Answered prayers and small miracles

Today after school Hannah came in crying. She had used her class points to buy a silver bracelet from the class store. She let Abigail hold it after they got off of the bus, and somewhere along the walk home Abigail accidentally dropped it in the snow.

I said a quick prayer and immediately put on my coat and snow boots to help Abigail with the search while Hannah stayed inside with Lydia.

Feeling self conscious with cars driving by, I said another quick prayer in my mind and hoped it would be enough, and we retraced Abigail's path from the bus stop.

Abigail walked past me as we crossed the street on the way back, and I remembered the times my dad used prayer to miraculously find car keys on the beach, and on a separate occasion - his glasses in the ocean.

Losing my self-consciousness enough to take off the hat covering my messy hair and kneel on the corner of the street for all the world to see, I prayed. I prayed that I wasn't sure I had the faith of my father, but asked if the Lord would hear me anyway.

I continued to pray as cars passed by, and partway through heard the words in my mind, "The picnic table."

I dismissed the thought, thinking that the picnic table was a distinct landmark of the grassy area between the street and my house, and that I must have subconsciously supplied my own answer. I continued to pray.

After I finished my prayer I mustered up every ounce of humbleness I could and just listened. Again I heard the words in my mind. "Go to the picnic table." Though I still doubted, I decided to follow this train of thought.

I got up, put on my hat, and walked in a slow, straight line through the snow toward the picnic table while Abigail searched where she had walked. Bootprints and tracks of many other children going to and from the bus stop throughout the past few days blurred together on the ground, and I just walked forward.

Hannah came out as I neared the picnic table, declaring that she was going to help us look for the bracelet, and I stopped. Looking down, partly buried in a small patch of fresh powder, lay a silvery bangle right in front of me, right in front of the picnic table.

I picked it up, shaking the snow off, and Hannah exclaimed with what I can only describe as unadulturated euphoria and joy that it was her bracelet. I was floored. Even though I had doubted the answer, even though I was unsure of my faith, Heavenly Father had helped us, heard us, answered our prayers.

Abigail was still sad about losing it in the first place, but Hannah and I both hugged her tightly and reassured her that because of what happened, we were able to witness a miracle. A tiny miracle - but a miracle nonetheless.