This inspiring miracle was shared by a Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serving in a congregation in Portland, Oregon.
This evening a woman was baptized at our church building. Toward the end of the service, there was a knock on the Relief Society door, followed nearly immediately by a young man coming in, and joining the service. I didn't recognize him, but then again, there were many people there I didn't know.
He left the room almost immediately after the service, as did the sister missionaries. I went looking for the sister missionaries, and I saw the young man in the kitchen with another member and simply I assumed he was family. When I caught up with the sister missionaries, I learned they were looking for this young man. They didn't recognize him and wanted to meet him. They saw him leave and so they went to track him down.
As I chatted with the sister missionaries, that same member who had previously been in the kitchen rounded the corner with a "Hey, here are the sisters, and here's the bishop", with the somewhat dazed young man in tow.
It turns out, this young man wasn't family. In fact, he really had no idea why he was there, other than he was out "looking for a church". After a spat with his girlfriend, he was driving around and feeling empty. He saw the church, and decided to come in. I have no idea how he found his way from the front of the building to the Relief Society room--the church was otherwise empty. But he got there.
From there, we got to sit down and have a discussion with him. He was very open with the challenges he was facing, the rough night he was having, and the emptiness he was feeling. We got to talk about our Heavenly Father, His plan for us, and the Atonement. When asked, the young man said he was feeling "very peaceful" as we had been talking. After that, he asked if we had a book he could take with him. We did.
The sister missionaries shared the Book of Mormon with him, and committed him to read. He accepted the invitation. We prayed with him, and he left with the commitment to go home and make things right with his girlfriend and son.
I don't know where things will go from here with him. But I have no doubt that our meeting tonight was not a coincidence. Interestingly, the sister missionaries were at the baptism because they had committed three less active members to attend. None of them showed up. I can only speculate that a loving Heavenly Father saw an opportunity to connect some dots -- He had a son in need, and some daughters who had proven that they would't let a need slip past them.
This experience reminded me again of the savior's words to some frustrated church leaders (including the prophet Joseph Smith): "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed (see Doctrine and Covenants 123:17)." Tonight we saw the beginnings of an unfolding miracle; His arm was revealed. I wish you all could have experienced it. The Spirit that was there was powerful. I want to feel it in the same way again. And soon.
There can be miracles when you believe in God.
Have a miracle to share? Find me on Facebook: Sister-Jenessa Hutchins and Sister-Jenessa Heckel or like the When You Believe in God Facebook page! We would love nothing more than to share your miracles with the world.
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