Stolen Car!

On Wednesday February 23rd, Quinn got up to go to work. I kissed him goodbye and he left. A few minutes later he came back in the apartment and said he couldn't remember where he'd parked. He was carrying his breakfast so he put it down and went back out to look. A few minutes later he came back again not able to find the car. I helped him brain storm for a minute because Monday night was the last time we drove it and he had picked Ryan and Diana up from the airport. He then went to the office to see if they had had it towed for some reason; they hadn't. Quinn walked around the entire complex and checked every single parking stall. No Car! He came back and was beside himself with what to do. We couldn't hardly believe our car had been stolen. We immediately sat down and said a prayer together. Then we called the police and within a half hour an officer was here to take the report. I had such high hopes; I really believed we could get it back. I kept thinking it's too old for anyone to want to strip it.  Little did I know older cars than ours are stripped every day around here. Quinn then went to work and we both proceeded about our day as planned. I ran to some stores with Diana and had a good time. I was praying the whole time for help that we would get our car back and in good shape. When Quinn got home that night we asked each other how our day had been. We both said, surprisingly good. We had both felt quite at peace and were putting our faith and trust in the Lord. That night we went to bed and Quinn fell right to sleep. I was awake all night I think. I just laid in bed praying all night. I told Heavenly Father how much we needed this car and how we needed him to bless us so much. I reminded him how we faithfully read our scriptures as a family and pray together. I reminded him of all the things we do to be obedient that he has commanded us to do. I prayed so hard all night. The next day we still didn't hear anything. All we could do was pray. That night the same thing happened.  Every time I rolled over I would find myself praying about the car again.  Friday morning Quinn was just headed out the door to work when we got a phone call from the police department saying they had found our car and we needed to go pick it up. We left immediately and it was only a few miles from our house. It was fine. The people who stole it left it filled with stuff that we had to help the officer clean out. They stole the ash tray, cup holders, our license plates, and poked a whole in the upholstering of the ceiling. They also put 240 miles on the car but abandoned it with a full tank. The ignition wasn't messed up too bad so our key still works and the car runs fine. 

This has been such a great blessing.  We had many people tell us that if we got the car back at all it would be a miracle, so it looks as though we were blessed with that miracle.  Having the car stolen didn't seem like a blessing, and it wasn't really.  It did provide a way for the Lord to bless us and strengthen our faith however.  We were comforted, and even when so many were saying that we would never get the car back we remained confident and placed our faith in the Lord and His promises that prayers are answered.  Diana told Tasha that we were blessed according to our faith.  She said, "You expected the Lord to bless you because you needed the blessing; so He did."  This experience has brought to mind a scripture; Doctrine and Covenants 82:10.  "I the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."  I guess one of the lessons I take from this is that the Lord has promised blessings to the faithful and it is up to us to have the faith necessary to "bind" the Lord and ask for his blessings while keeping in mind what we are striving to do to qualify for them.