I am still kind of shaking my head in disbelief. But let me take you back to a few days.

It was a very cold, nerve-racking day. My youngest of two sons had just been through spinal fusion surgery. Two hours away, my husband sat at his bedside. He messaged about his struggles between finding food on a holiday weekend during a minor blizzard and updates on my son's condition. (He came through fine.) A series of almost unbelievable events were about to occur, the first taking place hours earlier.

Home alone, pacing the floor in concern over my son's pending surgery, I asked God for a sign — anything — to help me ease my worries and fear. My son had a lot riding on this surgery. So much seemed pitted against it, including the weather. But hubby got him there without incident, and once there, they awaited prep to begin. 

I wanted to share a story I thought you'd find insightful, but before I do, I first need to give a little background.

Last year, I participated in a program where one of the speakers was Dr. Richard "Dick" Schwartz, the founder of Internal Family Systems (IFS). (My psychologist says there are several similar methods.) 

If you've never heard of IFS, on a very general level, it works as follows. On occasion, you may have heard yourself say, "a part of me ___ (wants / feels / needs / thinks)," after which, you may not have given that "part" of you any thought. However, in IFS, you are taught to catch yourself saying that (or feeling that) and you give this little "part of you" a persona. For me, that persona is often a little child, but, as you will see, it can take on any form. You can do this with any feelings, sensations, or emotions you may have.

You've been working long hours in an understaffed, underpaid environment. You're reliable and hardworking. More than anything, you'd like a little recognition for the work you do. A raise in pay wouldn't hurt either. But then, the boss announces a cut in staff—luckily it's not you—and he states that no pay raises will be offered this term to cut costs.

I have a favorite prayer for situations just like this. . .

(Address the Divine in whatever way is right for you and say. . . )

"Lord God of Heaven and Earth,
make a way where there is no way."

You can leave this prayer open-ended, watching and waiting for a change in your situation—as this small phrase opens your mind to the simple belief there is, indeed, a way to resolve your issue that you cannot conceive.

Or. . . 

Throughout my life, I've met some amazing healers. I don't mean the kind that boasts on a website with testimonials left by their bbf and ex-mother-in-law. I mean amazing individuals, people who often live in the background while doing the work they came here to do—help us heal. And, they not only heal other people, some use their gifts to heal animals, plants, and the Earth itself.

Of course, there are the famous healers, those who have been on tv or who have written books—rightfully celebrities. And while their works are wondrous and much talked about, their services are rarely available for the average person like you or me. Thus, it's the unknown healers, those who work in the background, who are the angels' unaware—the Invisible Healers.

 My father loved to tease me with philosophical questions when I was still too young to realize their implications. For example, "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?"

As a child (maybe ten), I chose what seemed like the obvious opinion of, "Of course it makes a sound; how could it not!?" We'd go back and forth as he would ask, "but how do you know for sure?"

Quite some time ago, we had a particularly harsh and long winter. We have several bird feeders outside our kitchen window. We love watching the colorful species of birds that come and go, as does our cat, though she is likely more interested in (if not aggravated by) the thieving chipmunks and acrobatic squirrels.

We had a problem with the bird feeders freezing over that year, so my husband began throwing a little seed on the driveway after the plow guy had cleared the snow. But the birds, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits (and a few rodents, ugh) weren't the only ones finding our seed. To our surprise, ducks started showing up, and later, baby ducks.