oohhh... Lianna, I had to steal this off your blog. I love it!
“Patience
means staying with something until the end. It means delaying immediate
gratification for future blessings. It means reining in anger and
holding back the unkind word. It means resisting evil, even when it
appears to be making others rich. Patience means accepting that which
cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith. It means
being “willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to
inflict upon [us], even as a child doth submit to his
father.”Ultimately, patience means being “firm and steadfast, and
immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord”every hour of every
day, even when it is hard to do so.”-Dieter F. Uchtdorf
--------------
"We
shouldn't wait to be happy until we reach some future point, only to
discover that happiness was already available-all the time! Life is not
meant to be appreciated only in retrospect."- Dieter F. Uchtdorf
What is a goanna you ask? It is just an enormous lizard that roams freely in Australia. It grows up to 5 feet long I believe and I happened to see one in MY back yard at the beginning of summer last year. It was about 5 feet away from my back door and I happened to see it moving out of the corner of my eye thinking it was a snake but had no clue what it was until a couple weeks ago when someone was talking about one. I looked it up online and lo and behold, it is exactly what I saw in my yard! I was glad that my kids weren't out playing at that moment. I ran around trying to find my camera when I saw it but of course it was gone in one of our bushes by the time I actually found it. I thought it would be a smart idea to go throw stuff at the bush to make it mad and run out. I'm glad it didn't though.
I know I should be doing school work right now, but it seems I haven't had any time (or motivation) to update my blog (or anything else). This is probably boring to most of you, but I want to have it for me and my family... So, here goes a short update starting from the youngest on up:
Steffan is saying small words like: mama, dada, ball, apple, all done, byoon (balloon), bahhh (which he says for everything else he wants). *update from when I even wrote that is that he is saying just about everything you tell him too now. He started into nursery at church this last week and did awesome. I'm sure it helped that Tate is also in nursery still until the end of the year. The teacher said that Tate kept saying, "This is MY Steffie" to everyone. Tate doesn't get to be the big, protective brother often since Teagan always plays that role. Steffan is strong willed like Teagan, but is much more affectionate than Teag. He has a temper like the "Green" family (Love you all though Green's) but smiles most all of the time. He is a smart little chappie too. He knows that I will linger longer when putting him down for bed if he lays down on my shoulder. I am a sucker for that, so he knows to do that on que when we walk into his room for bed time. He is now RUNNING all over the place and his favorite thing to do is pull EVERYTHING out of anything that has "stuff". Toilet paper, bags of anything full of stuff, laundry, drawers, cupboards, you name it. He also loves to try and be so helpful by throwing everything in the trash (including diaper rash cream, plates, bowls, toys, movies...) Steffan is really starting to like cars and trains now and has some weird fetish of playing with pens and markers. He doesn't know how to take the tops off (yet), so he just walks around carrying them everywhere he goes. Steffan is VERY particular just like Teagan is and wants it the way he wants it (sigh). He wants to have the same blanket every time, eat perfect looking food and wants to do everything himself now. He has also really liked wearing hats and wants to wear them all the time. He walks around the house with hats hanging in his face all the time because they are too big. My other two kids didn't want a hat on their head at all. Stef is really liking dancing all of sudden. It's so dang cute to watch him dance!
