I experienced a miracle 2 nights ago. I have been working on a HUGE job, and I back up files religiously. I mean, I have 5 to 10 copies of each file in various versions of CAD and Documents and spreadsheets, and I also doubly back up to servers, two of them. So quadruple. I mean, I am PROTECTED! (until I am not or the Lord wants to humble me).
screenshot of one of hundreds of layers in a file filled with many alternative designs
So I am working late again 2 nights ago, sleep a little, get back to work, not even sure what time it is, but I go to load my CAD file of my engineering street intersection designs I have been working on for months for a client, and I am on version 12 of this file I created. Problem is, now only version 2 is showing up in the file list on my computer and versions 3 through 12 are missing. I panic a bit, and think "oh no" and then I start searching my MAC system for the file. ANY file with the name I am looking for. ONLY the version 2 or 1 is coming up. I panic a bit more. I search the servers on the network. It is not there either, and I KNOW I back these things up by copying manually, I do this always. Rather than panic because there goes so much work, not a day of work but weeks and weeks. It's a huge missing item. A file so valuable as to make or break things. It's time to turn to the Lord, so I do.
Kneeling at my couch in my office I am praying and the thoughts are coming to me that I have not prayed very much lately. That's what can happen when you feel you are swamped and just "get to work" and forget the Lord except for checkbox prayers. I am praying now because I NEED Him, and I do, but I felt like I had not done things properly. I felt a bit guilty, repented for that and then got some inspiration, to look again.
So back to the computer I went and began to search for solutions and I tried a system level search using this geeky utility called TERMINAL and typed in some obscure code syntax that is supposed to find missing files that are hidden with a name you enter for it, even recently deleted, and I let it run.
Code is now scrolling past on my screen as this software scours my computer hard drive for a file, ANY file with the similar name. It goes on for a minute going through terabytes at lightning speed.
Nothing comes up.
I am tempted to panic again. But remembering past miracles, I don't, and go back to praying instead, and listening even better. I was even more humbled now.
As I prayed I just listened. I waited. I soon heard/felt by impression ideas that since I already had made the graphics JPG file OUTPUT files that go into my report from my version 12 CAD file which was now missing, but I could work with the static JPG which was still there (but you can't edit those like you can a CAD file). But the Spirit calmed my soul a bit and let me know that I was not completely in trouble, in fact, I could use the JPG and just manually build on top of it as a graphic layer. I thought "that can work" and I felt at peace and went to go do just that. I was now feeling very faithful and blessed because of that bit of revelation to steer me in the right direction.
So sitting at my computer again and firing up the CAD program I was going to "start over" but with a base map of my most recent picture file output, and then I could manually do some photoshop type stuff with it to finalize. Not the best, but workable! And able to meet deadlines which were only 2 days away, after MONTHS!
When I fired up the CAD and went to import the picture, I saw the file list on my computer. It had more files in it. In fact, I saw that versions 1, 2, 3,4... and all the way up to version 12 of my missing file were in this list. Could it be? I thought. So I opened version 12 and up it came. I was overjoyed! I went to click on it to make an edit and see if the file was indeed in tact. But when I clicked on an item, it was as if it was all one picture and I felt a little panic again. Pausing and remembering the Lord I listened to my impressions which said "double click on it" and when I did, the traffic signal element selected and I looked to the right, and the hundreds of layers all were there and I knew that this file was INDEED the file that I was looking for.
I didn't just get back to work.
I knew a miracle had just happened. A file that was missing and even with all of my computer experience, 45 years worth and much at the geek level, that file reappeared when I needed it. All within like a 20 minute experience.
So I didn't just get back to work, I went back to that couch, kneeled, and prayed a prayer of thanks and gratitude. And I remembered the words of our prophet Pres. Russell M Nelson to "Expect a Miracle" and I knew that is or was the whole point of that experience for me, to remind that the Lord can do anything, even put the file back. All in response to prayer. All to let me know that I truly need the Lord and there will never be a time when I will be able to think I don't need the Lord, because if we truly are his disciples we will rely on Him completely. Not just partly, or when it's convenient or when we have an emergency. But ALWAYS. It is the very reason the Jesus did teach "Pray Always"
Elder Bednar Apostle taught "We are commanded to pray always to the Father in the name of the Son (see 3 Nephi 18:19–20). We are promised that if we pray sincerely for that which is right and good and in accordance with God’s will, we can be blessed, protected, and directed" (see 3 Nephi 18:20; D&C 19:38).
Source: NOV 2008 "Pray Always" General Conference
19 Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name;
20 And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.