Miracles?

“I feel to invite women everywhere to rise to the great potential within you.

I do not ask that you reach beyond your capacity.

I hope you will not nag yourselves with thoughts of failure.

I hope you will not try to set goals far beyond your capacity to achieve.

I hope you will simply do what you can do in the best way you know.

If you do so, you will witness miracles come to pass.”

― Gordon B. Hinckley

In Alma, chapter 8 verse 10, we read,
"Nevertheless, Alma labored much in the spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer..."

These two little tidbits may very well be the missing pieces of "my puzzle" in life and I was blessed to happen upon them together today.


Alone they stand as a really nice quote and a verse of scripture that tells a little of Alma's experiences, but I assure you they are so much more significant.

I have read them both in the past and have been touched by these tender words of President Hinckley, BUT when the two of them came together for me today, well...they just "fit"...they perfectly describe where I have been for the past few months.  I love it when things make sense, when I can see a WHY to what has been happening...

I feel that I have been asked to rise to what lies ahead for me,
to prepare myself,
to prepare my family;
to be a little stronger,
while also allowing myself to be more submissive and obedient.
I struggle with thoughts of failure at times
and have been known to put a little more on my shoulders than maybe I should. 
President Hinckley's quote is a beautiful reminder for me
to SIMPLY do what I can do in the best way I know. 
And his promise ~
miracles will come to pass. 
How reassuring and beautiful is that???
I am seeing in my life that when I labor and prepare myself spiritually that I can feel a power that sustains and carries me. 
Prior to the past few months,
I don't know that I have truly "wrestled with God in mighty prayer"...
I have said my prayers,
I have gone to Him when I was in need,
I have done what I felt was my best,
but I hadn't experienced what Alma described...

Until...I did.

And today I recognized it.

Today, I read these scriptures and heard this quote and...

I realized that I did have cause to do just as Alma did, I did experience those feelings.

I did LABOR much in the spirit...
I did WRESTLE, with all the strength and determination I possess, with my Heavenly Father in mighty prayer...

As much as I hate to say this out loud

I can see WHY we have our trials,
I can see WHY we need to struggle,
I can see WHY it is important for us to feel alone and desperate and hopeless,
I can see WHY Heavenly Father steps aside and allows us to grow...

I can say that I now understand that it is GOOD for us to have cause to
"labor much in the spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer..." 
We NEED this experience, laboring and wrestling are essential!

Had I not been in the midst of troubling times, if life had been a cake walk, had there been no surprises, had things gone the way I had them all planned, I would never have had the opportunity to experience this blessing and to witness for myself that Miracles do come to pass.

I also may have never seen that I do have it in me

to RISE to the great potential within me.

I may not have recognized that I have a Heavenly Father

who does hear my prayers and my pleadings,

a Heavenly Father who loves me and wishes all the best things for me,

I may have missed the miracles that abound in my life

and dismissed them as coincidence.

Today I see clearly...

the "puzzle" fits together beautifully,

and I can Rise

to anything and everything

that comes my way.