Miracles

Miracles.  Defined as “an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to God or a supernatural cause.”  Miracles.  If you believe in God, you really can’t substitute another word for miracle.  Happening?  Surprising Event? Phenomonen?  Those words don’t begin to describe a miracle. 

So the real question is:  Why are miracles hard to accept?  We have faith.  We believe in God.  We believe in the miracles of the New Testament.  But when a miracle happens to us, how often do we try to rationalize it, even as we want to believe it is a miracle.  Maybe that’s the thing with miracles.  Heavenly Father doesn’t point them out.  He just deposits them into our lives and hopes we take them for what they are:  Miracles.

In November, my old dog Hoover, age 9 seemed to be getting a bit arthritic.  This dog (half Jack Russell Terrior and half Schnauzer) has been the best dog we’ve ever owned.  He comes when he’s called. He lays down when he’s told.  He taught himself to herd sheep.  He protects his home ferociously.  He can run and run and run.  So it was sad to see  him struggle to get up after a nap.  And to go chasing after something in the field, only to return quickly because it was too much effort.  By Thanksgiving, it would take him five minutes to get into a sitting position.  He could hardly jump into my car.  But he still could go on a 3 mile walk.  He just didn’t run.

Finally, I took him to the vet.  I asked the vet, “Do you think he was hit by a car?”  The vet said “no.  He most likely has arthritis.” Then he gave me $136 worth of pain medication and said, “Bring him back in two weeks.  We’ll have to run blood tests to make sure this medication is ok for him.  Then we’ll prescribe more.”

I went home thinking, “I have to spend $136 a month on my dog?”  I couldn’t afford that.  I love my dog, but finances are tight.  I gave him his first pills.  By the next morning, we had our old Hoover back.  It was amazing.  He could run, jump into my car… Everything.  After the first few days, I thought to spread the medicine out as long as I could.  There was no point in giving it to him at night.  He was just sleeping.  I only gave the pills to him in the morning.  About a month and a half later, I was running low on medication.  I tried to go a couple of days without it.  Hoover went back to barely being able to move.

One night I prayed.  I told Heavenly Father I could not afford medication for this dog.  I truly did not want him to suffer, but I didn’t know what else to do.  I pleaded with Heavenly Father to help my dog be well.  The next morning I gave Hoover the last of the medication.  He had a great day.  I felt sad that he was going to go back to being in so much pain.  

The next morning, I woke up, expecting to find Hoover in his very painful state.  Instead, he got up (a little slowly) and pretty much acted pain free the rest of the day.  A miracle?  Of course.  I prayed for that.  But still, I rationalized.  Maybe he had been hit by a car and now he has recovered.  After all, it had been 6 weeks.  Maybe he was never really as bad as I thought he was.

But I cannot rationalize this miracle away.  It is pure and simply a miracle.

Hoover has been running and jumping and chasing like a young pup ever since....