Tate has reached the high point of Terrible 2's and is entering the Thrashing Three's, as I call it. I think 3 is MUCH worse than 2... because they can talk better/communicate, they have gained much more opinions and exercise the right to argue everything you say. Tate has become VERY destructive of everything just because he can. His potty trained has gone backwards a bit. He has been doing good with #2 in the potty, but not so great with #1. After the newness wore off, I guess it seemed like too much work. I was getting MUCH to angry with him not going in the potty and put diapers back on. (Trust me, it was better for all of humanity for me to do that with how mad I was getting.) It hasn't stopped him from #2 in the potty, so hopefully #1 in the potty is not too far behind. And despite Teagan's constant nagging at Tate, Tate wants nothing more than to do everything that Teagan is doing, eating, playing with, liking, etc. I always try to let Tate have the floor when asking questions or opinions on what HE would like to do, but Teagan always cuts him off or over powers everything and Tate just goes along with it. Teagan is a show "stealer" for him, poor kid. On a different note, Tate LOVES animals and is loving Peppa Pig right now AND he never gets sick of us reading books together. He absolutely LOVES reading books and he remembers all of the stories and tells them back to me sometimes when we re-read things. He loves doing, doing, doing and being outside (which makes for a long, cold winter). He always calls our back yard, "back side" - - - "Mom can we go back side now?". I don't know what we are going to do now that Fall is here and it's getting colder soon. I'm dreading being in doors more. Tate is also talking so much. He can speak in as big of sentences as Teagan, if not better. He is quite the friendly little chatter box and talks to everyone around him, just like his daddy. I think poor Tate always feels left out because Teagan has a stronger personality to demand attention and Steffan naturally gets attention because he is the baby. . . Tate doesn't actually realize how many people are drawn to his fun and cute little personality, and he is so much better at being 'content' than the other two, so I think he always feels slighted. We are trying to devise a better way to helping him not feel like this. It would be good to get him into his own class like "swimming" or something like that. The other day we had a "special mommy & Tate day" which he loved. He didn't even know what to do with all of the decisions resting on his shoulders. He kept telling me he loved me, so I thought that was positive and hope he felt special. We went to the Cockington Green Gardens with our annual pass because he loves to ride the train there and eat lunch. He made two wishes in the wishing pond with two coins. His first wish was that he could play with his Chuggington train track set (which was at home waiting for him) and the second wish was that Daddy could have been there. But Daddy was at home with Tea and Stef having a special day with them. I have a cute video of Tate doing Gangnam Style to the song of "Book of Mormon" style. He likes that one better and doesn't want to listen to the original version. lol I need to upload it.
Teagan on the other hand seems to have gotten a lot easier now that he is growing up a bit more. It's like he turned into a teenager overnight though. He is so "cunning". There is no better word for him. He is a problem solver that "WORKS" the system every time. I always know that if he is being too nice, then it's because he doesn't like it (whatever it may be) or want "it" or something is wrong with whatever he is being "So nice" to share or give to someone else. He has learned to make things "sound" attractive to Tate if he is trying to talk Tate in to doing something that he shouldn't do. And he loves to torture and pick on Tate EVERY moment of the day. It truly drives me insane! On a good note, Teagan gave his first talk in Primary at church the other day on the Atonement. I was like, "Huh? Isn't that a large topic for a 4 year old?" He did alright. We practiced before hand, but he had his hands in his mouth the whole time because he got nervous and wasn't talking very loud and then 1/2 way through it he just stopped and said to me, I don't want to do this anymore mom. I made him finish it though. I will say he did good for his first time. I don't think he knew what to expect. Teagan goes through phases of things he likes. For awhile it was Angry Birds on the Ipad and watching Angry Bird YouTube videos. Then he came in the room when I was watching the end of the Avengers and he got really into Iron Man. In general he is really loving super heroes of any kind right now... all the way from Iron Man to Spider Man to Buzz Light Year. He was really into dinosaurs when we were talking about dinosaurs for pre-school and I showed him and Tate all the scary parts of Jurassic Park 3 on the last day we learned about dinosaurs. Ha ha. I wish I had a picture of Tate's face. He literally dropped his mouth open and put his hands over his mouth and yelled, "Oh No! They're getting him!" Then he told me he didn't like it but wanted to watch the whole thing. (Hey, it's not as bad as what I watched when I was little. lol) Teagan is SUCH a smart kid. I can't believe the stuff he learns. Last night we had a family home evening about how living a Christ centered life brings peace and Teagan paid attention to every word and answered all of the questions correctly. He told me that by making good choices we invite the Holy Spirit to be in our home and when we are angry or make bad choices then the Holy Ghost won't protect us from the monster's in his room. ha ha... Not quite how it works, but I was impressed with his perception of what he is learning. As for his crazy food requirements (aka "pickiness") I've made a few things from Jessica Seinfeld's recipe book to conceal vegetables in food... but, it's still hard to get him to even try it. Even good stuff he won't try. It's soooo frustrating. My saving grace is a juicer we bought last November and have been juicing ever since 1-2x a day. Our boys, and especially Teagan WILL drink that, which is the only thing that makes me feel good about all of the stuff he won't eat. I give them turns into making up what we put in it. They know it has to be made of more veges but can have fruit too. Our usual daily drink consists of an orange, an apple, a lime, lots of carrots and celery and occasionally we will try something else in it (like beets or spinach, etc).
