This week's prompt is:

Do you believe in miracles and if so, have you ever witnessed one? Describe. 

Miracle: "An extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs”.   I think if you believe in a divine being, you are likely to believe in miracles.  If not, you might be more likely to consider certain events a coincidence. For me, I believe in God and I believe he can intervene.  So this is an easy question for me... yes, I believe in miracles.

I think some might consider a miracle a dramatic event - like an unexplainable remission of terminal health or a found survivor who's been rescued against all odds.  I personally have never experienced an event such as that! But what I have experienced many times is - quiet yet unexplainable events in my life, that not only were unexplainable to my mind, but were also accompanied by an unexplainable feeling. Some I recognized the minute they happened and others recognized years later as I pondered how in the world something worked out the way it did. Despite my faith, I’m generally pretty quick to question and wonder... was that just coincidence?  And often it was and other times I just could not rationalize what had happened and do believe divine intervention was involved. Two stick out in my mind:

One small occasion was when as a single mother when my boys were very young; my youngest son Evan developed what was his first migraine.  Poor little guy, he was suffering so badly.  It was late at night and I did NOT want to wake up Cody and drag all of us to Urgent Care or the ER so late at night. So we tried all the things I used when I’d get a migraine…a dark and quiet room, a cool cloth on my eyes etc.  Eventually we tried medicine but he kept throwing it up.  Finally, I told Evan I felt we should pray and ask our Heavenly Father to help him feel better.  He agreed and so I knelt by my bed and offered a prayer out loud.  About 5 minutes later, I couldn’t stand watching Evan suffer any longer and decided to call Urgent Care.  Maybe the help I was asking for us was at there. I stepped out of the room and called. I told them his symptoms and they told us to come in.  After what was probably a 5 minute call, I walked in the bedroom to find Evan asleep!  I sat by his bed for a while thinking he will awake and cry and want to go. Sometimes, when I’d get a migraine it would be there upon waking up. After an hour, I finally decided to lie next to him so I could comfort him or I’d be ready. The next thing I knew it was morning and Evan was fine.  I have wondered what could have made that Migraine go away.  It lasted maybe 2-3 hours. He never had any medicine in him due to throwing up.  One minute he was groaning and the next he was sleeping.  When he woke up we talked about it.  To this day I believe that God had heard my prayer.

One other occasion was when the boys were maybe 10 and 8?  We were headed to the California desert to go off-roading with our good friends.  My friend Ruth and I, and all 6 of our kids were driving to meet up with her family that was already there with the RV.  It had been a long drive for the kids and everyone “had to go”. When we got there were HUNDREDS of RV’s. They all looked alike. We drove and drove and drove. This must have been before cell phones or we didn’t have reception – I’m not sure.  The kids were in the van being noisy and in the midst of the noise Ruth heard my son Cody singing “Pray, he is there. Speak he is listening” from a song he had been practicing to sing in church. Ruth said “shhh… listen to Cody” “What a great idea”.  So we did.  We stopped and all said a prayer that we could find Ruth’s parents and family.  After the prayer – Ruth and her pregnant belly climbed up on top of her van and patiently surveyed the mass gathering of weekend warriors. All the sudden she shouted that she had found them! We all cheered and thanked Cody for his song, and Ruth for hearing his song through all the noise.  I truly believe it was the “still small voice” of the Holy Ghost prompting us to “speak, he is listening”.

So, are those dramatic miraculous events? Not really. You of course are welcome to argue the facts and call it a coincidence. But what you can never argue with me and I can not adequately convey in this story is the peace, comfort and assurance I felt as these quiet yet unexplainable events in my life have occurred and the overwhelming feeling that my prayer had been heard.

Oh, and I've heard some people claim to have seen the Virgin Mary or Jesus in their toast etc. Again, we have not had this type of dramatic event. But, In my life - Evan once saw Africa in his chicken  If I ever find the picture again.... I'll post it here.