Tonight we are reviewing this story for Family Home Evening.
It has special meaning for me.At the point when the Savior told Jairus, "Be not afraid, only believe", this father had just received news that his child was dead but he had not yet seen her. I was going to say I can imagine how he felt--but I'll abridge that with I know exactly how he felt.
There was a small interim between the time we discovered Shiloh's passing and when Blaine arrived where I was all alone in my hospital room. Oh, if there was ever an A awarded for effort, I would have earned it for the prayers I offered up at that point. I plead, I begged, I bargained. I just knew, I KNEW deep down that Heavenly Father could bring Shiloh back. I also knew that if it wasn't His will, no amount of pleading, begging, or bargaining would change it. That was what confused me so much. I thought, "This is so cruel. Why would I have the assurance that Heavenly Father could raise my son from the dead if he wasn't going to?" Well, hindsight is 20/20 as they say. I realized tonight why that assurance might have come.
Because seeing is not believing.
All through the New Testament we see time and again where the Savior performs miracles: restoring sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, cleansing the leper, raising the dead. And they truly are miracles. They are--please don't mistake that. But these are temporary means to an end. The real miracle is when the Savior restores sight to the spiritually blind, when he unstops the ears of those who are spiritually deaf, when he cleanses the spiritual leper in all of us, and ultimately, raises us from spiritual death to life eternal.
Heavenly Father knew that I didn't need Him to raise my son from the dead for me to know that He could do it. And when you think about it--eventually my assurance that the Savior can raise my son from the dead will be realized. Someday, I will see that happen.
He will answer my prayer. . .just not yet.
And knowing that makes all the difference.
I am grateful for that.
There was a small interim between the time we discovered Shiloh's passing and when Blaine arrived where I was all alone in my hospital room. Oh, if there was ever an A awarded for effort, I would have earned it for the prayers I offered up at that point. I plead, I begged, I bargained. I just knew, I KNEW deep down that Heavenly Father could bring Shiloh back. I also knew that if it wasn't His will, no amount of pleading, begging, or bargaining would change it. That was what confused me so much. I thought, "This is so cruel. Why would I have the assurance that Heavenly Father could raise my son from the dead if he wasn't going to?" Well, hindsight is 20/20 as they say. I realized tonight why that assurance might have come.
Because seeing is not believing.
All through the New Testament we see time and again where the Savior performs miracles: restoring sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, cleansing the leper, raising the dead. And they truly are miracles. They are--please don't mistake that. But these are temporary means to an end. The real miracle is when the Savior restores sight to the spiritually blind, when he unstops the ears of those who are spiritually deaf, when he cleanses the spiritual leper in all of us, and ultimately, raises us from spiritual death to life eternal.
Heavenly Father knew that I didn't need Him to raise my son from the dead for me to know that He could do it. And when you think about it--eventually my assurance that the Savior can raise my son from the dead will be realized. Someday, I will see that happen.
He will answer my prayer. . .just not yet.
And knowing that makes all the difference.
I am grateful for that.
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