The kids here recently had a 2 week holiday from school, so I decided to take a break with everyone else here. It was much needed and enjoyed. I've decided to cut down on school from 5 days a week to 3 days a week. I think we are all getting burned out doing it every single day. I'm still covering all the info but doing it in 3 longer days instead. It's working out better that way because then I have 2 days a week to do other activities. The days I do pre-school I'm too tired to do anything else and the boys (and me) were really missing out on having play groups or going to them. I couldn't do both in the same day. I started photography school and have been SUPER behind. It seems the best time for me to do it is at night and it requires more brain power to retain the info than I have at that time. I'm going to have to start getting up early (which I'm so NOT a morning person). I'm very busy in my church calling as the 1st Counselor in the Relief Society. I'm over all the activities which makes it a bit busier. We have presidency meetings 2x a month, go on visits 1-2x/month to members in the RS and then our activities, plus our own visiting teaching, etc. Jeremy is in the presidency in the Young Men... so that means presidency meetings for him, mutual each Tuesday and occasional weekend outings. Plus he has his home teaching to do as well. So each day of the week except Friday and Saturday is usually filled with something for church. I'm not complaining because our blessings FAR outweigh what we put in but it can be hectic. I made a promise to give back for all those that helped us so much when we moved here and plan on doing exactly that! Even though photo school is going a bit slow for me, the photography itself is not. It has been exciting to see things picking up. I got to shoot two weddings in February, one in April, two in May and one in June. There's much to learn still but am learning a lot! I think I'm liking the "couples/wedding" avenue and am working on my new website and official company name (which will change) for when I graduate from photog school. Keep watching for updates!
Jeremy has been feeling a LOT better. Thank you to all our family that fasted and prayed and put him on the prayer role at the temple. We truly felt it! Jeremy went to a gastro specialist and has a gazillion tests done and found that he has some major gut issues (duh), which means that he really needs to cut back on stress and watch what he eats, watch what he eats, watch what he eats... Jeremy and Teagan are a bit the same when it comes to eating so this will be a challenge for Jeremy. Jeremy likes his sugar and soda and gum. Why would gum be on the list you ask? Because Jeremy EATS the gum one after the other... like he swallows it whole and eats a pack at a time. Gross habit eh? I'm just thankful that we are good at juicing and everyone will drink it. It makes a HUGE difference for our family. My mouth dropped open the other day when Jeremy ran to the store and came home with LETTUCE, TOMATO and WHOLE GRAIN BREAD--- WITH seeds!!! AND, he ate it! Who is this husband of mine?! I have to admit, he eats a million times better/differently than when we arrived in Oz. I will take it! Now if someone can just get me to eat less. :) As for Jeremy's job, he just finished up another short contract at the Australian Bureau of Statistics and is awaiting his next assignment. I think he will be busy this year being sent to lots of places and might even get sent to New Zealand for a month sometime this year. We are hoping to go over with him for a couple of weeks of that if it happens. Jeremy is also very busy doing service for people all the time it seems (yard work, computer work, giving rides, etc). I'm proud of him. I'm proud that our boys can go with him often and be there to see that this is what life is about and hope they carry that on when they get older.
Jeremy and I celebrated our five year anniversary this weekend. What did we do to celebrate? We did yard work. ha ha. Yay! lol We were going to go out but felt bad that we knew our sitters were really busy with family in town and didn't realize that til the day before, so we will go out another time to celebrate. My amazing Aussie Mum took me out for a girl's day with a beautiful bouquet of flowers to spruce up the home and then over to an awesome restaurant, mall time, pedicures and gift cards for massage and movie with babysitting for the boys! Amazing!!! So, we will probably go out for massage and a movie when we can get away. It SOUNDS like a dream! :)
And... if you're still reading, then you can feel glad that I don't have anything else to say. :)
I took this pic of Steffan on Jeremy's phone 2.5 seconds before I dropped his Iphone and completely shattered his screen. :( Sorry babe! I'm glad we didn't lose this photo.
