My Manna

It is easy not to appreciate, or even really see, things that are common.  I remember watching a youtube video a few months ago about the tactics of illusionists and magicians.  For the most part it had to do with the things you notice vs. the things you take for granted.  Subtle, or even dramatic changes could be made to something in the background while focus was intentionally drawn elsewhere.  In this way people could be convinced of things that were not real.

As the children of Israel were dramatically delivered out of Egypt by the hand of the Lord, each one of them had a living and personal witness of the power of God and His love for them. In grand culmination of their deliverance He opened the sea for them and led them through on dry ground.  When the Egyptians attempted to follow in pursuit they were swallowed up.  For centuries after this experience, their descendants would speak, and sing, and celebrate holidays in remembrance of this grand deliverance.  Then they found themselves in the desert. 

The Lord provided for their needs there too.  He made water flow out of the rock and blessed them with bread from heaven.  This bread was given daily (except on the sabbath) as a direct reminder of the Lord's daily care.  In this way, the children of Israel began each day with a miracle.Yet over time this miracle became more and more familiar until they even complained about it and desired the "flesh pots of Egypt."

In 3 Nephi chapter 2 The Nephites and Lamanites in the land experienced a similar thing in the wake of the sign of the Lord's birth.  Each one of them had fallen to the earth when the sign was given either in fear or gratitude and worship, and each had known.  As the many other signs and miracles surrounding His birth were given chapter 2 opens with this statement, "the people began to forget those signs and wonders which they had heard, and began to be less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven, insomuch that they began to be hard in their hearts, and blind in their minds, and began to disbelieve the all which they had heard and seen-- Imagining up some vain thing in their hearts, that it was wrought by men and by the power of the devil, to lead away and deceive the hearts of the people; and thus did Satan get possession of the hearts of the people again, insomuch that he did blind their eyes and lead them away to believe that the doctrine of Christ was a foolish and a vain thing."

As a witness of the day to day miracles of Christi's condition ad recovery here in the hospital, I feel humbled at the consistent way the Lord continues to bless her in miraculous ways.  I feel sometimes ashamed to ask for yet another miraculous improvement and step along the path after I have been given so many!  Yet he has put a vision of our own promised land before me, and He bids me seek it.

I think the Lord is, has been, and will be much more active in our lives than we often even realize. I am sure I have effectively gathered my daily bread from the ground many times not giving a single thought to its origin.

That line in the Lord's prayer where He prays, "give us this day our daily bread," is different for me after this experience though.  I am committed to continue such a plea, and to stand in recognition and gratitude for its wonderful and consistent answer.