"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!
Your blog is amazing. Although this says Dakota, it's really her mom, Judith, writing. We are feeling blessed to be in a situation where we do not have jobs that are in jeopardy (my hubby and I are both retired), and that our income will not fluctuate or decrease because of the current pandemic. I have always known who Jesus Christ was and is. I grew up w/o the church and my parents were not church goers and from the time I was about 4 yrs old, I would go to church w/ anyone who would take me. I ended up joining the Episcopal Church when I was a senior in high school. I was happy there until I learned of the Restored Gospel. During my first missionary discussion I KNEW that what they were saying was true. It took me about 6 months but I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while in college at the age of 20, and have never looked back. I have had so many miracles in my life that it would take a book to recount them all. One that people enjoy hearing is about my drive to Utah from California with my 2 older children over Spring break one year. I had been in a car accident on I-80 years prior: rolled my VW bug 4 1/4 times. Car was totaled, but no one died. I was afraid to drive that stretch of road again, had a car that needed new tires, but I was so busy w/ work that I didn't have time to get them before leaving on my trip. Had a friend from church w/ me and one of her kiddos plus my 2. We stopped for gas in Winnemucca, NV. No self serve in those days. They guy who pumped my gas told me that I was in SEVERE need of new tires on the back wheels of my car (it was rear wheel drive). I agreed that I knew this and was planning to get them while in SLC. He said I wouldn't make it that far w/o a blow out. He happened to have the tires I needed and although I probably spent more than I would have in SLC, I had him put on the tires. Prior to the trip I had prayed hard for clear weather and dry roads. The tires lasted me a long time and during the remainder of the trip, past where I had totaled my VW years earlier, and on into SLC, we could see snow falling in every direction. BUT: ahead of my car and all around us like a bubble, was sun and blue skies. It was like a little oasis in the midst of a storm. This circle of protection followed us all the way to SLC. Coincidence? I think not. Hand of God? Divine intervention? For sure. My testimony is rock solid. I love Joseph Smith and all that he did for us. I love Pres. Nelson and KNOW that he is the Prophet for our time w/o a doubt. I know that the Savior lives. He loves us. He knows us. He heals us. Thru the Holy Ghost we can be led if we will listen. And when we listen and do, he leads us more. Thank you for asking for sharing of testimonies. HAPPY EASTER to you and your sweet family.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your testimony! I’ve felt the way you describe many times.
ReplyDeleteI’m in awe, and without a complete way, to describe my appreciation and love for our savior. I try to understand his perfect life and atoning sacrifice, and even as I take the time to study them, I can only piece together in some foggy way, the depth of his actions and their impact on me. My heart is full of gratitude because I have felt the truth of his life and teachings. I choose to believe them and I’ve felt the joy and strength that comes from that belief. I rejoice in our savior. I believe, more than anything, that He’ll come again in glory and that we will all be saved once again from the darkness of the world. I love Him.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to express this Lindsay! I sure love you and miss our time at BYU ♥️