When we first moved here, I had a really hard time understanding many things because I was obviously not accustomed to the Aussie accent yet. We bought a car from a guy named 'Bob'. . . I needed to call him one day and called and asked if "Bob was there". We had been there numerous times and I was 150% sure his name was 'Bob'. The owner had answered the phone and kept saying, "Huh? We don't have a Bob here. Is Bob male or female?!" I was so confused!! I kept saying, "BOBBBB!" louder and louder (obviously being louder would surely help). He kept saying, "Are you sure you have the right car lot?" I was looking at the photo next to their phone number on line and read the address out loud to him and he confirmed that I'd called the right place. My mom was with me at the time and I kept looking over while she was laughing at me. I covered the phone and said, "What am I saying wrong?" After a couple more minutes of this 'hoo-ha', he said, "Ooooohhhhh, you mean Bob! Let me get him."
Me: uhhhhhhhhhhhh
I was telling this to our friend Jared the other night and he said, "Don't you hear what you said?" I looked at him with the same question I had a year ago and said, "Um, no." Then Jared explained that when I said "Bob" it sounds like how Australian's say, "BARB" as in Barbara. Duhhh! Ok, got it!
Just made this today for lunch and tried a little because it's only 9am. We are putting it in pita's with lettuce for lunch. It was by far better than I expected. YUM! I had to hurry and put it somewhere I wouldn't lose it. So I'm posting for your enjoyment. I got it off of food.com.
Croissant Chicken Salad Sandwich
6 -8 plain croissants
3 cups cubed poached cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups grapes, sliced in half
4 -5 diced spring onions
2 stalks celery, diced
8 fresh basil leaves, minced
3/4-1 cup mayonnaise or 3/4-1 cup Miracle Whip
1/2 cup roughly chopped cashews (or sliced almonds if you prefer)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
lettuce leaf, to dress the sandwiches
havarti cheese, to dress the sandwiches
Directions:
1
Mix mayo, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and basil together till well incorporated.
2
Fold in chicken, grapes, cashews,celery,and onions.
3
Halve the croissants (you may wish to slightly toast them) and layer with salad, lettuce, and cheese if you wish.
4
Serve immediately.
5
Time to prepare does not include chicken's cook time.
I've been so busy lately I don't have time to pick my nose. :) I've started photography school and that takes up any free time I "had" available. :( When things slow down a bit, I will update in more detail.
The following post is a very long one. I promise it will be worthwhile if you have the time to read through it. There are some pretty amazing stories to follow to testify of the power of prayer.
Although I'm no longer an instructor in Relief Society, I still get to teach once every 3 months on the first Sunday to do a RS Presidency lesson. It was my month this month. We have decided as a presidency to focus on "the basics" this year. My lesson was on 'Prayer'. I feel this message in general can benefit others reading my blog and wanted to share my "findings" on the topic.
I opened my lesson by showing this video:
The line that stands out most to me from this short video is:
"If the power of faith is not
embedded into our hearts, the power to endure will crumble." -Elder Henry B. Eyring
Our RS Presidency message for this month is as follows:
We believe
that the first principle is first “Faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ”. The
easiest way to begin building our faith is through prayer.
“Personal prayer can build
our faith to do what God commands. We are commanded to pray
always that we will not be overcome. Some of the protection we need will
be direct intervention of God. But more of it will come from building our
faith to obey. We can pray every day to know what God would have
us do. We can commit to start to do it quickly when the answer comes. My
experience is that He always answers such petitions. Then, we can
choose to obey. As we do, we will build faith enough that we will not
be overcome. And we will gain the faith to go back again
and again for further instruction. When the storms come, we will be ready
to go and do what the Lord commands.”
-
Elder Henry B. Eyring Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Many of those I have interacted with recently are all feeling the same way I have been feeling. . . "Overwhelmed, Unmotivated and Stressed Out". I believe that many things happen and come up in waves. I too have felt this way in the past (just as anyone has through out their life) and asked Jeremy for a blessing of guidance and comfort. In my blessing it said that I can ask for relief from these large "stresses" in my life by a "SIMPLE" prayer. I have felt that sometimes comfort or guidance can only be achieved through an overwhelming procedure when instead we can personally receive that "PERSONAL" revelation with a simple prayer.
From a previous conference talk:
One human
resource officer assigned to handle petty grievances concluded an unusually
hectic day by placing facetiously a little sign on his desk for those with
unsolved problems. It read, “Have you tried prayer?” What he may not have
realized was that this simple counsel would solve more problems, alleviate more
suffering, prevent more transgression, and bring about greater peace and
contentment in the human soul than could be obtained in any other way.
