The Healing Power Of The Atonement~

When I reflect upon the meaning of the Atonement in my life I recognize that the Savior has walked with me and carried me through many experiences. The list of our struggles seem long and at times very hard to bare. My husband and I have had severe health issues. We have gone through financial reversals. We lost our home. We have moved a total of 22 times and been in 4 different states. We have had cars and household appliances that have stopped working when there was no other way to get them repair or get news ones. We have child rearing difficulties. We have both lost our parents in death. I cared for my dear mother for the last few months of her life; which was a sweet experience. However, it hurts no matter what to lose your parent. We have also both lost our oldest sibling.Two of our grandchildren have had challenging health issues. Both of them, we almost lost in death. They spent many weeks in the the Intensive Care Units.We have had adult children with all kinds of their own difficult life experiences. I find when I visit with friends that they too are going through the fiery furnace of earthly experiences. This is one of the reasons that we left the pre-mortal life to gain a body and experience life on earth.
In the Book of Mormon; Alma 7:11-12 this comforting thought is given:
11. And He (Christ) shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will 'take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
12. And He will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
Again, in 2 Nephi 9:21 we find the following:
21. And He (Christ) cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.
Christ.
These scriptures tell us that as he walked the roads of life, he felt the pains and sicknesses of all mankind. Then He went forth and completed his work with the infinite Atonement.
In the book; "The Infinite Atonement by Tad R. Callister, he stated:
No mortal can cry out, "he does not understand my plight, for my trials are unique." There is nothing outside the scope of the Savior's experience. As Elder Maxwell observed, "None of us can tell Christ anything about depression."As a result of his mortal experience, culminating in the Atonement, the Savior knows, understands, and feels every human condition, every human woe, and every human loss. He can comfort as no other. He can lift burdens as no other. He can listen as no other. There is no hurt he cannot soothe, rejection he cannot assuage, loneliness he cannot console. Whatever affliction the world casts at us, he has a remedy of superior healing powers." I know these scriptures and thoughts to be true.
                                  Our Beloved Savior paid the ultimate price for us.

 The Savior is there to help us through whatever life challenges we may face. He will comfort us, heal us, guide us and forever love us. He himself knows how deep our pain is because he has suffered beyond what we suffer.
Our Savior beckons us to come unto him, lay your burden at his feet, you are not alone, he is with you. Christ will abide with us.
I could fill a book with the times he has lifted me, healed me, comforted me and listened to me. Because the list is long of the His many tender mercies in my behalf, I will share just one profound experience.
At the time my husband and I with our children were living in Las Vegas, Nevada. My husband had just received a promotion and was being transferred to Spokane, Washington as the Pharmacy Director of a mail service pharmacy that was opening up.
He had been out of town for a few days and when he returned we attended a company picnic. When we arrived home he was not feeling very well, which he thought was due to the greasy food we had ate at the picnic. In the middle of the night, he woke me up and said he had severe pain in his chest. At that time he was 45 years old so we decided he was probably having a gall bladder attack. He was pale, sweaty and in pain. We let the children know that I was taking him to the hospital. When he arrived they immediately went into action drawing blood, putting in an IV and doing some X-rays. In a short time they came back and told us that he was having a heart attack. They treated this quickly with IV medications.  I of course, was frantic, worried, scared and a whole range of emotions. Lots of what ifs and what should I do. I called immediately two brethren from our ward to come and give my husband a priesthood blessing.This blessing brought great comfort to my soul. I felt that my husband would survive this. He was scheduled for a Angiogram and then a possible Angioplasty to open up the arteries that were blocked. They found 3 arteries that were partially blocked; one of the main ones was 90% blocked. They also found that his heart had created some new pathways so that the damage was not very much. He went through the procedures with no difficulty. I had prayed so hard while he was having this procedure so I was so grateful that the report was positive.
 Our moving van came two days later and left with our belongings for Spokane. I was so grateful that I had my children and some friends help with getting the rest of our house packed for the move. Three days later we were on our way with our children by plane to Washington. The first night in our hotel room my husband started with severe pain in the right side of his chest and he started to run a fever. I had no physician at the time; so I called the local hospital and asked for the Heart Intensive Care Unit. I had been an ICU nurse so I knew if I asked for the names of a good heart specialist they would give me some names. I then took him to the ER and he was admitted with the name of the first heart specialist given to me when I called. I felt the  spirit direct me in this decision. I again felt helpless and afraid. He ended up in the hospital for about 4 days with an inflammation of his right lung. He was started on pain  and anti-inflammatory medications. He came home and by then we had moved all of our belongings into our new home. My children were such a support at this time. We also called our local Bishop and received help from members of our faith.
Two weeks later we had a set back. In the middle of the night my husband woke up in pain and was starting into shock. I did the procedure for shock and called 911. It was a blessing that the fire station was just around the corner so they were there in a few minutes.
He spent the next 10 days in the hospital with the inflammation of the right lung that caused also fluid on the lung. He had to have chest tubes inserted to drain the fluid. The lung specialist had told us that some of the fluid was becoming like jelly and that he may need a procedure in lay terms called a lung peel. He discharged my husband from the hospital and told him to come back to his office in two weeks and he would see how  the x-rays of the lung looked.Our family and our extended family held a fast for him and he received a blessing from our newly assigned home teacher from our church. Again, I felt the peace and comfort of the Savior and I knew all was well.
 A miracle did happened at that time when we returned to the Lung Specialist's office for the follow up appointment. The X-ray showed that the lung fluid was completely gone. Even the doctor didn't believe the X-ray; he was greatly surprised by it and had thought there was no way the fluid would have been completely absorbed. 
After a few weeks my husband went back to work. He did well for almost a year. He then started again with chest pain and this time it was diagnosed as Gall Bladder disease and they wanted to remove his Gall Bladder. However, they first wanted to do an Angiogram to see how the arteries  in his heart were doing. After this test he was told that the Angioplasty had failed and that he needed to have a triple heart by-pass surgery. They scheduled this surgery. quickly. Again we fasted as a family and he was given a priesthood blessing. For the third time, I felt that same peaceful assurance that all would be well.
I can't say that I felt calm all of the time, I did my share of crying and pleading with the Lord to save him. My prayers were constant and intense. I plead for his life many times in long prayers. I did have faith and hope. I said my favorite scripture over and over which is Proverbs 3:4-5; "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, lean not on thine on understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he will direct they path." I knew I had to place this burden at the feet of the Savior. 
Although we were new to the area we did receive great support  from our church. To me I still felt alone and needed the comforting arms of the Savior to console my  heart. My husband came out of surgery looking very pink and healthy. I then realized I hadn't noticed before that his color was dusky. I felt a little guilty that I did not see this since I was a nurse.  He did have his gall bladder out a few months later and he was a new man. He has been healthy and doing well for the last 22 years and I pray that we have even more years together.
Our family learned many lessons through this experience. We learned that prayers of faith are answered. We learned that priesthood blessings bring healing not only to my husband but to us in the form of comfort and peace. Through all of this my sweet eternal companion exercised great faith in his Savior and his healing powers. He often kept me calm and reassured me that he would be OK. 
So when life seems hard remember that you do have a Savior who loves you. He knows you personally and he knows exactly how to comfort and bless your life. He will always be there for you. He will carry you when the burden seems to much to bare. He is the Messiah, the Anointed one and he be there for you. In the book, "The Continuous Atonement" by Brad Wilcox, a closing thought:" He will hold us in His strong embrace continuously." He is the God of miracles; I know this to be true.
Just have faith in Him, our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.