Thursday, July 21, 2011

A Rock Hard Answer

So the other day my companion and I were at Seneca Lake skipping stones on our preparation day. I had just realized that I had lost my name tag and had no clue where it could have fallen off along our hike next to the lake. I said a prayer to my Father in Heaven asking Him if He would please help me find my tag because I had already lost so many. Shortly after I felt a sharp thud on the side of my head and sat up to see that my companion had just accidentally skipped a rock right into my head, which was quite a feat considering I wasn't out in the water. I was pretty annoyed that I had just been hit with a rock so I walked down the shore about twenty yards and reached into the water to begin skipping stones again. Right next to the rock I went to pick up was an odd black rock that was skinny and had my name on it, my tag!!

Now a lot of people might say, what does getting hit in the head with a rock have anything to do with prayers? But, in fact, I learned a great lesson from this experience. It is clearly identified in both the Book of Mormon and the Bible, that if we will but ask with faith, we shall receive. "Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it."(Enos 1:15) "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." (Matt. 21:22) How blessed are we to have a loving Father in Heaven who hears our prayers and is willing to answer them? Sure, sometimes He doesn't answer in ways that we want. I certainly didn't want to get hit in the head with a rock, but I asked for help in finding my tag and He guided me as a result. I testify that if we will all go to our loving Father above that He will answer our prayers. He will freely give us wisdom to the problems and trials we face today. (James 1:5) Whenever you need Him, don't forget to pray.