The Promised Blessing

One year, to celebrate our anniversary, my husband, Frank, and I left our children with a baby-sitter and went camping together. We were having a wonderful time until I became ill and we had to return home. Once home, however, I did not seem to improve. I continued to have health problems that kept me in bed a good deal of the time. Since I was used to being very active and involved in my Church callings and as a musician, I found myself increasingly frustrated. Yet I felt that Heavenly Father was hearing and answering my prayers.

My family expected I would get well soon and just kept on doing their best. Occasionally I had help with baby-sitting and housework, but for the most part Frank took over, adding much to his already heavy burdens of working on a master’s thesis at BYU, teaching classes as a graduate assistant, and serving in Church callings.

Through the winter months I prayed, read scriptures, and did what I could to be a good wife and mother, though I felt I could do very little. April came, and I felt a need to read my patriarchal blessing. I read it daily for a week and decided that if I were to enjoy the blessings promised me, I needed to renew my efforts to improve my lifestyle. The Holy Ghost confirmed this. I also knew this would require me to exercise more faith and work harder than I ever had before.

I asked Frank to give me a blessing, and the words he spoke touched me deeply. Among other things, he promised me that my health would be restored. The following Sunday two of my friends fasted and prayed for me. As a result, I felt more peaceful and closer to my friends than ever before.

The next fast Sunday, Frank and other relatives fasted and prayed for me. On the day of the fast, a scripture from Malachi came in part to me: “Prove me now herewith … if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Mal. 3:10). I went to bed that night faithfully expecting I would see a great change in my health, and I acknowledged this to my Heavenly Father.

Having grown closer to the Spirit during my illness, I recognized the guidance and direction I began to receive powerfully and continuously during the next several days. Beginning the very next morning, I was inspired to get out of bed, eat a good breakfast with my family without worrying about my special diet, get my husband off to work, make a few telephone calls, and clean my house. At last I was making progress.

As the week proceeded, I was guided to spend more time with my children, find ways to make my husband feel important, and walk around the block. Soon I was able to shop, swim, and attend the temple.

By Thursday of that week I woke up ready to get going once again. As I got to my feet, the words came clearly to my mind: Suzanne, today your blessing is completely fulfilled.

It was true. My health had been completely restored. I became fully involved with my husband and children and friends again. I moved forward confidently, having received reassurance from the Lord that my abilities were intact and would be increasing. I returned to playing the piano and felt myself succeeding beyond my own previous expectations. I felt a need to spend more time composing, which soon became an important new focus for me.

I have had many other challenges and blessings since this experience. There have been times of healing and times when I have suffered through extensive illness as part of life’s precious education. I recognize that other people’s circumstances are different than mine. I know that my healing may have been a little unusual. But I also know that I was blessed, and I feel it appropriate to rejoice in the Lord’s goodnesses to me. As a result of this experience, my understanding of the Atonement and of our Savior deepened, and I have come to appreciate the priesthood and its power to help us overcome our limitations, both physical and spiritual.