A WEEK OF MIRACLES

I don’t remember a lot from eighth grade English. Grammatical errors, a classroom in the basement of the school, and one of my first itchings for storytelling. However, there is one line of teaching that has been seared into the very folds of my brain.

The hook. Every author needs a good hook, to suck the reader in and keep them reading.

I‘ve created quite a few of these miniature works of art in my lifetime, but this one right here, the one I can feel your eyes preemptively jumping to, takes the cake.

I cried in front of a room of teenagers.

Yup. Yup. Yup. Yup. Yup.

One of the few times at FSY it was not because I had sunscreen in my eye, large plopping tears rolled off of my chin and onto my t-shirt, ruining all the hard work that had gone into slathering on that necessary paste.

But, I couldn’t have cared less. It didn’t matter to me what people thought, how I looked, or whether I would have to reapply.

Why? Because I was watching a miracle unfold.

Miracle One:

In his most recent General Conference address, entitled “The Power of Spiritual Momentum”, President Nelson asked us to seek miracles in our lives, assuring us that, “…the Lord will bless you with [them] if you believe in Him, ‘doubting nothing.'”.

Believe it or not, when I signed up to be an Assistant Counselor at FSY, it was not because I was expecting miracles. Which is why I can say with complete authority that even if you are not outrightly searching for miracles in your life, the Lord still bestows them upon you with a heavy hand.

As a twenty-six-year-old, single, aspiring author, my life tends to revolve around me, myself, and I. What I like to do. Where I want to go. How I like to spend my free time.

Perfect qualifications for an Assistant Counselor.

Upon arrival at the scorching hot campus, my worries were not towards the youth who the Lord would place in my path, but rather on my own needs and concerns. What I was going to eat. When I was going to get a sunburn. If, at my age, I was going to even fit in with my other counselors.

The moment I stood guard at a block of cement to ensure that no youth tripped and injured themselves while we played “Sharks and Minnows”, all self-directed thoughts up and washed away. What now filled my broadened view were the girls I had just met, the girls I loved and adored after just one day of knowing them. Their kind spirits, unique personalities, and excitement to be there, were all contagious, changing me and altering me for the better.

The Savior of the World, of course, was also involved in the process, granting me eyes to see. To see those sweet girls as He does. As they willingly shared and developed friendships with the oldest person at FSY, I got a glimpse at their souls, showing me who they were, what they were passionate about, and who they could become.

This flip in perspective has stuck with me since the bus rolled away that bittersweet Saturday morning, causing me to interpret all around me differently, and to love the girls responsible for my newfound sight even more.

Miracle Two:

Our world can sometimes appear to be constantly covered by the dark shadow of clouds, making it difficult to see the bright spots lurking all around us. This is not the case at FSY. Every moment there seems to shimmer and glow.

Sitting in the grass in a dress? Eating salads for a week straight? (Yes, by choice. Some of my dearest loved ones feel the need to continually set me, despite my own wishes to the contrary 😂 As such, one must always be prepared.) Repeated calls for lights out? Aching feet? Continuous repetitions of the phrase, “Get in the sandwich!”?

It doesn’t matter. A smile comes to my face each time I recall these memories. And that is due in large part because of the kids we were serving.

These kids are good, guys. They are so, so good. I am humbled by just how far ahead these youth are, as I compare them to myself when I was in their place. Leaps and bounds and light years.

They know who they are. They know what their purpose is. They know who He is. They know of His love, and they let it drive them and direct them and change them. They have a fire in their eyes and a determination in their hearts. We can count on them. They will not fail us. They truly have been saved for this time.

In the dark sky above, the sunshine is breaking through.

Miracle Three:

Nearing the end of the classes portion of the week, I walked into one with the reasoning that it was on the same floor as the last, meaning stairs would not be called for.

Now, I know my laziness had some substance to it.

In a lesson that I can no longer remember the topic of, a teacher, prompted by the Spirit, veered off course. Right where I needed to go.

With the first pricks of tears appearing, I stood back in awe as the world went quiet, and I could hear my Savior speaking directly to me. His words had nothing to do with what was being said at the front of the room, but by following the Spirit, that teacher helped to create an atmosphere where I could truly hear Him.

A series of multiple rejections letters against my baby, my beloved manuscript, has left me reeling over the past couple of months. Try as I might, I cannot seem to pick up the pieces of my shattered self-esteem and believe that any of this will work out.

I still don’t know that it will. An iron-clad promise was not the message that was given to me just before lunch on a Wednesday morning. No, the gift my Savior wanted to give me was hope. And excitement. Renewed passion and ambition. Increased spiritual momentum.

And, of course, love. I felt a lot, a lot of love. Love for me, love for my attempts, love for the nightmares that keep me up at night. Love for it all, and encouragement to keep going. Not because I was guaranteed to be published, and not because any of my other dreams are just around the corner.

Because, again, He proved to me that I am in His hands, and under His watchful care.

As always, the words of our beloved Prophet resonate with truth, “Each of these miracles…may not have been exactly what those individuals originally requested from the Lord.”.

The miracles listed above are not ones that I requested. I think it’s obvious what my specific pleas would have been, had I heeded the Prophet’s counsel and looked for them around me. However, as always, I am so glad my world turns in His ways, and not my own.

The stars of my miracles aligned perfectly, because He hung them there Himself. I will forever be grateful for these, and the many others I didn’t name, that occurred in my week of miracles at FSY.