Are there times when your faith and belief just aren’t quite what you’d like it to be? Maybe there’s something you need to believe in. May I share the story of one young woman?

How much more could one young woman’s life be shattered than was Mary’s at that moment? The final days of her senior year in high school should have been filled with joy, excitement, and anticipation of the future – but not now.

Two days before, Mary had come home from school. Her parents had gathered the family around the table for a grim announcement: Mother had cancer!

Mary had cried herself to sleep that night. And now with the family again gathered around the table, the results of the most recent tests were even more devastating. The cancer was spread throughout her body.

Hiding her emotions, Mary prepared dinner for the family and got ready to go to work. Just before she went out the door, she stopped – and she gave her mother a hug.

Four years before, Mary’s mother had battled cancer, and won. Then with the simple faith of a pure child, Mary had asked God to save her mother’s life, and He had answered that prayer. But would He now? There had been no such assurance, though there had been many, many heartrending prayers.

Mary climbed into the car to go to work. Difficult questions raced through her mind. What if Mother died? What would the family do? What would she do? How could she go on without her mother? It was too much to bear. Mary began to cry. In an effort to direct her thoughts elsewhere, Mary turned on the radio.

As she listened, she recognized the final chorus of a familiar popular song. The words captured her attention and she listened until the song ended. Mary switched stations. Strangely enough, the exact same song was just beginning on the other station. This time as Mary listened, the power of the song reached deep into her heart. She heard these lyrics:

“Now we are not afraid, even though we have much to fear,”

Something not of this world began to envelop Mary.

“It felt as though Heavenly Father put His arms around me,” she said. “I fell into His arms.”

“I can’t do this!” she cried.

A feeling of intense love and comfort that could only be described as a heavenly embrace filled her whole being.

A voice seemed to speak to her mind saying, “Mary, don’t be afraid. I’ll be with you the whole way. Trust me. I only want what’s best for you.”

Her tears of pain became cleansing tears of relief.

Words from the second verse seemed to strike a resounding chord in her heart:

“With hearts so full I can’t explain it …” she heard.

The expressions of the artists were the emotions of her heart.

(When You Believe – Michelle Pfeiffer/Sally Dworsky – The Prince of Egypt original soundtrack)

A change came over Mary from that moment forward. She is at peace now. What’s going to happen? She doesn’t know – but it doesn’t matter. No matter what it is, life will go on. There will be happiness, there will be joy, and she won’t be alone. That she does know!

Eighteen months later, Mary’s mother quietly passed away surrounded by her family. It was not the miracle Mary had hoped for, but she outlived the doctors’ predictions, even recovering just long enough to nurse Mary through her own health crisis.

Oh, God is good! He will not do anything to us that is not for our good. So what good could possibly come of such an ordeal? Listen to the courage of Mary’s words:

“No matter what life may give me, I know if I have total trust in God, everything will be okay. I’m not alone, and I will never stop believing.”

“There can be miracles when you believe.

Though hope is frail, it’s hard to kill.

Who knows what miracles you can achieve

When you believe? Some how you will.

Now you will; you will when you believe.”