Everyday Miracles

Recently I re-read the talk that President Henry B. Eyring gave at the October 2007 General Conference. He stressed the importance of writing in our journals. He recommended posing the question "Have I seen the hand of God in my life today?" I have pondered that question so much in the past couple of weeks. Sometimes stress seems to run high and I find myself wondering that very thing - Have I noticed, or even recognized God's hand in my life? Well, today as we traveled to Strawberry Reservoir to ice fish as a family, I thought to myself that I should watch a little better and recognize His hand in my life.

Around noon Ryan and I needed to use the restroom. Brett told me that if I followed lake around quite a ways to the right, I would see the boat dock and then the Marina and there should be a restroom that we could use. As I circled around the lake I saw the boat dock and a few trailers up near them. I assume that the trailers were the buildings that Brett was talking about. I drove the snowmobile near the fence and figured I would have to go around back to get to the buildings. I headed around the fence and got to a very deep part of snow.

The snowmobile I was riding did not go in reverse, so I figured I was at a point of no return and I would need to make it down the side of the mountain to get to where I needed to go. We were on a slant and we just kept getting closer and closer to a fence that had barbed wire at the top. The snow was so deep that the fence was almost completely covered, so it was mostly barbed wire that you could see. I just kept praying that we would be safe. We got about 2 feet away from the fence and I had Ryan get off the snowmobile. I kept the gas on and tried to steer the machine to a safe distance where we could get back on and make it down the hill. I got to a point where I thought it was safe to get back on and had Ryan get on, then I started to move again. Just as we started moving the snowmobile flipped on its side and Ryan and I both flew off. Ryan was scared, but acting very brave. He was worried that I was hurt, but thankfully, I wasn't. A little 11 year old girl came over to help me. Her family lives up there in the trailers and she and her brothers were sledding down the hill on the other side of the fence. She was such a sweetheart. She kept offering to call for help, but I just wanted to get the snowmobile back on its belly.

After rocking it several times and trying different positions with her pushing from one side and me pulling from the other, I suggested we have a prayer that we might get the snowmobile back in working position. We tried again and were so close, so I suggested that we try one last time. At last, we got it back up.

I tried starting the machine and it wouldn't start. By that time her cousin had come back to the house and she ran for help. While she was gone I said another prayer and asked that we could please get the snowmobile started and get safely off the mountain hill. A few pulls later, I got the machine started and sent her brother to tell her we were safe and off the mountain.

When we got home we were getting ready for bed and Ryan said "Mom, we experienced two miracles today." I said, "Yes, son we did." He said, "I could have been hurt really badly when the snowmobile flipped on its side."

He was right. We were so blessed that the snowmobile didn't roll and trap him underneath. I get teary just thinking about it. We could have easily been hurt or even killed. So, today as we traveled home, I thank my Heavenly Father for giving me strength and another every day miracle.