So, as everyone within range of a television knows, Elizabeth Smart was found and returned safely to her family. Now the Salt Lake Police Department has some explaining to do (they seem to be better than Boulder but nowhere near the NYPD). But that’s not what I wanted to talk about; instead, what’s with all this “it’s a miracle” talk?
Don’t get me wrong. I know full well that God answers our prayers; I have a firm testimony of that. What I see missing from most accounts is the connection between her safe return and the fact that Elizabeth’s family never gave up. They continued to work to get the word out, and they were aggressive in prodding the slow-moving SLPD to get with the program when their younger daughter identified the handyman as the perp. Their hard work helped implement the miracle. It’s tempting to dismiss this as another case of “God helps those who helps themselves,” but I prefer to think of it in another way. My friend James Harris often advised people in difficult situations thusly:
Get down on your knees and pray as though everything depended on the Lord. Then get up and work at it as if everything depended on you alone.
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