Answered Prayers

In our church we have priesthood blessings.

A priesthood blessing is, “A blessing given by a Melchizedek Priesthood holder, by the laying on of hands and by inspiration, to one who is sick or otherwise in need of special counsel, comfort, or healing. If the blessing is for the sick, consecrated oil is used (James 5:14–15).”

So of course, as soon as Leah was born, she received a priesthood blessing of health.

There are two things which stand out about this blessing, even though I wasn’t there to witness it:

1). The nurses were amazed at the calm which came over the nursery the second the blessing began and the chaos that ensued when it was done.

I know this because they continued to express their amazement and kept asking if Steven and Mark could come back when the NICU was a little ornery ;).

2). Both Mark and Steven felt as though there was nothing wrong with Leah. It was like Heavenly Father didn’t express a concern over her health or well-being; she was ok.

How could this be?

She has Down syndrome.

So my immediate reaction was, “Well maybe she doesn’t have T21. Maybe she just has some traits and when the karyotype comes back, it will be negative.”

That’s not what happened.

Then I thought, “Maybe she doesn’t have hirschsprung’s disease. The biopsy will come back with normal ganglion cells.”

Nope. Not that either.

When I was alone after Leah was born and I was able to absorb what I had been told, I prayed.

I prayed in ways which I never prayed before. I cried out to Heavenly Father with everything that I had within me.

I was lost.

I was scared.

I was alone.

He told me not to fret.

He told me that Leah would be, “as high functioning as she can be with Down syndrome.”

Those were His exact words.

Can it be?

Can Leah really have abilities and capabilities which I was told were very improbable?

Consistently, Leah has been measuring, “within normal limits.”

She has never fallen behind.

She continues to progress.

Then I think of my answered prayer and I wonder, “Did He really hear little ol’ me?”

Did He really answer me?

No logic can explain it, other then I was answering myself. But that’s not what it was. And even if I was talking to myself, how come I’m still right?

Faith is a really hard thing to have sometimes, even when your prayers are proven because…

Even with all of this, I keep waiting for the “train wreck” to happen.