I'm reading a book by Gerald N. Lund titled, Divine Signatures. I love the way he puts things in such a way that it causes one to think and evaluate one's life to see where one has been the recepient of "Divine signatures." I am going to try each day to evaluate my day and try to discern the Divine signatures in my life. I feel this is especially important in maintaining my testimony of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. If I notice the times (especially during times when things are going well) when I pray and see the fulfillment of those blessings - immediate or even years later - It will give me the confidence that They are with me through the struggles, disappointments and difficulties I may have to face also. I absolutely love one of the quotes in the first chapter of the book. It reads, "Elder Neal A. Maxwell has said: 'God, as a loving Father, will stretch our souls at times. The soul is like a violin string: it makes music only when it is stretched ...God will tutor us by trying us because He loves us, not because of indifference!'"
No, I'm not going to go through the struggles I've had throughout my life. That's in the past. What I want to do is make a record of some of the things that happen when it is obvious to me that the Lord has heard my prayer and answered it. When I relate my experiences, they may sound like coincidence to you, or you may think I'm crazy. But to me they will be those Divine signatures that show me that the Lord loves me and is listening to my prayers. But most of all, it will be those moments that tell me He is helping me - not only in the "good" times, but also the "bad" times.
Today, I had one of those almost immediate answers to a prayer. Don and I left early this morning for Goose Island, near Rock Port, TX, to see if we could find (so I could photograph) a bird that is rarely in the United States. This season is only the 4th sighting of this bird within the U.S. I had prayed that, if possible, we'd be able to find this rarity. We arrived at Goose Island about 1 p.m. We found the area others were hunting in for the bird. Don let me out and I started to cross the street to join "the hunt." Several people were leaving. One lady told me it had just flown away and she and the other were going to see if they could track it down. We walked a short distance to the trash dumpster area where it has been reputed to enjoy foraging for food. There was no sign of it. The others moved off across the street in search of this tiny (4 to 4-1/2 inches long from tip of beak to tip of tail) visitor from Mexico and countries south. I crossed the street with them. I got interested in "shooting" a couple of other types of birds and the others moved on to areas and I lost track of them.
When I noticed I was alone, I quickly closed my eyes and acknowledged that finding the little bird was probably not a high priority for the Lord. However, I said that I would greatly appreciate being able to not only get to see it, but would like to be able to get a couple of good shots of it and would He either bring the bird to me to direct me to it. I closed my prayer and looked around. Nothing. I decided to join Don back at the original sighting from which it had flown. I walked back across the road and on the other side of a fenced in dumpster site, I noticed a couple of gentlemen with their cameras set up on tripods. I decided to ask them if they had seen the Yellow-faced Grassquit (yes, that really is its name). As I started to approach them, the younger of the two men, glanced back at me and motioned me to quietly come forward and then pointed toward the ground about 15 to 20 feet away, just beyond a big blue dumpster. There on the ground, searching for seed, was the bird I had not more than 2 minutes before, asked the Lord to help me find!
I don't know how many pictures I took. Even with my new lense, it was still enough distance away that I knew I wasn't going to get a great picture, but at least it was a picture. It wasn't more than 2 minutes after I started taking shots that a big, loud truck zoomed by and scared it away. It didn't matter, I had gotten pictures of the bird I had come for, and I knew without any doubt the Lord had answered my prayers. I stood there quietly chatting with the two men for few minutes. Then, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. Turning my head, I saw the little Grassquit land on a branch with the sun streaming down on it, not more than 3 feet away from my head. I whispered to the men that it had come back and carefully raised my camera so I wouldn't scare it away. At first they couldn't see it, then it moved a bit further out on the limb where I could get a clear view and shot. Now, what was the chance of that happening! Not only did the Lord take me to the bird, but He placed it right where I could get the good shot I had asked for.
Yeah, right, you say? Well, I'm here to tell you that to me, I saw the Lord's Divine signature in that simple experience. I know He heard my prayer and knew that it was important to me to see and photograph the bird, so He obliged. It is humbling to know that my simplest thoughts are heard, considered and granted by the Lord. Such a simple request - such a testimony impacting answer.
Oh, yes, the little bird - the Yellow-faced Grassquit from Mexico and countries south. Here he is.
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