Burglaries and Blessings

I met a woman at the Murray Costco who is my inspiration this week. Listen to this, and she will be yours too!

She raised her daughters as a single parent. Economically, times were tough. One of her daughters worked hard to get into the University of Utah. This particular semester, the daughter had some unexpected bills and was short $750.00 for her tuition. She told her mother she had decided to drop out of school and work for a while. Her mother said she might never go back. Dropping out wasn't an option. She told her daughter to show some faith and ask God for the money. This woman is a big believer in combining prayer with visualization and creating positive energy to attract what you desire. They both took on an attitude of gratitude that God would enable them to pay the tuition bill. They didn't know how it would happen, but didn't allow themselves to doubt, fear or worry.

During this time, there was a big snow storm. The duplex they were renting had a flat roof that was heavily burdened by the snow. The landlord hired some workers to shovel the snow off of the roof. My new friend was at work while her roof was being shoveled. When she came home the snow was gone, but so was her snow blower that she kept in the car port. She wasn't angry. Although disappointed, her reaction was to send blessings their way. She prayed that the snowblower would help elevate whoever took it so they could earn more money to provide for their family...etc. (I would have been ticked!)

Within a few days, after filing a renter's insurance claim, she received a phone call and was told they had a $750.00 dollar check waiting for her. This was on the day the tuition was due! They gave her the option to receive it by mail or come pick it up. She drove straight over and picked it up! What a great story to show that God may not show up when you want him to, but He is never late!

I wonder if the outcome would have been the same had the theft thrown her into deep despair or anger because of her apparent misfortune. I believe it was her attitude that opened the door for that blessing. What a great reminder that we should face every challenge as a blessing!

Shrapnel, Life-Support, and the Transcending Power of Love

I spent today in Orem promoting my children's book. I met the most fascinating man who told me about experiences he had in Iraq while working for a contracted security company. He told me about a miracle that happened with a co-worker.

This coworker was on a video conference with his wife, when a mortar exploded outside the brick wall where this man was sitting. The wife experienced the horror of witnessing the explosion and seeing shrapnel come through the back of her husband's head and out his forehead. Medics rushed in to assist him. He was still alive, but brain dead. This man's wife and mother were flown by the contractor over to Iraq to decide if they would turn off his live support.

He had been brain dead for a few days. When his family arrived, the wife sat next to him, took his hand, and started speaking to him. Immediately, the monitors picked up brain activity.

I had been talking in Costco with this man about how amazing our sub-conscious mind is. He told me this story to illustrate that even when brain dead, the mind appears to maintain some intelligence. The brain activity they witnessed caused them to abandon any thought of turning off life support. Today he is alive and mobile. He has control of all his faculties. He has some memory issues, and it is obvious he is slower cognitively than he used to be, but he is a loving, functioning father and husband.

The security contractor that employed him paid off all of his bills, and paid down his mortgage so that he could support his family on his disability insurance. I'm not going to identify the security company. It is one familiar to many. They received a lot of bad press. I'm not naming them because I don't personally know the man who survived the shrapnel and feel I shouldn't identify him by stating the company he worked for.

Hearing this story left me in awe of the goodness of God, whose power enabled that injured man to miraculously respond to his wife, and the miracle of the goodness of people and corporations who do the right thing and the right time.

Life is full of miracles. We just need to look for them. :)