Our Miracle Day
One year ago, today, my Dust lay in his hospital bed as a blind man. Strong, but scared. Brave, yet humbled. Totally unaware that today would be the day the Savior would touch the eyes of my blind man and restore his sight.
There were so many events of this day that I relive over and over again in my mind. So many beautiful memories I will cherish forever.
I remember it as vividly as if it happened yesterday. It was a year ago from this exact moment when Dustin turned his bruised and battered face to me, placed his hands gently around my face and pulled me up into his vision.
"I can see you!" He gasped through his astonished tears.
"Hi baby!" I can't tell you if I was laughing or crying. It felt one and the same to me. The spirit was so strong, I had never felt heaven so near.
The news of Dustin's miracle spread like wildfire. It is one of our very favorite things, to hear about the moment each family member and friend found out he could see again. The frantic calls, the tears, the joy. What an amazing day that was. To know with your whole heart and soul that our Father in Heaven lives, that our Savior loves us and then to witness a true and everlasting miracle.
The miracle wouldn't take away the ensuing trials, but it was a heavenly gift that would enable us to do all that we would need to do, overcome all that we would need to overcome. I can't even imagine the intensity of heartache this last year would have brought had Dustin remained blind. I don't want to imagine it. Mostly because I don't think any of us could have survived it.
I remember Dustin saying that day that our Heavenly Father knew just what he needed to be able to go on. And we thank Him every day for blessing us with such profound miracles.
I received a blessing in that first month that said that the Lord wanted me to be aware that the miracles we have experienced are no different than the miracles in the time of Jesus. We know that everything the Savior does has a purpose. Whether it be the receipt of miracles or gifts to be able to deal with the circumstances when miracles are not part of the plan for us.
There is one story in the bible that I have been drawn to and pondered on over and over again. Perhaps I am so drawn to it, because it is the New Testament version of our story. It is the two-stage healing of the blind man.
Mark 8: 23 - 26 "And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly."
The purpose of the multi-stage healing we don't really know, as the story is merely told and not explained any deeper. But I am certain Dustin and I (along with our families and friends) are learning more deeply the meaning behind this story. I've seen Dustin live this story.
He began this journey with ZERO light perception. Living in complete darkness. And they said he would be blind for the rest of his life. I have since had a doctor tell me he had never even heard of someone having zero light perception and regaining his sight. Nobody is offering any real explanation. "There is just no reason medically, he should be able to see," he told me.
At first, all he had was a tiny little box of grey, blurry vision. His eyes were so sensitive to light that every shade had to be drawn and every light dimmed. He couldn't really even see the features of someone's face. And it was never "supposed" to get better.
We left IMC under the impression that his optic nerve was "hanging by a string." We were worried about him even riding in the car to get home. The first time we went up to the Moran Eye Center, they didn't know what to expect with the optic nerve, but they weren't super hopeful that his sight would remain. His left-eyelid wouldn't close and his right eyelid wouldn't open. His pupil wouldn't dilate. I, for one, felt overwhelmed. I remember Kirk saying, "The Lord gave him his vision back, he's not going to take it away."
Since that day, we have seen miracle after miracle. And today, just one year later (that feels like 10 years later) my husband is driving, providing for our family, building his own house.
For us, there has been purpose in healing in stages and not all at once. Of course, we would have taken immediate and complete healing on that day one year ago. But I'll be totally honest when I say that we are not the same people we were one year ago today. We are not the same people we were six months ago, or even two months ago. Each miracle has brought us great joy - a happiness beyond imagination. Each struggle has brought us much humility, willingness to submit. Each struggle has caused us to search with all our might, to ponder and listen for answers, to pray from the depths of our souls.
I know with all of my heart that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us, who has a plan for every single one of us. We have a Savior who succors us, aids us, enables us to do and be more than we ever could be on our own. We have the Holy Ghost to guide us, prompt us, comfort us. I am so grateful for the many blessings and miracles they have so bounteously given us. I am so grateful for the lessons we have learned in between the miracles.