Little Miracles

Life is full of little miracles, also known as tender mercies. If you look at your day, I'm sure you will find something that could be considered a miracle. Here are just a few little miracles that I have noticed since the passing of my father just one week ago.

Miracle #1 - My father loved to garden, so our yard is full of flowers. A few days ago as I was walking out to get the mail, I noticed a large butterfly flying around the flower bed and landing on the newly opened lilies. The butterfly was beautiful, with bright yellows and a hint of blue at the tip of its wings. I ran inside to get my camera, expecting the butterfly to be gone by the time I got back out. Much to my surprise the butterfly was still there, and held still long enough on a lily for me to snap a picture. I considered this a miracle of life and beauty. It was like a little gift from the Lord reminding me that there are beautiful things in this world still and my dad would want me to enjoy them.



Miracle #2 - Do you ever wonder if you are like someone? Most kids seem to dread becoming like their parents. I must be the exception to that rule. I would consider it a compliment to be like either of them and to be compared to them. One thing I always wanted was to have a green thumb like my dad. Generally speaking, I kill plants. For the last 3 weeks I have successfully kept all of my dad's house plants alive! I am now also taking a bigger part in keeping up the yard and have managed to not kill the grass yet, even though the sprinkler system is out of commission in the front yard. I guess I'm slowly getting that green thumb.

My dad loved to back in to parking spaces and the driveway. He always said it made it easier to get out, especially when there was a crowd. My dad helped teach me how to drive so I guess I've picked up some of his abilities. Last week I had to pull my dad's truck in to make more parking space available. In true "dad-fashion" I backed the truck out of the driveway and reversed it onto the gravel. I had another "dad" moment tonight at the fireworks show. My mom was so confused at what I was doing until I had finished parking the car and exclaimed how proud dad would be of me for parking like him. It's such a simple thing, but I love that I'm recognizing pieces of my dad that are still alive in me. My husband always said I was a Daddy's Girl. I think he just might have been right.

Miracle #3 - I consider this the biggest miracle of the week! My in-laws brought me back a beautiful silver bracelet from Greece. I wear that bracelet all the time and I am always very careful to put it back in my jewelry box. I went to put it on this last Sunday for church and was dismayed to find it missing. I searched my whole room for this bracelet, but had no luck. I looked more after church. I checked every possible location: the kitchen counter, the bathroom drawers, my car, under couches and cushions, in blankets, dirty clothes, laundry baskets, etc. I had no luck. It was close to 11 p.m. and I still had not found the bracelet. I was talking to my mom and started crying. I know it was just a thing, and in the long run it didn't matter. But for some reason in my mind, I just couldn't handle losing one more thing. I was ready to give up and was frustrated because I knew if my dad was here, he would be able to find it. I said a prayer explaining to the Lord why finding the bracelet meant so much to me, how I had looked everywhere but hadn't found it, how I knew it was a silly thing to be worried about, but asked if He would please just help me find it. I finished the prayer and sat there for a minute. Then I got up and started searching all the same places again. I went back down to sift through the dirty clothes when I had an idea to check under the washing machine. Not having anywhere else to look, I moved the rug and got down on my hands and knees and put my head to the floor. Sure enough, there was my bracelet, just barely under the washing machine tucked out of sight. I started crying the minute I found it.

What a relief to know that the Lord hears and answers prayers! The answers may not always come when we want them, but He hears them. The Lord knew where my bracelet was. Was it a big deal to find it? No, not in the eternal scheme of things. But for a girl who had lost her husband and her father and wasn't sure if she mattered to the Lord, it was more than just an answer to my simple prayer for help finding jewelry. It was a testimony to me that I am heard, that the Lord cares about me and cares about things that matter to me, no matter how trivial. What a relief to have a loving Heavenly Father who is looking out for me!

Some call it Chance or Luck. Some call it Tender Mercies. Some call it Miracles. Whatever you choose to call it, it all leads back to the Lord.

"Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." ~Alma 26:12