"Dear God. This is Linda. I need a miracle."

I remember this time last year as if it was yesterday. Halloween was approaching, and my heart was as sad as it had ever been. My life seemed in disrepair, tattered, disassembled and I was asking God:

"Why?"

"What do I do now?"

"How will we all get through this heartache and pain?"

I was so sad that I couldn't hear the answers.

Everywhere... relationships that mattered to me seemed to be in chaos.

My heart felt like it was shattered.

I tried to hold on to the old adage that things could only get better. Perhaps we would, with God's grace, get through this awful passage.

I wasn't sure we would. It was the dark night of the soul.

One vivid night, when I had cried more than I thought possible, I asked God for a miracle.

I told Him that I was powerless to change everything and that only He could bring us through this heartache on every front. I remembered the old quotation,

"Don't tell God how big the storm is, tell the storm how big God is.

On my knees and broken... 

I told the storm that the God I loved and had committed my life to at age 16, was bigger than anything it could throw at me or my loved ones.

I told the storm that I didn't know how God would make things right, but with all of the faith I could muster, I was going to trust that MY God could do miracles.

I remembered another quotation:

"There are only two ways to live your life- one is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

I was going to believe that everything was a miracle and that what was happening would get turned around. I was going to believe, with every cell in my body, that God could make things right on every front....heal every heart, give every relationship a new beginning.

Was it possible that God could do exceedingly, abundantly above all things I could ever imagine?

Was it possible that God could turn this pain around and bring new hope and healing?

I chose to believe He could, even though I couldn't imagine how.

All of my cards were on the table. I was helpless. I gave it ALL to Him.

It is now one year later.

Another Halloween is upon me.

I am teary as I write this post. It is not my place to tell all of the stories, but it is my place this morning to praise God for answering the prayers of this grateful woman.

*I could NEVER, EVER, in a thousand lifetimes have imagined the great work God would do in the past twelve months.

*I could NEVER, EVER have imagined where we all are now.

*I could NEVER, EVER have imagined the healing and changes that are happening every day.

*I could NEVER, EVER have imagined that my heart would be lighter and my faith would be stronger.

*I could NEVER, EVER have imagined that God's grace would be the start of miracle after miracle...and they just keep coming.

So this morning, as I drink my coffee with tears streaming down my face, I remember when I whispered the prayer, "Dear God. This is Linda. I need a miracle."

And I am grateful beyond words because He answered that prayer!

God Bless! Love Linda