That
statement alone is enough to see how this can be a “faith builder”… Something
so small and easy for ANYONE to do can solve more problems, alleviate more
suffering, prevent more transgression, and bring about greater peace and
contentment in the human soul than could be obtained in any other way.
****
“Satan
trembles, when he sees the weakest Saint upon his knees.”6Those who feel that prayer might denote a physical or intellectual
weakness should remember that a man never stands taller than when he is upon
his knees.
****
Another perspective to prayer:
…Prepare yourself and be ready to have that further light and knowledge to be the answer to someone else's prayer when they are in need.
Elder Russel M. Nelson, Quoram of the Twelve Apostles gives us a personal account from his own experience:
Many
of us have had experiences with the sweet power of prayer. One of mine
was shared with a stake patriarch from southern Utah. I first met him in
my medical office more than 40 years ago, during the early pioneering
days of surgery of the heart. This saintly soul suffered much because of
a failing heart. He pleaded for help, thinking that his condition
resulted from a damaged but repairable valve in his heart.
Extensive evaluation revealed that he had two faulty valves. While one could be helped surgically, the other could not. Thus, an operation was not advised. He received this news with deep disappointment.
Subsequent
visits ended with the same advice. Finally, in desperation, he spoke to
me with considerable emotion: “Dr. Nelson, I have prayed for help and
have been directed to you. The Lord will not reveal to me how to
repair that second valve, but He can reveal it to you. Your mind is so
prepared. If you will operate upon me, the Lord will make it known to
you what to do. Please perform the operation that I need, and pray for the help that you need.”21
His
great faith had a profound effect upon me. How could I turn him away
again? Following a fervent prayer together, I agreed to try. In
preparing for that fateful day, I prayed over and over again, but still
did not know what to do for his leaking tricuspid valve. Even as the
operation commenced,22 my assistant asked, “What are you going to do for that?”
I said, “I do not know.”
We began the operation. After relieving the obstruction of the first valve,23 we exposed the second valve. We found it to be intact but so
badly dilated that it could no longer function as it should. While
examining this valve, a message was distinctly impressed upon my mind: Reduce the circumference of the ring. I announced that message to my assistant. “The valve tissue will be sufficient if we can effectively reduce the ring toward its normal size.”
But
how? We could not apply a belt as one would use to tighten the waist of
oversized trousers. We could not squeeze with a strap as one would
cinch a saddle on a horse. Then a picture came vividly to my mind,
showing how stitches could be placed—to make a pleat here and a tuck
there—to accomplish the desired objective. I still remember that mental
image—complete with dotted lines where sutures should be placed. The
repair was completed as diagrammed in my mind. We tested the valve and
found the leak to be reduced remarkably. My assistant said, “It’s a
miracle.”
Think of
things YOU are seeking the Lord’s help in. List what YOU can do to gain the
answer. Exercise faith in the Lord as YOU
pray for help and seek to do YOUR part to find a solution.
*Realize
that this requires you to “DO” something…
“Declaring
our testimony of the gospel is good, but being a living example of the restored
gospel is better. Wishing to be more faithful to our covenants is good;
actually being faithful to sacred covenants—including living a virtuous life,
paying our tithes and offerings, keeping the Word of Wisdom,
and serving those in need—is much better. Announcing that we will dedicate more
time for family prayer, scripture study, and wholesome family activities is
good; but actually doing all these things steadily will bring heavenly
blessings to our lives.” –Elder Uchtdorf
I
would like to share this story I read this week that touched me in regards to
prayer. It was sent to me by Sis. Travers, written in the LDS Meridian
Magazine. Get your tissue out. I can't make it through this story with out shedding a couple of tears.
Lately I have been reminiscing.
Looking back over my life I feel extremely grateful for all of the marvelous
experiences and blessings I have received. In doing so, I have come to a
significant realization. Many of my life’s finest moments have come when I was
on the Lord’s errand and didn’t know it. My visit to a French Tahitian prison
on the island of Tahiti was one such moment.
I remember waiting outside the
entrance to the prison – with about fifty other people – hoping and praying
that my husband would make it back in time so I wouldn’t have to go in alone.
When we first arrived at the
compound we found out that visitors were allowed to bring food and magazines in
to the prisoners. So my husband decided to make a quick market run, thinking he
had plenty of time before visitation.
