Last week, I shared a song that taught me the phrase, “signal fire of grace”, those moments when you feel your Heavenly Father signal that he knows your trouble and he is sending comfort and help. If you didn’t read the original article, CLICK HERE. I encouraged readers to share their personal stories of seeing signal fires of grace. Here are two responses.

If you have a story to share, please email me at pr***********@ho*****.com.

Rachel M. shared something that touched me deeply:

As soon as I saw “Signal Fires of Grace” I knew what you were talking about. I’ve been listening to this song for several years now and I absolutely love it. I find that our Heavenly Father speaks to me through music and this song is one of a handful whose message has touched my heart in significant ways.

I’ve been feeling pretty run down, and overwhelmed myself lately. I have three daughters. One is grown up and married, but I still have two teenagers at home. I’m a single mom and have been for many years now. I manage all of the things that come with that responsibility as well as a full time job assisting with disaster response throughout the state I live in. To say “there’s not much time for me” is putting it lightly. I’ve been struggling lately with feelings of inadequacy and honestly just feeling really tired and alone. Sometimes it can be too easy to feel forgotten and to believe that for all there is to be done, my efforts may never be enough. This song helps to remind me that by living my life with the desire and intent to know, follow, and emulate Jesus Christ while working to meet my responsibilities to the best of my ability every day, I am actively fulfilling the measure of my creation.

My signal fire today was your article. The song, your story, it tells me that our Heavenly Father hears me, that He hasn’t forgotten me and that through Jesus Christ I can be strengthened to continue performing the work that has been asked of me.

I had planned to write a much lengthier article on this subject at a later date, but that day felt I should write it sooner and shorter rather than waiting another minute. It seems that that prompting was for Rachel, and I’m glad I could be an instrument in the Lord’s hands for her.

A member if the Church near Atlanta GA shared the second story, though wished to remain anonymous:

I am unable to bear children, and learned a few years into my marriage. There was no treatment for me at age 35.  I felt very badly for my new husband who badly wanted to have kids of his own.  He is much older than me and did not want to adopt children.

We stayed married, but mourned our loss of hope and buried our feelings.  These would bubble up when our siblings had children and grandchildren or we would work on his family history for many others to pass on to their descendants while we did not have anyone to pass it down to in our house.

A few years ago, my sister who is an artist in another faraway state and with whom I had a rocky relationship with at one time dreamed about me. I had never told her how I felt about my infertility, but it must have been revealed to her because she put a lot of loving, hard work into a custom masterpiece with a scripture from Galatians 4:27 in calligraphy and an angel holding baby stars in her widespread arms.  She mailed it to my mother for Christmas for her to give it to me at our family celebration.

When I saw it on Christmas Eve, an electric shock went through my chest and tingled down my arms.  I could not speak and choked back trying not to cry.  It was like personal revelation painted on the work to let me know my sorrow was known and would be swept away in the future.

It was not framed, and I knew my husband would not understand or appreciate it.  So, I asked my mother to hold onto it.  A few months later, she suggested shopping for frames in thrift stores after I had sticker shock regarding new frames.  I found one I liked, but it did not match the artistry in the painting.  Then I took my mom into my office one day, and she spotted an ornate gold frame around a beach scene I bought from a local bookstore a few years before.  She pointed put the frame was too showy for the picture in it.  She later asked to match it up to my sister’s art piece.  With a nice matching mat, it fit perfectly, and the frame now has a worthy picture and message of import.  It still hangs over my desk.  Whenever I receive a baby shower invitation and cannot accept, I look at the picture or think of it when not where it is, and I remember my promises from the Lord to those who keep their covenants.

If you have a story to share, please email me at pr***********@ho*****.com.