HIPS: Miracles? Faith? Tender Mercies? Or Coincidence? It’s Up To Us To Decide

By Bryan Hyde

COMMENTARY -- A few years ago, a mother, driving with her baby in the car, lost control and landed upside down in the Spanish Fork river. A fisherman spotted her car the next day and notified the authorities.

When first responders arrived, they were unable to see into the partially submerged car but 4 police officers described hearing a faint voice pleading for help. They sprang into action and discovered an 18 month old child still alive and strapped into her car seat. The child’s mother had died in the accident.

Reactions to the story differed widely. Some were quick to call the turn of events a miracle and ray of hope in an otherwise tragic event. Others mocked the idea of Divine intervention as superstitious and weak-minded.

What are we to think?

A simple expression of faith in God doesn’t mock or ridicule those who don’t believe. It simply reflects a personal conviction that cannot be imposed upon others by declaration. 

Each person must choose whether to believe or not for himself.

The naysayers seem to be saying, “I don’t know if there is a spiritual reality and therefore you can’t know either.”

With all of our modern advancements and achievements, why do so many people still find room for ancient ideas like faith?

Tender mercies are still found in an often cruel world. When they happen, they typically happen in small ways that leave us free to make up our own minds as to whether to believe or not.