{"chapter_no":"7","chapter_title":"Miracles Through Affliction","book_id":"2","book_name":"The Story of James","subchapter_no":"0","page_no":"236","page_number":"1","verses_count":0,"total_pages":4,"page_content":"

 <\/p>

Chapter 7<\/p>

Miracles Through Affliction<\/h1><\/p>

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A<\/i>n emotional fire<\/i> comes upon us during affliction—W<\/i>e<\/i> look into the heavens for hope; i<\/i>f we are
patient, t<\/i>ime<\/i> <\/i>pass<\/i>es<\/i> and joy will come—In the performance of priesthood blessings, can we ever learn to
do more th<\/i>an just the minimum?—The proper context<\/i> in which <\/i>miracle<\/i>s are brought to pass<\/i>.<\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

 <\/p>

 <\/p>

A few miles away from the hospital, at approximately the same hour of the morning,
Charles White sat in a comfortable reclining chair in his living room. He, too, was in a state of
shock, and could only shake his head. After leaving the hospital, he had dropped Sarah off in
Clearfield and then made his way back home. Sleep had eluded him ever since. From his chair he
saw the high vaulted ceiling and the elegant crystal chandelier above him, but the luxuries and
stylish nature of his beautiful home gave him little comfort. <\/p>

 <\/p>

He had attended a short meeting with Brother and Sister Hancock and the attending
doctors. Their prognosis was that a full recovery for James was not likely given existing
technology. A large investment of money from Charles would help a great deal with the long-
term recovery efforts of James, but it wouldn’t change the outcome. Barring some miracle,
James would never regain full use of his foot again. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Charles wasn’t one to cry, but he was visibly shaken––like one having seen a ghost. It
was a deathly feeling, a bitterness not unlike that which had consumed James. And like Sarah, he
felt guilty about the accident and his role in causing it. All he could do was think about stairs—
stairs, stairs, and more stairs. Why hadn’t he checked for black ice on the stairs of the porch?
How careless! And how tragic now the consequences!<\/p>

 <\/p>

Getting up from his chair, he turned off the lights and walked into his bedroom. Tiredly,
he cast himself upon his bed. After a few minutes, he rolled himself off the mattress to his knees
for serious prayer. A miracle for James’s foot, that's what he wanted more than anything else.
Resting, pondering, praying, he fell asleep at beside.<\/p>

 <\/p>

When a person suffers, whether young or old, there is great sadness. This is especially
true when the suffering is severe. There is an emotional fire, a kind of fever that consumes us
during affliction. It burns through our soul, our minds, and even our relationships with others.
But this burning can deliver us a more purified soul if we so allow. Relief in these critical
moments can only be found if we look up into the heavens with an eye fixed singly upon the love
of the Savior. Patience for the moment is required, and even more for the long-term. We must <\/span><\/p>

make the decision to put our hands back firmly on the handcart, to refocus our faith again in
things not seen but true, to keep pushing ahead, and to endure through the experience<\/span>. <\/p>

 <\/p>

We might ask ourselves: Do we have the same faith and determination as the early
Mormon pioneers? <\/p>

 <\/p>

Recall the familiar images of the 1840s and later decades: the suffering of the saints
during the trek west; a bonnet draped over the head of a pioneer woman, and perhaps an
oversized one worn by her small daughter walking alongside; the walking, the endless walking
across the plains and through the mountain paths; the cold temperatures, the snow, the hunger,
the illnesses, the continuous attacks by mobs, the uncertainty of what lay ahead. There was fear
among them, but also hope and faith. They were courageous and strong. <\/p>

 <\/p>

In the end, great joy was experienced when the pioneers arrived to Utah. They had
achieved victory over the extremes of nature and the persecutions of evil men. How beautiful is
the legacy of those who preceded us! From this we can draw strength. From this we can find a
type of how to endure our trials of today.<\/p>

 <\/p>

We look into the heavens with hope at the onset of a tragedy. Normal life then resumes
and the reality of the difficult trial ahead comes upon us in our weakened state. But if we can just
wait and see the affliction through, joy will come. The Lord will look for the right moment to
soften the affliction for us, causing the intense burning of the suffering to subside. He will
strengthen us such that we can endure the trial. We should watch for that strengthening and seize
upon it when it comes... like a second iron rod placed a little closer to us to help us reach the
main one along our path<\/span>. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Emotional pain often succumbs to hard work, being active in good deeds, and staying
busy. Physical pain often succumbs to rest and sleep—the Spirit can do wonderful things at
night, making us feel stronger and reducing some or all of the pain we feel. And then, as we arise
the next morning, the Comforter is still there on duty, ready to lift up our spirits even more and
help us to find possible cures to our ills. Accessible through prayer, through feelings of gratitude,
through humility, and through the reading of the scriptures, the Spirit provides daily warmth. <\/p>

