On Sunday, the Dog Walker was invited to give the closing prayer in Sacrament Meeting. One of his good friends had just returned from his mission so we had a pretty full house, probably about 400 people. He gave an awesome prayer and toward the end he asked for a special blessing on the missionaries, especially Teach. I was relieved when the entire congregation responded with a resounding "Amen." when he was finished. So I made sure to tell Teach this week that hundreds of people had been praying for her specifically.
I'm REALLY glad to hear that the Dog Walker prayed for us. We definitely need some miracles this week because our numbers were really low. We taught really good lessons just not very many of them. I want to teach more. I really struggle with finding new people and then... going from small talk into teaching about the gospel. Everyone seems to be wary of us because they know we aren't "just there to chat" which we aren't, but they think we're... I dunno. It's interesting. I need to pray about it more so I can figure out a good approach to help us find more investigators. (:
Teach and I both suffer from this problem.
You know how I really struggle to see my beauty? Well, Sister Lewis wasn't going
to have any of that so she made it her personal responsibility to tell me that
I'm beautiful every day. She has a mini white board and she wrote "you are
beautiful" on it. Whenever I would say something negative about myself she would
prop it up on her desk so that I had to look at it. I appreciated the effort,
but we both know that nobody can force you to see your own beauty. But we were
talking about it and she tried MANY different tactics. and then there was a
point where she said. "I want you to listen to me as I describe this person...
She's a daughter of God. Who created her and sent her to two parents that love
her. She has a wonderful family. She has two friends that she has helped through
many struggles and pains. She has a brother whom she loves very much who has
been dealt a rough hand in life." This is the point where I started crying, Mom.
It was the most... interesting experience. I teach people about this type of
feeling every day. The Spirit truly testified to my heart that the things Sister
Lewis was testifying of - that they're true. I knew it without a shadow of a
doubt. The Lord wrapped his arms around my heart. As she continued on she said,
"You can't tell me that this girl isn't beautiful. That this girl doesn't
deserve a man that will love her and cherish her." I don't remember the exact
words, but in hindsight the Spirit says that this is what I needed to know. I
finally FELT beautiful. and I know that I am. That I have an inner and an
outward beauty.
I went to bed with this feeling deep in my heart. When I woke up
in the morning we went running. I pray a lot when I run so I don't focus on how
painful it can be. So I pray and I always come home with revelation that I
record in my journal. This time the revelation was the Spirit AGAIN confirming
the beauty that I have. I know that I am beautiful, but I know that the beauty
comes from God. Remember how Grandma Benson had that sign - "I know I'm somebody 'cause God don't make no junk!!"?
This is the thought that really struck me. I
was caught up in a thought of genetics and how carefully planned my body was. I
come from such a diverse background and it all led up to ... this. (: Picture my
face. That's me. and that is exactly how God wanted me to be. That's pretty
stinkin' cool. (: It just made me really happy. Then I realized... this is true
for EVERYONE. we are all the children of God and it has been by careful
selection, science, nature, and care that we are the way we are. These are the
bodies we carry with us forever. This is it. I'm not going to be Hispanic in the
2nd coming. I'm not going to be a 3- legged frog. I'm going to be me. It's cool.
That's how God wants me to be. It is what it is.
I just love that! I wish every young girl could hear these words. I think the media has us all believing that there is only one standard of beauty and it's just not true.
4 comments:
She is growing up beautifully!
What a very sweet post; it touched my heart. It so sad when we don't really see that we are beautiful daughters of God. What a very sweet spirit your dear daughter is and her companion is awesome, also.
Blessings and hugs!
What a beautiful young lady inside and out, if only others could feel this way..She loves her faith God and familia..Her beauty shines thru her like a candle of light..Too few feel this way, God is blessing her and teaching her in many many ways..Her time in her mission will be over soon and she will return completely different than when she left, in this I mean the Light of our Heavenly Father will be shining in her so bright one would have to get sunglasses,many blessings will be hers, you will have a wonderful daughter returning even more so than when she left. God's blessings to Teach and you and your hubs too, if only more parents could love and parent their children as you do so daily..what a world we would have, have a wonderful rest of the week, love and always the best of our Heavenly Fathers love, ciaoXXX()()()XXX
praying for your family.
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