First, I want to share a post my friend, Shannon, put on her Facebook wall late last night.
“Quick miracle story tonight…I kept getting a random strong feeling I needed to go to Walgreens tonight. I was so tired but finally went and walked around wasting time looking at Valentines Day items for my son. All of a sudden a woman screamed at the top of her lungs ‘HELP SOMEBODY HELP ME MY BABY IS CHOKING!!!!’ My heart stopped. I had JUST cried over my friend’s account of when her baby passed away from choking last night. It is my worst nightmare. I even talked with my sister about it today and she reviewed with me what her emergency medical training had been for a baby choking over dinner tonight. I threw everything I had in my arms onto the floor, rushed over to the panicked mom, she threw her panicking baby in my arms, I landed on my knees, and calmly helped the little man work out the gummy he’d been choking on. It took a few agonizing seconds and the mom and other bystanders were screaming but the Lord blessed me with an uncharacteristic immense calm and knowledge of what to do at that exact moment, remembering everything my sister and previous first aid classes had taught me. When that baby finally dislodged that gummy and salivated all over me and the floor I finally breathed again myself. He had been so scared, and I don’t ever want to have to witness a mom going through that ever again. Obviously it wasn’t that baby’s time to go yet, but I was so relieved I’d listened to that still small voice in my heart leading me to that boy’s aid tonight. I was so happy to get such big hugs from him and his mother but when I got in the car I finally let the relief pour out of my eyes and said a deep felt prayer of thanks to God he was okay. I don’t know how and why the Lord chooses some to go home and some to stay, but I’m very grateful that little boy was able to go home to his mom tonight. And I’m grateful I listened to that prompting in my heart and was able to have that experience this evening. Now I’m completely and utterly drained from the intense adrenaline rush and am falling into bed. Hold your loved ones tightly. Life is short.”
This post really made an impression on me. It seems Shannon’s focus on that event was more on lives saved vs. lives lost. But to me, the real story is how easily the Lord was able to prepare her and then guide her to where He needed her to be so she could be His hands in that moment in that Walgreens. That’s how the Lord works….through US!
Whenever I hear a story like this, I say to myself that I will be better at following promptings, big or small. Sometimes those promptings come on powerfully or I have a thought repeatedly coming into my mind. Those are easier to follow through on. Other times, it has just been a passing thought. So I pause and think, “What harm could be done by just following that feeling. It may just be a random thought. But what if it isn’t? What if it is the Spirit putting that thought into my mind?” Often times we may never know the impact our actions may have on others.
A few weeks ago a woman posted on Facebook on our neighborhood group page that she was looking for a cheap location for a wedding reception and decorations to borrow for a young friend of hers who’s mother was back east (so she wasn’t available for hands on help) and was widowed, so her mother didn’t have the funds to help. That left this young woman to find ways to pay for everything herself. Of course, this touched my heart being a widow with three young daughters of my own. Immediately, the pavilion in my parents’ church parking lot came to my mind. I didn’t know why. I had never even been in it before or paid much attention to it when I have been to their church building. The thought came amidst the craziness of getting kids off to school. I thought, “Maybe I’ll send her a reply when the kids leave.” ….And then I proceeded to completely forget. (Sadly, not an uncommon occurrence for me.) About an hour later my dad dropped by for a quick minute. While he was here, he randomly mentioned that he and my mom were going to a wedding reception that night being held in the pavilion at their church. (Seriously????) That’s when I remembered the thought I had earlier. So, I immediately went to my computer to send the message, before my early onset dementia took over again. And then I went about my business.
Later that day, I got a message from the woman who made the post. Her young friend had looked at the pavilion (which just happened to be decorated for the reception at the time, helping her really see what it could look like) and decided to use it. The best part was that it was cost free! The young woman was thrilled!
It was a simple thing. All I did was send a message and then connect her to my father. But to that young bride-to-be, it was a huge relief and an answer to her prayers. It was a reminder to me of the importance of being usable in the Lord’s hands. And that only comes through practice in following those promptings. The more we act on them, the easier it will become to distinguish them, understand them and then do His will. Oftentimes, we will not know the impact of our actions…or inaction. Shannon could have easily dismissed that prompting and went about her day, and would never have known what happened there. But she didn’t. She acted. And the result of her obedience was literally life changing. I pray we all will be like Shannon…even when those promptings seem illogical or ridiculous. As President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “Doubt your doubt before you doubt your faith.” And that includes faith in your ability to be guided by the Spirit.
(As a side note, this is a crazy busy morning. But I felt impressed to write this post today. This is one of those times when I have no idea why, but, as I said before “What harm could be done by just following that feeling?” So I made the time to do this….which meant skipping my workout, which is HUGE for me. Who knows….maybe this is the Lord’s way of teaching ME.)
KATHARINE SPEAKS 