"And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm."
I have never been on a stormy sea in a small boat. I have, however, had personal storms raging within me, to the point where it felt as though I was going to be consumed by the storm. Without fail, when I have turned to my Savior amidst these storms, He has been able to calm my troubled heart and bring peace. The difficult trials and circumstances I was facing were not removed, but He has given me strength and peace through an eternal perspective.
Matthew 14:17-20
"And they said unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. He said, Bring them hither to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled..."
There have been times in my life when I faced tasks that seemed impossible. I have felt deeply the inadequacy of my own, human self. Just as the Lord was able to feed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fishes, the Lord has been able to take what I have to offer and make it more than enough.
John 9:1, 6-7
"And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing."
I have been blind before. Blind to the needs of another. Blind to my own shortcomings. Blind to the good that lies within myself. Blind to the eternal purpose behind a temporal trial. When I suffer from spiritual blindness, the Lord blesses my spiritual eyes with sight so that I can repent, progress, and find joy in seeing as He sees.
Mark 7:32-35
"And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain."
I have been deaf before. I have failed to recognize and act on the promptings of the Holy Ghost. I have been unwilling to listen to the opinion of another. The Lord, in His infinite mercy, has gently corrected me and helped me recognize my mistakes. He has opened my spiritual ears and made me more willing and able to hear His voice - which sometimes comes through the voice of another human being.
John 20:14-17
"...She turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God."
I have felt the spiritual death that accompanies sin. I have felt the pain and anxiety that accompany being far from God. In His infinite mercy, God has raised me from my spiritual death as often as I have reached out for help. And part of the miracle is that I am not just restored to the state I was in prior to my sinning. Rather, He is able to take me and make me better than who I was before. My life has been a series of steps backward and steps forward, but I am a better woman today than I was when I started my journey here on earth. A miracle like that can only come through the grace of God, and through His son, Jesus Christ.
The miracles of Jesus Christ are not far removed from us. They are not just stories in the pages of our scriptures. They are in action in our lives, today! He gives us beauty for ashes. He gives us light to replace our darkness. I have a personal testimony of Jesus Christ. I know that He lives. I know that He is personally acquanited with each of us. He loves us and wants us to come unto Him. He can take who we are and make us even better than we could ever be on our own. I know that He is perparing to come to the Earth again soon. I can't wait to bow before Him and thank Him for the miracles He has given me. "God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son." (The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).
I hope you'll take time to leave your testimony of Jesus Christ in the comments below. I look forward to reading testimonies from believers in Christ of all faiths. Happy Easter! He is Risen! He lives!
