I hope all is well an you are having a great time. I regret that I haven't been able to get over to your house this month, but I wanted to send you a note anyway. I feel the Spirit prompting me to remind you of a promise made President Eyring in this months Ensign. The message was "Faithful Friends", and talked about Jesus' friends and how we can can be a friend to him by being a friend to others.
"In the next few days you will have many opportunities to be a friend for Him. It may be as you walk on a dusty road. It may be as you sit down in a railroad car. It may be as you look for a place to sit in a Church congregation. If you are watching, you will see someone carrying a heavy burden. It may be a burden of sorrow or loneliness or resentment. It may be visible to you only if you have prayed for the Spirit to give you eyes to see into hearts and have promised to lift up the hands that hang down." (Ensign July 2010)
I pray for the Spirit to bless you all with joy and bring you back safely.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Single Mother
There once was a young mother with great hopes of the future of her family. It so happened that one day her husband disappeared without a trace. After a time the young mother came to realize that her husband may not ever come back, and that she could not live forever just waiting for something that might not happen.
It turned out that a grumpy old man allowed her and her children to live with him in his house. She was grateful for a house to live in, and although she knew that any day he could ask her to leave, she lived each day grateful for another day that she and her children could maintain that small stability in their lives.
This young mother felt a deep sense of loss with her husband gone, and often found herself fighting feelings of anger, depression, and abandonment. She yearned deeply to have the companionship of a husband, but knew that until the fate of her husband was determined she would have to live in the strange limo that her life had become.
As this young mother struggled through her daily life, she made consistent efforts to let the grumpy old man know how much she appreciated what he was doing for her family. He never responded to her notes and gratitude, but she knew that if she did not constantly remind herself of the many blessing she had that she would fall into life of misery and frustration and her heart would turn cold.
Now this grumpy old man was quite generous in some ways, but still it was difficult to cope with his constant grumpiness, and heartless comments. There were times that he would give the children rides to places they needed to go. He would sometimes actually play with the children until he got bored or distracted, and occasionally he would let the young mother sit with him in the TV room and distract herself with movie or a TV show.
One time the grumpy old man sent the young mother and her children on a 'vacation' as he called it. So for an entire week the young mother and her children lounged and played while the grumpy old man went about his work, and even made his own meals. While she was relaxing, this young mother found herself slipping back into the sorrows of loosing her husband, and for a time was completely overcome with bitterness and anger; she even found herself angry at God for allowing her life to happen as it had. She realized, though, that she could either let her heart turn cold, or fight off the negative feelings with gratitude and love for what she did have in her life.
Today this young mother still doesn't know what happened to her husband, and wishes for a resolution. But she has become a great strength to, and a buoyant light of optimism, for those around her. She has no money to help others, and often not enough for herself, but she has found many ways to let other people know that they are not alone, and that they are loved. And as she has done this she has found that the love has poured into her life. She loves the Lord and hopes one day that He will make her life whole again.
It turned out that a grumpy old man allowed her and her children to live with him in his house. She was grateful for a house to live in, and although she knew that any day he could ask her to leave, she lived each day grateful for another day that she and her children could maintain that small stability in their lives.
This young mother felt a deep sense of loss with her husband gone, and often found herself fighting feelings of anger, depression, and abandonment. She yearned deeply to have the companionship of a husband, but knew that until the fate of her husband was determined she would have to live in the strange limo that her life had become.
As this young mother struggled through her daily life, she made consistent efforts to let the grumpy old man know how much she appreciated what he was doing for her family. He never responded to her notes and gratitude, but she knew that if she did not constantly remind herself of the many blessing she had that she would fall into life of misery and frustration and her heart would turn cold.
Now this grumpy old man was quite generous in some ways, but still it was difficult to cope with his constant grumpiness, and heartless comments. There were times that he would give the children rides to places they needed to go. He would sometimes actually play with the children until he got bored or distracted, and occasionally he would let the young mother sit with him in the TV room and distract herself with movie or a TV show.
One time the grumpy old man sent the young mother and her children on a 'vacation' as he called it. So for an entire week the young mother and her children lounged and played while the grumpy old man went about his work, and even made his own meals. While she was relaxing, this young mother found herself slipping back into the sorrows of loosing her husband, and for a time was completely overcome with bitterness and anger; she even found herself angry at God for allowing her life to happen as it had. She realized, though, that she could either let her heart turn cold, or fight off the negative feelings with gratitude and love for what she did have in her life.
Today this young mother still doesn't know what happened to her husband, and wishes for a resolution. But she has become a great strength to, and a buoyant light of optimism, for those around her. She has no money to help others, and often not enough for herself, but she has found many ways to let other people know that they are not alone, and that they are loved. And as she has done this she has found that the love has poured into her life. She loves the Lord and hopes one day that He will make her life whole again.
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