But when I saw the guards coming
towards the entrance – and still no sign of him – I knew that I had to decide,
very quickly, whether or not I was going to go in without him.
A very intimidating officer gave
instructions regarding a security check and then unlocked the gates. The other
three held back, inspecting the crowd intently for anything suspicious looking.
Everyone, but me, rushed in.
As I stood there hesitating –
hoping that at any minute my husband would come driving up – I was told, very
harshly, that it was now or never, come in or stay out, but he was going to
lock up in five seconds and no one could come in after that. So I looked around
one last time, took a deep breath and stepped inside.
Once I entered the compound I
saw how awful it was. The place was filthy and rundown, and if you were lucky
enough to have an outside cell you had a small barred window facing the prison
yard.
I was grateful that I couldn’t
hear what was being yelled at me through some of the prisoner’s windows, as I
walked quickly across the grounds to the designated visitor’s area.
As I entered the building I
handed the guard at the desk the name of the prisoner I had come to see, and
took a seat with everyone else.
Unprepared As I looked at the other
visitors with their bags of food and magazines, I felt sad that I was the only
one that didn’t have something for my prisoner.
There I sat, alone – with nothing
to give him, wondering what I could possibly say or do to bring hope and
comfort to someone in such a dire situation and that I had never met before!
Heart Wrenching Circumstances We were there to see a young man
whose worst nightmare began about two years earlier, when he made friends with
two American surfers while vacationing in Tahiti. Unknown to him was that these
guys were involved in drug trafficking.
The International Drug
Authorities had been tipped off that some young American guys had been
smuggling drugs all over the world, laminated in their surfboards. The
Authorities got wind of them in South America, lost them for a while, and now
were finally able to track them down and arrest them in Tahiti.
The incarceration of the
innocent young man was unfortunately “guilt by association” – in a country with
zero drug tolerance. (This is important info for any young people who might be
reading this.)
The fact that my husband’s
cousin was legally representing this boy, and asked us to check on him while on
our vacation in Tahiti, is how I ended up in a prison on a beautiful Sunday
afternoon. Prayer Is
the Soul’s Sincere Desire After about twenty minutes in
the visitor’s area, a guard escorted me to a small, musty cement room where I
was told to wait. It wasn’t long before a very thin, distressed and dirty
prisoner was brought in. I don’t think “shocked” is a strong enough word to
describe his reaction when he saw me. I was nicely dressed – having just come
from Church – a total stranger and not much older than he was.
I fought back tears as I choked
out “Hello. My name is Rynna. I’m here on behalf of your father and your attorney.”
With those words came an instant meltdown. He dropped to his knees, bowed his
head, and wept.
As I watched his shoulders heave
with emotion, tears filled my eyes as I inwardly pleaded with Heavenly Father
to guide me as to what I should do and say. The next thing I knew I had moved
closer to him, placed my hand on his shoulder and reached down to help him to
his feet. He responded half-heartedly and took my hand.
We sat for quite a while in the
two chairs that had been placed in the small area, saying nothing, before he
finally broke the silence.
“Miss, do you believe there’s a
God?” I replied with all the fervor of my heart “I know there is!” “Do you
believe He hears and answers people’s prayers?” was his next question. “Yes –
yes I do,” I said. “Then would you teach me to pray?” he humbly asked.
With all that I was anticipating
he would ask me – and no answers to give him – I must admit I never imagined
that he would ask me about God and prayer.
It was at that moment that I
felt a shock run through my entire body as I remembered that I was carrying, in
my purse, the new issue of the Ensign, which was totally devoted to prayer. I was filled with emotion as I
recalled the promptings of the spirit urging me to take it with me as I packed
for the trip. But it wasn’t until we were walking out the door to the airport
that I realized (again reminded by the spirit) that I had forgotten it. So I
ran back, got it and stuffed it down in my purse, where it had remained until
that very moment. No Earthly
Goods Have I I had not come bearing peanut
butter, beef jerky, candy or soft drinks – all the foods to satisfy his mortal
cravings. But what I had unknowingly brought this starving young man was
something he wanted much more than earthly food. He longed for spiritual food
for his spiritual cravings, and God had sent me with a feast!
