A Tornado, A Prayer, and a Blessing

By Brea Lewis

     On May 1, 2008, when I was five, there was a storm going through my town.  At the time, I was visiting my grandparents.  About thirty minutes before we left, we heard the tornado sirens going off, and then we started getting nervous.  So promptly after hearing the sirens, my dad wanted us to get on our shoes.  We waited for the storm to become a little lighter before we went back home (thankfully we live only a few minutes away from my grandparents).  Anyway, when we got home we all headed nervously to bed.
     In the middle of the night, I woke up crying.  I had dreamed of my family being swept up in a tornado!  My mom heard me crying, so she came in to try to calm me down.  We sang a few camp songs, then we prayed that the storm would pass peacefully.  Meanwhile, my dad went to the back door and tried to see if anything in the backyard had been damaged.  Unfortunately, it was so dark (and the storm didn't help) that he couldn't see anything.
    When my mom had calmed me down, she went back into her room.  I could hear them talking about the storm and what had just happened with me.  In the morning, my dad went to go check everything to see if anything had been damaged, and what he found was the biggest surprise!  He called for my mom, but in a firm voice,
    "Brenda, you've GOT to see this!"  (Brenda is my mom's name).  When my mom had gone in the backyard, she saw our tree laying perfectly on its side, parallel with the fence so that it didn't disturb any of the neighbors' property.  Shortly after stepping outside to survey the situation, our neighbor came out and said,
    "Yeah, I watched your tree as it rocked back and forth."  He had mentioned the time he saw it happen and it was about the same time my dad had looked out the door.  So when I woke up, my parents showed us that what the wind/storm/God had done to the tree.  We took a photo of all of us kids on the tree that was down.  It was apparently a "pleasant" surprise for my parents, because they had actually wanted the tree down, but didn't want to pay someone to take it down.  It was a blessing in that regard, but we kids didn't want it down.  Later, after my grandparents had assessed that nothing had been damaged by the tree, they called my grandpa because he wanted some firewood.  He brought his chainsaw, cut up the entire tree, and took it with him.  I don't personally remember looking at the tree.  All I remember the best was the dream, which I can still remember clear to this day.  Later, we found out that the storm had "skipped" across town, downing some trees and wiping out an Arby's!

Healed In Administration

By Hannah Edwards

    For the past year or so, I've been dealing with a certain health issue.  Since November of 2016, that issue has been growing worse to the point where I deal with it every single day.  If you've ever been through trials, and I am sure you have, you know how much they wear you down emotionally.  

   In March of 2017, I had decided to attend the Central Missouri Restoration Branches Senior High Retreat at Odessa Hills Campground, Odessa, Missouri.  The retreat was set to run from 7:00 P.M. on Friday to 12:00 P.M. on Sunday.  

     

    On this particular Friday, I knew the health problem I had been dealing with would be a great hindrance to me at the retreat.  I approached the Lord with the problem, but no answer was given.

    That evening at campfire, this problem was giving me significant trouble, so the camp director allowed me to leave campfire and return to my cabin in order to take care of myself.  As I walked down the pathway towards the cabins, I began to cry for the physical and emotional pain I was suffering. All at once, the Spirit of the Lord came to me and I felt pressed with a gentle whisper --

   "Why do you weep, My child?"

   "Oh, Father," I returned softly.  "It is not because You are not good.  It is not because I feel as though You have wronged me or I deserve something I have not been given.  I am just so lonely, tired, and worn out.  I have been struggling for months now with this, with no relief."  I continued to reason with Him why I felt as I did.

    "Come with Me, My child, and I will take you to places you have never been," the Spirit whispered in return, and I remember looking upward.

    "What kind of places, Father?" I asked.  

     "Places where you will never fear again," came the whispered answer.  

    While the conversation gave me comfort, I continued feeling badly.  That night, after everyone else had gone to bed, I fell ill again with the issue.  This time was so bad that I felt lightheaded.  My counselor, a friend, the camp director, and I went to the nurse.  The nurse listened to my situation and nodded her head.  "It's not uncommon," she said, "and I don't want this to sound rude or mean, but there isn't really anything we can do to help you.  The best thing right now is to go to bed and see if you feel better in the morning."  

   I took her advice and went back to bed.  I slept well once I got to sleep, but in the morning, I was feeling poorly again.  The camp director arranged for me to be administered to.

     During the administration, the elder and the seventy prayed that I would be healed of my affliction, that I might have a testimony to share with those who needed to hear it, and that I would be blessed with the return of joy and hope.  They also prayed that my joy and hope would be witnesses to others about the Gospel and about Christ.  

    Before the administration, the health issue had been bothering me and causing me great sorrow.  Immediately following the administration, there was no sign that I had ever had this affliction; nor did I grieve anymore.  Instead, my sorrow was replaced with an unmistakable joy, and it has stayed with me.  

     All of this took place on Saturday at the retreat; it is Sunday afternoon as I am writing this.  I am so blessed.  The issue has so far not returned and I strongly doubt it will ever return, or at least in as strong a way as it was.

    I am so blessed!  The Voice I heard on Friday was true; I went to Him, and He led me to a place where I no longer fear because of this problem.

   The King of Glory reigns, and He is good!