"Finding The Miracle I Needed, Not The One I Wanted"

Years ago, I prayed to God to heal my wife from stage 4 colon cancer. I poured my heart out in prayer and believed that God would answer my plea.  But unfortunately, my wife passed away, leaving me frustrated and upset that God did not answer my prayer. For a while, I let the pain consume me, dwelling on the loss and feeling forgotten by God. I even felt that God owed me and my boys for all the pain we had gone through.

But one night, I decided that I had enough of the suffering and went out to find the miracle I had prayed for. I had to work hard to be in the right mindset to recognize the miracles that were already happening in my life. The pain of losing my wife was getting in the way of seeing the other miracles that were happening right in front of me.

I realized that I was creating pain for myself by not opening up and telling others how I felt. Holding onto the grief and sadness was only making things worse. I had to release the pressure that was causing me so much pain. I trained my brain to focus on happiness, joy, tender mercies, and miracles. And I began to notice God's work and miracles in my life.

One day, while I was working on Hope Kits, I ran into a college friend who told me how she had been following my journey on social media and how it had helped her and her family. She said that she now understood God's plan more clearly after seeing all the good that I and my family were doing for people. She also said that I was making miracles in so many people's lives.

I finally realized that this was one of the miracles I had prayed for several years ago, and I wept in my car. I began to think about all the other miracles along my path and all the miracles that God had answered in my life. I realized that my miracle came when I was able to get married again and find a perfect match for my heart. My wife Kirsten and I have become a very important instrument in the Lord's hands, helping others heal with kind, thoughtful, and encouraging words. My miracle comes from being divinely inspired to create Hope Kits and finding ways to share them with others. It allows me, Kirsten, and my boys to experience spiritual and tender mercies that help us see people as the Lord and the Savior see them.

I have learned that when you start to train your brain to focus on happiness, joy, and miracles, you will quickly realize that they are all around you. God continues to offer what we need in our lives, but we have to be willing to put in the work to notice His work and miracles. As you do so, you will start to believe that God has a plan and is aware of what you need when you need it most.

In conclusion, I have learned to accept the miracle I got rather than the miracle I prayed for. I have worked as a team with God rather than resenting Him along the path. I have learned to focus on happiness, joy, and miracles, which has allowed me to be resilient, vibrant, and thriving. My journey teaches us that we should not give up on God, even if we do not get what we prayed for. We should always be open to the miracles that God has in store for us.

Thanks, 

"The Hope Team"