Several years ago, some friends and I visited the Holy Family Shrine along I-80 in Nebraska.
Friends since high school, the seven of us had only gathered one other time -- for a wedding -- since graduating in the early 1990s.
I had been going through a difficult struggle with my faith during that time, wondering if the strength of my faith could endure, wondering if the strength of my faith would make Jesus proud.
A person would true faith can move mountains, right?
During our time together, three of my friends talked about their infertility issues. One friend had a baby shortly after high school, but -- as a recent newlywed -- was having trouble becoming pregnant a second time. The other two friends had undergone tests and therapy but to no avail.
Standing next to the fountain in the entrance to the shrine, I heard God whisper to me. He told me to stick my hand in the water and touch my friends. He would heal them. I stuck my hand in the water, but I thought my friends would think I was looney if I told them what I'd heard in my head.
I kept quiet...until we were leaving. Then I the recent newlywed friend about my experience, and she excitely insisted we return to the inside of the building. I told her it was okay. We didn't need to go back in. I had touched my hand in the water, all she had to do was touch my hand and believe.
She did. And within a few short weeks, she was pregnant.
Since then, all three of my friends have been blessed with children of their own.
But the big surprise came yesterday when one of them called me up to say, "Guess what? We're pregnant again!" It wasn't expected. It wasn't planned. But my friend couldn't be happier about the having another baby.
Was it faith healing? I don't know. I'd like to think God's test for me became a blessing for my friends. It's pretty cool.
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