracles happen.