I grew up in a very small rural Southern California town called Yucaipa. Our home resided on seven acres at the northeast end of the valley. The house sat on top of a small hill overlooking the valley at the end of a lonely quarter mile private dirt road. We were out in what we used to call “the boonies.”
City water would come a few years later, so we survived on well water. The well was located a couple hundred yards down a slope from the house. It was there on a small barren hill that a primitive make shift electrical pole and pump was stationed to push water up to our home.
Every November we would travel about 11 hours to Provo, Utah to see my grandparents for the Thanksgiving holiday. These were always long but memorable trips. One year, before we were to leave, the California Santa Ana winds were blowing so hard that in the middle of the night the wind blew over the electrical pole that powered the water pump.
I Need Your Help!
I was about 8 years old at the time. I slept in a room with my two younger brothers. Dad quietly woke me up in the early morning hours and said he needed my help. He explained the situation of the downed power lines and that no water was flowing to our home. Without a constant flow of water up to the house, combined with the approaching freezing weather, we were facing broken pipes and a real mess when we returned. In short, there was no way we could leave for our Thanksgiving holiday early the next morning. We had to get our water source fixed or our annual trek to Utah would be canceled.
I was the oldest son and so by default I became my Dad’s “go to” guy. There was an endless list of projects around our home and property. I was usually relegated to holding a flash light, handing him tools or running back and forth to the garage to get whatever he needed. Over the years, my Dad had a love affair with old Fords and so I often found myself on a cold garage floor with him tinkering on some car restoration project. More on that in another post.
We bundled up in our warm coats and mittens and headed with tools and flashlight down the hill in the dark. The wind was blowing fiercely and the air had turned much colder. I remember us struggling with the pole, the downed wires, a shovel and other tools to fix the problem. The wind seemed to go right through us. It was terribly cold! I was freezing and I knew my Dad must be feeling the same, but I didn’t want to complain.
After a time, it was clear that the elements were winning. I could tell my Dad was frustrated. As I look back everything seemed stacked against us and all he had was a scrawny little 8 year old boy who probably wasn’t much help. He must have been envisioning not being able to see his folks for Thanksgiving, as this problem seemed more serious than we could handle.
Struggling With No Success
As we continued to struggle with little to no progress, I felt a desire to ask my Dad if we could say a prayer. It was clear to me that we needed Divine help. Frankly, we needed the wind to stop and I felt that if we asked God to calm the wind, maybe he would hear our plea.
I had been raised in a religious home and although I didn’t know much, I could recount many of the great stories from the Bible and the Book of Mormon. These accounts were inspiring to me. Stories of people facing challenges and overcoming. Dad always said, referencing those great scriptural stories, “Mark, they put their pants on one leg at a time just like you do.” Our family kept the sabbath day holy and we observed daily religious behavior during the week. We certainly weren’t perfect, but we were faithful people, or at least we tried to be.
Amidst the wind, cold and frustration, I looked at him placing my hand on his to get his attention and said, Dad, “Let’s have a prayer and ask God to stop the wind.” To this day, I will never forget the look on his face. He was speechless and seemed to pause for a long while. As we were kneeling together at the base of that stubborn pole he looked at me and I could see his countenance change. He then said, “Well, if that’s what you think we need to do then, okay.”
Desperation
As much as an 8 year old can be, I was serious. It seemed like the right thing to do. I knew our Heavenly Father was aware of us. I knew our desires were right. He knew we needed to travel to see family out of state, and so I thought, “This is not working by ourselves, we are trying our hardest, so let’s seek God’s help.”
And so there we were on that small little barren knoll in the middle of the night. The cold wind was blowing as a father and son uttered a humble prayer, “God, we need to get this pole secured and fix this problem so we can go to Utah. Will you please help us and stop the wind?”
The Heaven’s Opened
As God is my witness we opened our eyes and it got real quiet. The wind had stopped! My Dad looked at me and I looked at him. Without words we knew we were witnessing a miracle. We quickly hurried around got the wires secured and the pole upright in the hole. We back filled the hole with dirt, gravel and rocks and quickly securing it in place. It looked like our problem was solved! We looked at each other again and my Dad gave me a big hug as we trudged back up the hill for home.
We knew we had witnessed a miracle, a tender mercy of the Lord. I remember, getting back to the house with a worried mother asking about our undertaking. My Dad recounted the story of our amazing experience. I remember the look on his face and my mother’s believing eyes as if to say, “Well of course, the wind stopped.” We left for Utah early the next morning.
Elder David A. Bednar said, “The Lord’s tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ.” The Tender Mercies of the Lord, General Conference Talk, February 2012
You may wonder if miracles have ceased today. Does God still pour out His power and blessings on those who demonstrate their faith in Him? I tell you unequivocally with all the energy of my soul, “YES!”
From the beginning of time, God has sought to have a covenantal relationship with his children. I have learned that when we consistently keep our covenants with Him, He is bound to bless us. He said, “I the Lord and bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” D&C 82:10
Sometimes We Need to Wait on the Lord
Now, we may not know the timing of heaven’s hand, as we may wait on Him wondering why? But, I have learned and observed that blessings do come. We simply must exercise faith in Him and go about doing good with an eye single to His glory. Elder Jeffery R. Holland said, “Faith means trusting God in good times and bad, even if that includes some suffering until we see His arm revealed in our behalf.” Waiting on the Lord, General Conference Talk, October 2020
Although over 50 years have passed since my experience with my Dad on that barren hill, it was an experience I will never forget. I learned as a very young boy that God was there. I felt he knew me. I felt valued as a person and although I would face many challenges in my life this was an important beginning. This was one of many an early anchors of hope that the Lord was there to extend His tender mercy. Truly, “the Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works” Psalm 145:9.
Trust in Him and He will shine His light more abundantly upon you.
I am just a guy who loves life, my wife, my family, my God and my country. I want to pay it forward and make a positive contribution inspiring others to make great life decisions. Growing McKell Partners, a full service wealth management and financial planning practice, is also my passion.
I love a great game of golf, tennis or chasing the sunset on my Cannondale. An evening convertible ride and a bowl of Haagen Dazs peanut butter chocolate ice cream are my go-to stress relievers.
I am just a guy who loves life, my wife, my family, my God, and my country. I want to pay it forward and make a positive contribution inspiring others to make great life decisions.