I am the kind of guy who enjoys to ramble (You'll hopefully notice that the word 'ramble' is cleverly hidden in the web address of this here blog). Get me started on a subject I love to talk about, and I'll ramble for hours. A prime example of that: Ear-aches. Yeah, once upon a time - and by 'once upon a time', I mean quite recently - I developed an ear-ache that quickly devolved into an ear infection. Yuck. One of the worst things ever. My ear canal became swollen, putting lots of pressure on the muscles that worked my jaw. One consequence of this that you can surely imagine is this: A very difficult time trying to eat food.
Shortly after I developed the infection, I tried to eat a bowl of cereal. Little did I know the absolute pain that would shoot through my mouth as I tried to eat my Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I found myself unable to finish it; the pain was too great.
For the next while, I didn't eat very much. It simply hurt too much.
So it was that as I was walking up the stairs from the basement (where I'd been doing laundry) back to my apartment, I could feel my feet dragging. My eyes were trying to close, and I felt a sluggishness drape itself across me like a worn and tattered blanket. I was weak - I needed nourishment. I needed food.
Earlier that day I'd discovered something quite interesting: If I tugged on my infected ear in a specific way, the jaw muscles were effected in a way that made biting down less painful. I'd done this without any food in my mouth, though; now was the time to actually experiment with this idea.
I attempted to eat a poptart in this manner, tugging on my ear in the way I mentioned. I thought that I'd been clever to figure out this new method in order to eat.
Yeah right.
It hurt to eat that poptart just as much as it had hurt to eat anything else.
But I was still in desperate need of food.
I made a ham-and-cheese sandwich, and sat down on my bed. I remember uttering a silent prayer, there alone in my room, that in essence went something like: "Heavenly Father, please help me to eat this sandwich. I never thought I'd pray for something like this, but I don't think that I can do this by myself. It hurts too much. Please help me."
With this having been said, I proceeded to take a bite out of my sandwich, abandoning my technique of tugging on my ear. The first bite did hurt, but I chewed slowly...and that's what made all the difference. Not tugging on my ear, not trying to gulp down the food and not chew my food at all. I merely took my time and ate the sandwich. My jaw muscles protested against this, but I continued eating and chewing. After a while, I almost forgot about the pain that had become associated with eating as I came to the final bites of the sandwich. Granted, it took longer than eating a sandwich normally does - but I ate it!
With that being said, I now wish to share with you a scripture that I will try to connect with the adventures of my ear and mouth:
"But behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are" (Mormon 9:11).
Sometimes we forget in this busy world of hustling, bustling, meetings, stress, and packed schedules that there is a God in Heaven who watches over and loves each and every one of us. This ear infection has taught me much about the Lord's workings amongst mankind; and the fact that I was able to eat that sandwich today is proof to me that we do worship a God of miracles, One who works with who and what we are!
He works His miracles through our imperfections, melting away our dross till at last we shine as gold and reflect His countenance. He can choose to bring about some almighty occurrence that will change our hearts and minds - yet, throughout my own experience, I have found that He often teaches me and works miracles in my daily life through the many small and simple things that I do. I am reminded of how great He really is by the minute things in my life that He helps manage for me.
I suppose the point of this post is: Look around you! This world is full of miracles, big and small! The fact that I was able to eat that sandwich is a miracle to me! I didn't think I'd be able to get through the whole thing, but I did! The Lord loves each and every one of us, my friends, and He is more invested in your life than you know. He is more invested in your life that you yourself are.
I encourage you to take some time today, and tomorrow, and the rest of your life, to ponder upon the miracles that the Lord works for you, and the miracles that He works through you. As I have done this I have been able to see His Hand more fully in my life, and I have been reinvigorated with a desire to help others see those miracles in their lives as well.
God still works miracles, my friends! He is not dead nor doth He sleep! Let's spread this message to the rest of the world! Let's help them to see that the Lord loves each and every one of His children, and that He works miracles for them every second of every minute of every hour of every day! :)
May God be with you till we meet again, my friends.
Sam
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