Little Wonders

Why is it that signs and miracles only come after the trial of our faith? Why can't we just say to the Lord, show me a sign and then I will have faith? Asking the Lord for a sign is like asking for the answer key to our test of faith. Except, not really. Because we pretend that we're just asking for one answer key to one test of our faith, but what we really want is the one answer key to rule them all. Lord show me this one sign that will give me enough faith to pass any and all future trials of faith forever. When we ask for a sign, what we really want is for something to click in our brain and our heart and our soul... forever. We want to be locked into that faith mode where on the back of this one incontrovertible proof we'll be faithful forever and never question anything ever again. But that's a lot of pressure to put on one sign. I mean say the original test of faith was paying tithing, and we said Lord, let an extra $100 fall into my lap so I can pay my tithing and still afford that thing I want. And say that miracle actually happened. But now the trial we are experiencing is that we keep losing our temper and lashing out and it just seems to me that the one miracle of $100 falling into our lap is not going to be as applicable in the situation where we're losing our temper. A trial of faith is meant for us to prove to the Lord but more importantly, to prove to ourselves that we will remain faithful, with or without miracles, signs or no signs, sudden divine intervention or slow, nearly imperceptible, gradual improvement of our lives. When we face our trials with faith and a commitment to see them through regardless of the outcome, then as our faith expands, our ability to see the invisible hand of the Lord in the details of our lives will grow sharper and sharper, and instead of petulantly demanding one obvious, decisive sign to last us for rest of our lives, we will instead receive and be able to perceive thousands of miracles, large and small, each suited to help us specifically for each trial that we face. We are flooded each day and from moment to moment with signs and miracles and tender mercies and divine grace but we can only begin to recognize them as we exercise our faith and act as if the miracles will come even though we can't see them and have no guarantee as to when or how they will help us. People who sit there and ask for one grand ultimate sign before they will even begin to consider believing are going to miss out on a thousand miracles and little wonders that could fill their lives if they would but believe.