The Caleb Challenge

I've read a beautiful article today over on Modern Mormon Men blog about middle-grade miracles called The Caleb Miracle. These aren't the wop-you-in-the-face miracles like Oscar Pistorius running in the Olympics as a double amputee. And they aren't the niggling ones like sunsets. These are the miracles that happen often when you hope and wish for something and pray for them.

The other day my son P. lost his wallet. It had everything in it, including, unfortunately, his social security card (he learned that lesson). We looked all over for that wallet, retracing steps, calling the bus station, etc. No dice. It was then that I began to pray that he'd find his wallet. I asked him if he were too and he said he was.

He's been having a crisis of faith lately, poised as he is, on the brink of adulthood and scared to death to jump off. So I've been finding every opportunity I can to recognize verbally for him, these little miracles. It's sort of a hobby of mine to note miracles and answers to prayer as they happen. I think it makes one more open to the Spirit and is a form of thanks.

The wallet didn't come back that day, nor the following two. I was beginning to wonder if the wallet hadn't been meant to bless some poor Illegal alien or something (don't even get me started). I took him to get his cards shut down at the bank and prepared to call up the Social Security place. I wasn't looking forward to the hassle, I tell you. I hoped that P. had learned to keep better track of his things.

But suddenly P. got a package in the mail. It was the wallet! And everything was still in it! All his cards (even his Eagle recognition card and social security card) were there. I took it in to him and told him, "Hey, P., you've just had an answer to your prayers. Check it out." That was a pretty good little miracle. Those happen all the time.