This week was once again rife with meetings and councils but the Lord always manages to squeeze in some tender and merciful moments.
Wednesday, we called our friend Jim who is preparing to be baptized and inquired whether or not he would still like to meet with us that day. Upon receiving an affirmative response and requesting a time, he proposed that we met that very hour. Perhaps with some feelings of exasperation, we accepted his proposition and immediately called a brother of the ward hoping he would join us but to no avail. Radio silence. We left him a text and scurried out the door.
Later, about 20 minutes into our discussion with Jim, this same good brother to our astonishment burst through the door, sat down, and began to administer the gospel via powerful, heartfelt, and inspired testimony as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. His words were exactly what Jim needed to hear. The loyalty and dedication of this man to the Lord and His work are deeply inspiring.
A more unsettling experience occurred in our parking lot as we prepared to set off for the day. A woman we had never met approached us with what seemed to be regular missionary small talk. But after some solicitous comments about getting us alone and a reference to how tight my companion's pants were, her true colors began to show. She then asked us some very obscene questions that are slightly amusing in retrospect, but in the moment were very sour.
We then, like Joseph in Egypt, "fled, and got [us] out." My companion and I have concluded that she may have been a prostitute, but the world may never know.
Due to some renovations at the mission office, all the vehicles owned by the mission had to be moved to another location. For a glorious moment I returned to my home behind the wheel of a MiniVan. The immense joy I felt at that time is probably reason for concern more than anything else. My spin in the 2022 Toyota Sienna will not soon be forgotten.
I received a most remarkable phone call on Friday from a dear friend in East Palo Alto, Dencell Sinclair Fox, the OG. Immediately upon answering the phone, Dencell in usual form began to make slightly skewed doctrinal comments about how, I, Jacob Winegar, am the Jacob prophesied of in scripture. I, not knowing what he was talking about in the slightest, opted for the classic vague giggle of emotion. But then he called to my remembrance a Priesthood blessing of healing that my companion and I had given him just prior to my departure from Menlo Park. I told him that I remembered and he explained to me that from that day forward he had never experienced even one of the many debilitating symptoms that he had often battled as a result of a chronic illness. In fact, upon returning to the doctors office for a routine checkup they reported in bewilderment that his body was completely healed from his condition.
He then shared with me his testimony that he knew because of our blessing he had been healed. I joyfully replied with my own witness that by our combined faith, God had healed him with His infinite power. We reflected with great love upon that wonderful miracle that we were able to behold together.
"And who shall say that Jesus Christ did not do many mighty miracles? And there were many mighty miracles wrought by the hands of the apostles"
"And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles."
I testify with Moroni that the God of all the earth has always been and will always be a God of miracles. I testify that our Savior, Jesus Christ, has the power to do the impossible, whatever that may be in our lives. I promise that each of you will experience that remarkable power for yourselves if you will exercise even a particle of faith.
Our Heavenly Father wantsto bless us. He loves us! We are His children. He is more than willing to work wonders on behalf of our happiness. After all, has he not already granted us the greatest miracle of all by sending His Only Begotten Son to make an Atonement for all mankind?
In simple words:"The Lord does not require perfect faith for us to have access to His perfect power. But He does ask us to believe."
Song
Happiness–The 1975
Shucks, I sure do miss you.
Farewell, until we meet again.
Elder Winegar
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