I have learned more about miracles in the last three years than in my whole life, and I can see how God shapes a person through trials. Sometimes they seem more than we are able to bear, but as we rely more on Him and increase our faith, His plan takes on more meaning and becomes beautiful, letting us view the miracles.
It was the evening of April 27, 1989, and a friend and I were on our way to a meeting at the stake center in Louisville, Colo., when we were hit broadside by a van. The car was pushed sideways 75 feet. There were 12 inches left of where I had been sitting in the passenger seat.I received help within three minutes. (The entire fire department was assembled at a nearby station for training and could respond quickly). Rescuers found me with no vital signs. One fireman who was off-duty stopped at the scene, noticed I was LDS and gave me a blessing.
My neck had been broken and I had many internal injuries. The first night I required 35 pints of blood for the repair of my kidney, bladder, liver and spleen. Four ribs were broken and had punctured my lungs, collapsing them. My pelvis was crushed on both sides. I had a brain stem injury that would require me to relearn everything.
I didn't utter a sound for 15 months, but was given a blessing saying one day I would stand and bear my testimony in my own voice. I remember hearing the doctors tell my parents I would never breathe or move on my own, and that they must come to a decision regarding the life support equipment.
But nine months and three hospitals later I was discharged. When I awoke from my coma, I could not move or speak. My only communication at first was with my Heavenly Father. I slowly learned to communicate by blinking.
As I began to relearn everything, each progression was an ordeal, but also a miracle. I have learned to count my miracles by doing the ordinary things I used to take for granted. My body has changed - I don't look the same. But my spirit, my appreciation for everything and everyone, including my purpose in life, has been enhanced.
I am so grateful for the love and support of God, family and friends. I could never have survived without their love and support. I believe I was spared to show others that miracles still exist today, and that faith precedes the miracle. - Carolyn Barney Mosier, Rexburg 5th Ward, Rexburg Idaho Center Stake
(Another in a series of "Shining Moments." Illustration by Deseret News artist Reed McGregor.)