The next words out of my mouth
were not my own, and imprinted deep into my soul. I took both of his trembling
hands in mine, looked into his dispirited eyes and said … “God is your Heavenly
Father. He loves you, knows that you’re here, and knows the desires of your
heart. He is concerned and saddened over your situation and has sent me to give
you this special magazine.
As I pulled this heaven sent
gift from the bottom of my purse and handed it to this despondent and forlorn
child of God, I felt angels encircle us.
But it was the look on his face
of pure joy and astonishment when he saw the cover – a young man kneeling at
the side of his bed, praying – that will live forever in my heart and mind.
The Spirit of God descended upon
that little cement room, in that vile and unholy prison, like dew from heaven,
as I watched the miracle of his countenance change from one of darkness and
despair to one of hope and light.
In God’s Care This young man remained in
prison for another three years before he was finally released. But he was
released! The other two young men were sentenced to life.
Following my visit,
attorney/client privilege was honored and our cousin never discussed any of the
happenings or particulars of the case after that. But I knew in my heart that
this young man would be okay because he was in God’s tender care.
However, I did find out that
after his acquittal he returned to the States, got a job and enrolled in
school. And … not only did he know there was a God, but he knew that God loved
him, and that He did indeed answer prayers.
This experience impacted my life
beyond measure. It strengthened my testimony of unspoken, heartfelt prayer and
taught me, very personally, of Heavenly Father’s loving care, concern and mercy
for His children; that even in our darkest moments we can know the goodness of
God. “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye search for me with all of your
heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)
Looking Back A couple of weeks ago I heard
Bette Midler sing one of her older – released in the 90’s – but very popular
songs, “From a Distance”. Some of you may remember it.
As I listened to her sing the
haunting chorus, “God is watching us / God is watching us / God is watching us
from a distance,” it really hit me as to what a profoundly misguided and false
message this song was sending to an already spiritually confused world!
God isn’t watching us from a
distance! He is right here with us, always ready to help and bless us, if we
but seek His help. “But behold, verily, verily, I say unto you that mine eyes
are upon you. I am in your midst and ye cannot see me; But the day soon cometh
that you shall see me and know that I am . . .” (D&C 38:7).
A sure witness to this truth is
the remarkable experience I had in the Tahitian jail. How finely tuned every
aspect of that happening was.
Choosing to go on vacation where
this innocent young man was imprisoned, our cousin being his legal counsel and
asking us to check on him while there, his heartfelt longing to learn to pray,
my being prompted to bring the Ensign – which just happened to be totally
dedicated to prayer that very month – and it remaining stuffed in my purse for
days until the moment it was needed and called forth by the Lord.
This is not the work of chance
or of an impersonal, distant God! This heavenly assignment was orchestrated by
a loving, Omnipotent, Omnipresent God – Lord of all creation – who knows our
every need, our every thought, and whose work and glory is to bring to pass our
immortality and eternal life – one on one. And it is this knowledge of God’s
love and purpose that is the glorious message of the Gospel! (See Moses 1:39)
I bless the day that I had the
opportunity to be on the Lord’s errand; to minister to one of His children who
was desperately in need, who looked heavenward for relief – and received it.
The memory of that Sunday has
carried me through years of difficulties – reassuring me at every turn that
“God does notice us. And He watches over us. But it is usually through another
person that He meets our needs.” (President Spencer W. Kimball) And as often is the case, the
one who is on the Lord’s errand is blessed as much, if not more, then the one
who is ministered to. That certainly was the case for me. *
*Endnote -Weary in Waiting Have any of you reading this
article has grown weary in waiting; feels abandoned or forgotten – longs to
know if God really is aware of your sufferings? It is especially for you that I
wanted to share this experience and assure you that relief is coming. You have
not been forgotten.
As to why we sometimes have to
wait so long or suffer so much before help or deliverance comes, I offer the
following compassionate and loving scriptures as a life raft for any who might
be struggling to stay afloat in the wake of adversity.
“My Son, (daughter) peace be
unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small
moment; (In the scheme of eternity)
And then, if thou endure it
well, God shall exalt thee on high … know thou, my son, (daughter) that all
these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good” (D&C
121:7-8; 122:7).
"The
Lord is in all of our lives. He loves us. He wants to bless us. He wants us to
seek His help. As He guides us and directs us and as He hears and answers our
prayers, we will find the happiness here and know what He desires for us."
