One of my readers, Heather Woodman, sent me a message worth sharing — and with her permission, I'm sharing it with you now. Heather writes:

I'm loving your Mindset Fundamentals Ecourse! I wanted to share a little of my journey of learning the power of what you're teaching.

(The rest is an article she wrote about her experience.)

"Bust in the Jaw in Answer to a Prayer"

Have you ever prayed with all your heart, only to feel like the answer was a punch in the face?

This last Saturday, I totally felt that way — and yet, it turned out to be one of the greatest lessons I could have received.

Ready for the story? Here it goes...

It was one of those days. Nothing seemed to go right, on top of a couple of rough days before. You know what I mean? Still, we had friends coming over for a BBQ that evening, and I was doing my best to stay positive.

I say that because I’ve been really focused on creating what I want — keeping a positive, focused mindset so I can build the life I envision. But despite my efforts, I was feeling like I desperately needed a win. My sweet husband was feeling the same way.

So off we went to the grocery store. No big deal — just a few items, three quick stops. We finished at the first store, packed the groceries in the car, and headed to the second stop.

That's when the real trouble began: where’s my wallet? I looked around me... nothing. I checked the back with the groceries... still nothing.

Hoping the next store would take ApplePay, I went in while my husband raced back to the first store. I knew exactly where I had left it — right in the front part of the shopping cart. It just didn’t get picked up when we loaded the car. But no luck. He checked every cart. He asked the employees. Nothing had been turned in.

It was baffling — because I knew where it had been left. Someone had definitely found it.

We headed home, unpacked the groceries, and then I went back to the first store to look again. I was distraught and flustered — and remember, I was also hosting a gathering in just over an hour.

On the way there, I prayed. Hard. I poured my heart out, not just about the wallet, but about everything that had been weighing on me the past few days. I pleaded with the Lord to help me find it — and to show me that He was aware of me. I asked, with all the energy of my heart, if the principles of mindset I’d been studying were true, would He please help me.

I then consciously put those principles to work: I visualized my wallet — its color, texture, weight, size, the zipper, all of it. I pictured it clearly in my hands. I was determined: I would find it.

I arrived at the store... and nothing. No wallet. No good news. No one had turned it in. I was devastated. Not the small kind of defeat — the deep, soul-level kind. It felt like God had forsaken me.

In that dark mindset, I started driving home. I tried to shake it off — "It's just a wallet," I kept telling myself. But honestly, I was a mess, completely distracted.

Then it happened.

My conscious mind snapped back just in time to see the red light — and the car stopped right in front of me. I slammed on the brakes and swerved, but it was too late. I crashed right into the back of the other car.

And like George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life, I thought, “That’s what I get for praying.”

Fast forward an hour or so. Our guests had arrived. My husband, being the perfect host, was keeping things together while I was still shaken.

Then there was a knock at the door.

Someone had found my wallet and returned it to a neighbor — who had come looking for me.

I was grateful. But honestly, I was still in a funk — spiritually and emotionally. In my heart, it felt like, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, but..."

It wasn’t until I was getting ready for bed that the real epiphany hit.

“My lips bleeding, Burt! My lips bleeding!” — as George Bailey said when he realized he was alive, and that It’s a Wonderful Life.

HOLY COW!! My prayer had been answered. Not in my timing, and not in my way, but undeniably answered. I couldn’t deny that I was holding my wallet, mostly intact.

I started sobbing, my heart turning from anguish to gratitude.

LESSON:
My prayer was answered.
The principles of mindset do work.
God knows our needs and answers our prayers — not always how or when we want, but He answers.

Sometimes the obstacles — the "busts in the jaw," the car crashes — are there to teach us something deeper. But that doesn’t change the fact that He hears us. And our mindset matters. Our thoughts do shape our reality — maybe not instantly, but over time, and often in ways we can't immediately see.

“Even if he fails again and again to accomplish his purpose (as he necessarily must until weakness is overcome), the strength of character gained will be the measure of his true success, and this will form a new starting-point for future power and triumph...
He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure. His every thought is allied with power, and all difficulties are bravely met and wisely overcome. His purposes are seasonably planted, and they bloom and bring forth fruit, which does not fall prematurely to the ground.”
—James Allen, As a Man Thinketh

I hope I will always remember this life-altering lesson that came — ironically — through a car crash as an answer to prayer.

When life feels like it's beating you down, hold onto the truth:
You have the power (and the responsibility) to create your reality through the nature and focus of your thoughts.

I am grateful.
I am grateful I am safe.
I am grateful I was awakened to my strengths and weaknesses.
I am grateful for my wallet.
I am grateful for answers to prayers.

Much love and gratitude,
Heather Woodman

"Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family." —Thomas S. Monson

Heather’s original article.

Thanks for sharing, Heather!

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