Last Sunday was Stake Conference. Aside from the fact that my roommate might have a pseudo-crush on our Stake President (I can't blame her though -- he's the most adorable, Godly man with the corniest love of music ever to work with young adults). Aside from that perk of conference, we got to hear from Elder Terry L. Wade of the Seventy. I can't even try to relate how wonderful it was, but I took 8 pages of notes in my little scripture journal (don't freak out too much; each page is only a few inches square ;) . Anyway, at one point he talked about us being "mortal beings having a spiritual experience" and asked us to think of a time recently when we felt we were having a spiritual experience. He asked us to jot down a few notes right then, but go home and write it out in detail. I thought of a really simple one. It's nothing special, but in obedience to a servant of God, I relate the following experience:
One day last winter I was sicker than a dog. Not only was I sick, but I was also discouraged. What hope had a girl of recovering from a physical ailment with so much weighing on her soul? After exhausting all my own strength, resources and personal moxy, I decided to ask for a Priesthood blessing from the boy I was dating at the time and his roommate. Without speaking too much of a sacred experience, here are just a few of the minor factors that made that tender mercy so memorable:
- the boys showed up in Sunday dress (on a weekday)
- we opened with a prayer to invite the Spirit
- the room was filled with the words of a loving Father to his struggling daughter
- after the blessing, one boy offhandedly suggested I look up a line from a hymn he'd been thinking about
- the other boy suggested I write in my journal about my frustrations, the words of the blessing, etc.
They left me better than they'd found me. I did take my friend's advice and wrote and wrote and wrote. I think that one little action may have opened up a lifelong line of communication between me and the Lord. I get some of my best insights when I'm ready to write down what He's ready to tell me. The song was uplifting too and I'm glad he'd had it stuck in his head. After they left I just kept thinking "Boy, I am so blessed to be surrounded by such solid people!" Sure, they'd humbly shrug off the credit if I ever said anything to thank them. But I'm content to eternalize in a blog the fact that I am extremely blessed to associate with people who make me better, who build me up, who fight for faith and encourage me to do the same, who keep themselves close to the Spirit so that they can be first ones called to the rescue. I want to be one of them. I want to be that kind of friend, that kind of disciple of Christ.