 <\/p>

There is also the kindness of family and good friends to appreciate, an easy place to go to
feel alive again and to feel love during affliction. Yet suffering continues long after the time
spent with others is over––we find ourselves alone again in our thoughts, and very much alone in
our hearts; so, we must look beyond that which we can see with our eyes. This is when prayer
must consume us––humble, solemn prayer at bedside multiple times each day. Searching, we
will find the recipe of good thoughts, perspective, and hope that can carry us through. Serious
prayer and fasting, hour by hour, is capable of taking head-on the emotional pain of affliction (as
well as the burning of anger, hatred, or temptation that sometimes consumes us), for this is where
we find ourselves again; this is the place from which the celestial version of our soul will
emerge. This new being, a soul cleansed by the fire of affliction, is then ready to stand before
God and be crowned with eternal glory. <\/p>

From within our prayers, we also position ourselves well to receive a miracle. Many such
miracles come through priesthood blessings. <\/p>

 <\/p>

For those of us who perform blessings, a key question to ask is this: Can we ever learn to
do more than just lay our hands upon the sick? Frequently, we are only prepared to do the
minimum. We hope that we've completed the blessing procedure itself correctly, then nervously
wait to see if anything dramatic happens... for an hour, for a day, or for the next week or two. <\/p>

 <\/p>

The queen, wife of King Lamoni, demonstrated the manner in which we should wait, and
also what we should hope for in a miracle. She waited all night long, hour by hour, at the side of
her husband. She expected a miracle and, in the end, was not disappointed. Her joy was not only
in the miracle of her husband arising from the bed, but in her newfound knowledge of the
Redeemer and the salvation of her people. The greater miracle was the Atonement—the
opportunity for repentance, the forgiveness of sins, and the means by which souls can be made
clean.<\/p>

 <\/p>

If we have this perspective, then any other miracles of lesser stature will come more
easily for us; for surely, given the choice, the Lord would much rather see us cleansed of our sins
than delivered from our physical ills. On the other hand, there is no reason why we can’t have
both––to be delivered from sicknesses or afflictions in our lives and also be saved in the
kingdom of God. Great happiness in our mortal journey is definitely part of the gospel plan.<\/p>

 <\/p>

We will see this soon in the life of James. Miracles, glorious experiences, blessings, and
signs from God will be bestowed upon him from heaven. Foremost in his mind now is the
healing of his foot, to be able to walk and run like before. But regaining his original walking
form will prove to be a lifetime effort, with only gradual improvements seen year by year. On the
other hand, his life experiences will be added upon, and he will receive greater blessings than he
could have ever imagined before his accident.<\/p>

 <\/p>

Miracles frequently come as we are engaged in assisting those suffering around us. When
we pray for miracles on the behalf of others, even people we don’t even know, we show the Lord
that we are unselfish and that we are ready to assist Him in His work. Those who suffer might be
near or far away. But in our show of concern, we will find peace. The unfairness of life and the
pain we experience in our own lives will be directly and proportionally overcome by the relief
we bring to others––relief we can bring to the unfairnesses of life and the pain they are
experiencing<\/span>.<\/p>

 <\/p>

Miracles are sometimes instantaneous. If, for example, the Lord is trying to accomplish
something important involving the salvation of souls, and an illness or a tragedy of some kind
gets in the way of that goal, a miracle in relief may come quickly. But if an illness or a tragedy
merely gets in the way of our own personal goals, then a miracle in relief may be slow in
coming. It may be something extremely important to us, and what we want for ourselves out of
life, but not something directly related to the work of the Lord. Thus, to perform miracles, and to
be rescued from the powerful waves of the dark sea of affliction, we need to paddle our lifeboat
over into the nearby shipping lanes where the Spirit of God regularly passes through.<\/p>

As for miracles in the world at large, we tend to ignore them and not recognize them for
what they are. Civilization is moving forward every day with greater and greater earthly
blessings that we all can enjoy. New technologies are introduced and existing technology is
further optimized, but do we care? Do we even take notice? Marvelous things are bestowed upon
us from above––things that change our lives for the better. Line upon line, the people of the
world learn, gain experience, and receive knowledge. Many of the physical and emotional pains
of life suffered by those of past generations are often eased or even avoided altogether by those
of us living today. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Time is also an important consideration with respect to our afflictions in life. The watch
we are wearing may indeed stop when the battery runs down, but the clock of life never stops. It
keeps marching on. Time passes, and soon the end of mortality arrives for everyone. And if one
dies in the Lord, death is sweet. <\/p>

 <\/p>

The transition to the next world at the moment of death is instantaneous. It’s grand, it’s
beautiful, it’s something that occurs in the twinkling of an eye. And it’s something we need not
fear. If we are not already today on a path towards salvation, then it’s time for us to do a
transition of our own––a full repentance––in the twinkling of an eye.<\/p>

 <\/p>

The ultimate cure for affliction is this––to be swallowed up in the work of the Lord and
to embrace a higher purpose than our own in life. <\/p>"}