Yesterday we had a cool experience. I took the girls for a quick walk to return something to a friend. After dropping the item off, I noticed the baby had dropped her brand new sippy cup. It is her favorite thing lately, and I new it would be a sad day for all of us if we couldn't find it on the short walk home. We looked around my friend's driveway to make sure it hadn't fallen there. It hadn't.
As we walked across the street, I told Anna to pray to Heavenly Father that we could find Katie's cup. We looked carefully on the way home, and as we walked and looked, I was able to have a nice teaching moment with Anna about prayer. I explained that when we need something- like we did then- we can pray for help. Then I explained to Anna that if Heavenly Father wants us to have what we are praying for, He will help us to get the answer to our prayer. But if He doesn't want us to get it, we won't even though we wanted it. Then I explained that if Heavenly Father wanted us to find Katie's cup, he'd help us find it. If He didn't want us to find Katie's cup right away, we wouldn't.
I asked Anna if she understood that just because we don't always get what we pray for that it doesn't mean that Heavenly Father doesn't love us or doesn't hear us. She said she did.
We then found the cup. Katie was nice enough to drop it inside our garage. It hadn't even gone on the walk with us. I was so grateful to find it so Anna could get that little testimony boost that our prayers can be answered. It was a wonderful thing to share with her. And finding the cup made Katie happy. :)
Monday, August 20, 2012
Friday, August 3, 2012
Contention
I was reminded today of an experience I had in college. I was reading President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk, The Merciful Obtain Mercy, from the last General Conference. He spoke about forgiving others and dissolving contention. One of his focuses was in the family, but he also spoke of forgiving everyone and dissolving conflict everywhere.
In college, my dad passed away right before Christmas. At the time, I was our college ward's music chairman. One of my responsibilities in that ward was to write a cantata for Christmas. (No, I do not compose music. I took existing music and added text between songs....) I really wanted my parents to be able to hear it, but my dad was still in the ICU, and as a result, neither of my parents could attend. The cantata was a huge success and went off perfectly.
My bishop asked me to write another one for Easter that year. I remember that the hardest thing about that Easter cantata was that once again, neither of my parents could attend. My dad was gone by then. My mom had something- I don't remember now what- that made it impossible for her to attend. (Seems like she was having car trouble and couldn't safely make the drive, but I don't remember.) I prayed very hard before that Easter cantata that my dad could attend it- and that I'd be able to KNOW he was there since I wouldn't be able to see him.
I know a lot of people don't believe in any type of afterlife or communication between this world and the next. But I testify that I KNEW beyond a shadow of a doubt that my dad was there at that Easter cantata. I didn't see him, but I felt him and I knew with all my heart, mind, and soul that he had come to see my cantata in answer to my prayer.
That was a huge spiritual experience for me. I'd missed my dad so much, and it was a big testimony that just because he wouldn't be there in person for the major life events coming up, he was still there to witness them.
Switching gears for just a moment. My roommates and I were good friends with the girls from another apartment in our building. The girls in that apartment were having serious conflict with each other. Major issues had come up, and as a result, they were always fighting, always bitter, and always eager to make sure their friends didn't like the group of roommates they were angry with. This is what Pres. Uchtdorf's talk reminded me of.
I came home from church that day well behind the rest of the girls in my building. I had stayed after to absorb the wonderful feeling I'd had with my dad being there to see my cantata. The second I opened the door to my apartment, the peaceful feeling of the spirit and the feeling of communion with my dad left. My roommates were at the kitchen table with one of the girls from upstairs talking angrily about the conflict in that apartment. The feeling of contention was so strong in our apartment. It chased away all the good feelings I'd had during church that day.
I remember being so upset (and therefore adding to the spirit of contention) that they had ruined such a glorious experience for me. I was so happy when the girls upstairs parted ways after the semester and the contention was gone.
To anyone experiencing any type of feeling of contention anywhere, read this talk. http://www.lds.org/ensign/2012/05/the-merciful-obtain-mercy?lang=eng
You will thank me later.
In college, my dad passed away right before Christmas. At the time, I was our college ward's music chairman. One of my responsibilities in that ward was to write a cantata for Christmas. (No, I do not compose music. I took existing music and added text between songs....) I really wanted my parents to be able to hear it, but my dad was still in the ICU, and as a result, neither of my parents could attend. The cantata was a huge success and went off perfectly.
My bishop asked me to write another one for Easter that year. I remember that the hardest thing about that Easter cantata was that once again, neither of my parents could attend. My dad was gone by then. My mom had something- I don't remember now what- that made it impossible for her to attend. (Seems like she was having car trouble and couldn't safely make the drive, but I don't remember.) I prayed very hard before that Easter cantata that my dad could attend it- and that I'd be able to KNOW he was there since I wouldn't be able to see him.
I know a lot of people don't believe in any type of afterlife or communication between this world and the next. But I testify that I KNEW beyond a shadow of a doubt that my dad was there at that Easter cantata. I didn't see him, but I felt him and I knew with all my heart, mind, and soul that he had come to see my cantata in answer to my prayer.
That was a huge spiritual experience for me. I'd missed my dad so much, and it was a big testimony that just because he wouldn't be there in person for the major life events coming up, he was still there to witness them.
Switching gears for just a moment. My roommates and I were good friends with the girls from another apartment in our building. The girls in that apartment were having serious conflict with each other. Major issues had come up, and as a result, they were always fighting, always bitter, and always eager to make sure their friends didn't like the group of roommates they were angry with. This is what Pres. Uchtdorf's talk reminded me of.
I came home from church that day well behind the rest of the girls in my building. I had stayed after to absorb the wonderful feeling I'd had with my dad being there to see my cantata. The second I opened the door to my apartment, the peaceful feeling of the spirit and the feeling of communion with my dad left. My roommates were at the kitchen table with one of the girls from upstairs talking angrily about the conflict in that apartment. The feeling of contention was so strong in our apartment. It chased away all the good feelings I'd had during church that day.
I remember being so upset (and therefore adding to the spirit of contention) that they had ruined such a glorious experience for me. I was so happy when the girls upstairs parted ways after the semester and the contention was gone.
To anyone experiencing any type of feeling of contention anywhere, read this talk. http://www.lds.org/ensign/2012/05/the-merciful-obtain-mercy?lang=eng
You will thank me later.
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