One of my early experiences with miracles.
I grew up in the 1950s + 60s in Lower Manhattan, NY right across the river from Bethel.
When I was 15 my parents brought a nice house on Elmont , Long Island. The family consisted of just my parents and my one sibling my sister.
Both my sister and myself eventually married, moved out to nearby residences and had children of our own. Approximately 1980 my sister and her family decided to move to Virginia and purchased a very cheap fix em up house that they were ecstatic about. In 1991 my father had just been diagnosed with Parkinson disease and was rapidly declining in mental awareness.
My sister was determined to get my parents down to Virginia with her so she could look after them. She convinced my mother to sell the two houses they owned in NY and purchase a new house in Virginia. Everyone was extremely excited about this happening.
My sister was going to do the leg work in finding the house my mother wanted. My mother had a strong vision of the house she wanted and described it in detail to my sister. Because in NY houses are always right next to one another my mother did not want a house in the City. It had to be on its own plot of ground completely isolated from other houses. It had to be a rustic wood house with a fireplace, 3 bedrooms, high ceilings in the living room, and a finished basement.
We had a marvelous basement my father when first purchasing the house in LI completely finished himself including the plumbling and electricity. My father now recently dead was a amazingly talented man with all types of crafts. We had many amazing large theocratic gatherings in that basement that was famous amongst the young bethelites who were often invited to them. These were fond JW memories.
Mom envisioned also large lawnspace both in front and behind the house that was to be set a little off the road with a driveway that ran all around the house. The house was to have a full house length porch in the front and a small sunporch in the back. It was to be seperated on both sides by a small wooded area. This was a tall order and time was running out for my sister to find a house in Virginia. The NY houses had been sold and closing was going to be in a month. They already had conceded it might not be enough time and that my parents would stay with my sister until they find the new home.
Thats when the miracle happened. My sister traveling on the Country road right outside of town had by some force her attention directed breifly to something right off the.road. She was traveling with her grown daughters at the time. She immediately pulled off to the side of the road after exclaiming on "My God I just saw Mommy's house."
They turned around and went back to the house looking just as my mother had described. The immediate assumption was that someone else owned it and was living there. They met up with a man doing work in the basement. He explained he was the contractor and that they were just finishing the house . There was no buyer yet for it and it could be ready to occupy in a month.
From that moment on I have been keenly aware
that nothing in life is totally coincidencal. I understand that when we dream or have visions of that which we want with the faith that God will provide a silent prayer goes out to God for these things. Forces unseen and incomprehensible go to work to make what we hope for a reality.
I have seen endless miracles on almost a daily basis ever since. Many of these as dramatic as this one. But only believers can see miracles. Unbelievers would regard it as just a coincidence for which no gratitude is owed.
I came the following year to Virginia to live in the basement apartment of this magnificent house which is a scene right out of the paradise book.
My JW family have all traveled this weekend to NY to attend a Anniversary gathering at Bethel for a longtime Bethelite relative of my brother-in-law.
I am in total peace and solitude my only responsibilty being to look after our two dogs and let them out to romp freely in the spacious almost 1 acre grounds of our house.
Happy Thanksgiving all. God is good.
Zechariah