The Presence of the Holy Spirit by Laura Carnie

During my nearly 62 years of church membership I have been blessed with an awareness of The Holy Spirit’s presence many times. Some of those experiences were life changing and continue on in memory. Others were for the time, experienced, applied and became part of the fabric of my life.

Possibly the first memory of the Holy Spirit is when, as an elementary school age child, sitting under a big white tent on a wooden pew at the east side of the Hagerman, Idaho lava rock church building during a district reunion prayer and testimony service and being filled with joy and awe at the spirit present.

As I matured, my relationship with the Spirit became more personal. During my teen years, there were a number of experiences at camps and reunions. One Camp Cascade youth camp morning worship, vividly comes to mind. Again at the Cascade Reunion grounds where Cecil Gilmore offered my Evangelist Blessing which helped provide guidance as I made decisions about further education and marriage.

 As a young mother of one, pregnant with a second child, and experiencing problems, I requested administration hoping to avoid a miscarriage. The Spirit rested with me. Even though the words of that blessing requested healing and saving the pregnancy, I came out of that administration knowing that I would not carry the baby to term. Associated with that understanding was a blessing of peace and reassurance.

When called to the priesthood as an elder, I accepted and took the Temple School classes in preparation but kept asking myself, “Is this truly a call from God?” During my ordination, I had a sensation of heat flowing from my feet to my head and the hands of the elders. After the service, Lois Twitchell came up to me and shared that during the ordination, she saw a pink color come over me. Again the Holy Spirit was providing reassurance.

I’ll conclude with one final spirit experience. At the Mission Center Conference in Boise, fall of 2010, evangelist Harriet White walked up to me and indicate that she felt called to offer me a special blessing because she was made aware that I would face some special challenges during the next year. My mind immediately went to various family issues and challenges and accepted trusting her inspiration was from God. We went into a quiet room and I received the blessing. The words were of strength, courage and reassurance that God’s Spirit would be with me as I faced challenges to come.

On Saturday, January 29^th of 2011, I had a medical emergency of a double pulmonary embolism and was put on blood thinners. As part of the treatment, the cardiologist recommended and got my permission for an exploratory angioplasty where a small tube is treaded from groin to heart to check for blockage in the artery and heart. Thankfully the artery was clean. But, in the process a small nick was left in my artery. I was kept until Thursday and sent home.

 By the following Saturday I had extreme abdominal pain and had my husband take me to emergency around four in the morning. After checking me over, I was sent home with an antibiotic. By late morning, the pain had increased to the point that I could not walk on my own, so my husband and son-in-law took me back to the emergency room. After hours of waiting and some testing, it was discovered that my lower abdomen had filled up with blood from the leak. There were no rooms available for hours, but eventually in the evening I was moved to a progressive care bed and then in the early morning Sunday into the intensive care unit. It was there that, having nearly bled out and with my body trying to shut down, I experienced the Spirit with me, reassuring me that It did not matter if I lived or died, God was with me and I with God, in life or death.

“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39 NRSV

Physically it was and is an extended recovery. I have been forced to re-evaluate much of life. I find that I am more patient and more accepting of mine and other’s human weaknesses. I have had to take a new look at my remaining gifts and talents as regards my service to God and others. I find that I am more trusting of God, more aware of God’s Love. I am blessed and count my blessings often. God is Good! Our creator’s gift of the Holy Spirit for our guidance and reassurance is a wonderful gift of Love.