My daughter has been studying light and prayer. This is her story, in her words:

“I’m going to share some of my own personal experiences; I consider them of a divine nature because they have taught me some of the principles of prayer. I share them because while we can’t continue forever on borrowed light, some of my most illuminating experiences have been sparked by someone sharing their personal light with me.

And I believe that when we share our light it burns a little brighter. After all, this dispensation was brought on by a prayer and a sacred experience and the desire to know.

Fighting through the darkness and despair and pleading for the light is what opened this dispensation. It is what keeps it going,and it is what will keep you going. A battle is happening. It’s not over until it’s over. The fight goes on each day–praying is a weapon. Don’t let your guard down.” (Jeffrey R. Holland)

Heavenly Father knows each of us intimately and is involved in the details of our daily lives.

I knew that Heavenly Father cares for each of us but I was not totally aware of how much until one day in March 2012.

STORY:

I took the girls to Irvine Park to walk the dogs and go to the zoo. By the time we finished walking the dogs it had started to rain, we quickly got into the car just as it started to down poor. I told the girls we probably would have to go to the zoo another day.

My sweet girls in their child like faith asked, “Why don’t we just pray for it to stop raining?”

I hesitated wondering what my response should be and how to explain a little about prayer. Finally I said, well….we pray for things we need. Righteous things. And true it wouldn’t be bad to ask for it to stop raining but It isn’t something we truly need. Heavenly Father could make it stop raining, he has the power to do anything really if it is important. The girls said, “ANYTHING???!!!” I told them yes anything — He could make it SNOW at our house if he wanted. [And we live in southern California, 20 miles from the beach.]

But we shouldn’t really ask for him to stop the rain, cuz we can go another day. On the rainy drive home I decided to teach the girls more about prayer.

The next day I dropped my daughter at preschool. When I got home it began to rain again. Suddenly pounding hail. My younger daughter and I put a bowl out on the porch to catch it. It went on for quite a while, and we watched. Soon the hill in our yard was covered in white….and then it Hit me with such a force that only comes with the power of the spirit, I heard the words I had told my children the day before –“Heavenly Father can make it snow if he wants!”

I smiled as tears filled my eyes and I began to laugh in astonishment and disbelief. As we drove to pick up my preschooler I noticed that once we got out of our complex there wasn’t any white hail on the ground….. the streets looked wet but no hail. Even more shocking as I pulled up to her school I noticed the parked cars had rain drizzle around them but underneath them the street was dry.

On the way home my daughter shared with her sister about our huge storm. I waited to say anything but decided to drive another way home and see if there was more rain and hail in another direction. NOTHING. I drove even further, circling our area, not a sign of hail.I thought hmm it must have melted. As I pulled up to our little community and drove around the other condos I once again saw white….white in all the planters, white on the grass,white on the bushes! The hail had not melted. It just wasn’t anywhere else.

We walked into the yard and I picked up the bowl full of frozen hail and handed it to my little girls. Tears of joy and laughter filled my soul as the spirit bore witness to me — That The LORD was aware and had heard me the day before, struggling to teach the concept of prayer to my children. I felt his sense of humor in proving my words and was in awe that he cared enough to bless us with this miracle. I shared my thoughts with the girls and we spent the rest of the afternoon playing in ‘our snow.'”

[to be continued]