Week 64: The One (September 23, 2019)
"What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth
not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which
is lost, until he find it?" Luke 15:4
There are times in each of our lives, where we will be classified as "the one", the one who needs finding, the one who needs help. We cannot travel in this earthly existence and think otherwise. We will all need the outstretched love that only the Savior can offer... And yet, He will often reach out to us through the efforts of another person.
Transfer news came this week... You guessed it folks, I am staying in Helena. Sister Jones got transferred to Missoula, and it was really hard to see her go. I love her, and am sad to not have her humor and incredible charity here with me constantly. It was hard for her to go too... Lots of tears and some of the most heartfelt goodbyes I have ever witnessed.
The most profound to me, was at our youth game night, where we ended up receiving our transfer news. As she was saying goodbye to a boy we meet with each week, Zane, she broke down into sobs as he was forced to leave by his ride. Zane has had a lot of people leave him in his life, and the way he looked at her, made her feel like she was leaving him just like everybody else. As I sat on the church stage with her, trying to help her breathe, a boy being taught by the Elders hopped up, named Jacoby.
Jacoby asked her why she was sad, and I told him that she needs to move somewhere else. Jacoby got tears in his eyes, his voice softer, and said, "I have had to move a lot too... It sucks." He then had a ten minute conversation with her about the struggles in his life, and the people who had left and hurt him. He told her about how where he is now is where he always wants to stay. They cried together, hugged, and eventually laughed. His Grandma who came to pick him up, just stood in the corner of the gym, watching the whole thing.
Sister Jones was the one who needed to be reached out to, by Jacoby.
There were a few different people who Sister Jones connected with better than I did, that I was really worried about continuing with. One of them is a woman named Cindy. We had scheduled to go and help her pick up pine needles, and she tried to cancel it the morning of. Me, being as stubborn as I am, decided we should still go over. We spent two and a half hours picking up her yard, and I have never seen her take a liking to me in the way she did. She told us over and over how much it meant to her that we still came.
While I thought I was being stubborn, the Spirit led us and used our personalities to be able to minister to Cindy; when she was the one who needed help.
When Sunday rolled around, my good buddy Russ and his Grandson Layne, came to church. Russ has had a really hard time recently, and I had offered to help him get a priesthood blessing. I asked some people to help, and we walked into the bishops office. When President Stanger, one of the men I had asked to help, asked what was going on before the blessing, Russ looked at me really hesitantly. Layne, who is currently involved in a lengthy CPS battle with his mother, is a big part of Russ's current struggles. So I asked Layne to take a walk with us, and we went and played basketball in the gym while they gave Russ a blessing. Russ came out read faced, tears streaming down.
The Lord has given us the opportunity to have people always at the ready, to minister to the one. Russ needed worthy priesthood holders that day, and they were there.
I had a moment earlier this week where I had a huge desire to make gluten free bread. Now, if you know me, you know I don't really cook anything. I burn mac n' cheese sometimes, let alone decide to make homemade bread. But, while Sister Jones was packing, I made a bunch of gluten free zucchini bread. And... It turned out good! But by the end, I maybe ate two slices and knew I couldn't eat as much as I had made. The thought came to me on several occasions, as I would walk past it on the counter, to give it to my gluten free Grandma here in Helena... Sister Judy Connole. So Sister Smith and I took it over one night, and she wasn't doing well. She stumbled to the door, and I had to catch her before she almost fell over. Sister Connole has had lots of health issues recently, and I had no idea how bad it was. But yet, I have never seen someone so grateful, for bread.
When we allow ourselves to feel connected to the Spirit, we will be directed to do things that we do not even realize in the moment, are divine interventions from God. And as strange as maybe it sounds, Heavenly Father had me make bread. So that I could minister to the one, that being Sister Connole that day.
This week was been a little harder. Emotions that stem from the love we have for our companions, our families, those we teach, can come with immense sadness when you see those people hurt. I sat down to read from my scriptures last evening, and where I had stopped, the next verse read,
"Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you." [Alma 34:31]
It struck me in that moment, that we can unintentionally harden our hearts, when we allow ourselves to surrender to the emotions of our circumstances. We can push ourselves away, from the plan and the person, who can make us whole again. That of course being, our Savior Jesus Christ.
I know He lives. I know that regardless of the hard things that may fall on our covenant path, that God will make that hard rock into a diamond. Regardless of changing and fast moving circumstances, God will use us as instruments in His hands, to leave the ninety and nine, and minister to the one.
God may not open the door to solutions yet, but all the meanwhile I will praise Him in the hallway He has put me in.
"...let your hearts be full drawn out in prayer unto Him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you." [Alma 34:27]
May your hearts be comforted this week, and may you feel His loving arms, around you every moment of every day.
Sister Walstad
P.s. Donny Osmond came to church on Sunday? That is a whole other story...
There are times in each of our lives, where we will be classified as "the one", the one who needs finding, the one who needs help. We cannot travel in this earthly existence and think otherwise. We will all need the outstretched love that only the Savior can offer... And yet, He will often reach out to us through the efforts of another person.
Transfer news came this week... You guessed it folks, I am staying in Helena. Sister Jones got transferred to Missoula, and it was really hard to see her go. I love her, and am sad to not have her humor and incredible charity here with me constantly. It was hard for her to go too... Lots of tears and some of the most heartfelt goodbyes I have ever witnessed.
The most profound to me, was at our youth game night, where we ended up receiving our transfer news. As she was saying goodbye to a boy we meet with each week, Zane, she broke down into sobs as he was forced to leave by his ride. Zane has had a lot of people leave him in his life, and the way he looked at her, made her feel like she was leaving him just like everybody else. As I sat on the church stage with her, trying to help her breathe, a boy being taught by the Elders hopped up, named Jacoby.
Jacoby asked her why she was sad, and I told him that she needs to move somewhere else. Jacoby got tears in his eyes, his voice softer, and said, "I have had to move a lot too... It sucks." He then had a ten minute conversation with her about the struggles in his life, and the people who had left and hurt him. He told her about how where he is now is where he always wants to stay. They cried together, hugged, and eventually laughed. His Grandma who came to pick him up, just stood in the corner of the gym, watching the whole thing.
Sister Jones was the one who needed to be reached out to, by Jacoby.
There were a few different people who Sister Jones connected with better than I did, that I was really worried about continuing with. One of them is a woman named Cindy. We had scheduled to go and help her pick up pine needles, and she tried to cancel it the morning of. Me, being as stubborn as I am, decided we should still go over. We spent two and a half hours picking up her yard, and I have never seen her take a liking to me in the way she did. She told us over and over how much it meant to her that we still came.
While I thought I was being stubborn, the Spirit led us and used our personalities to be able to minister to Cindy; when she was the one who needed help.
When Sunday rolled around, my good buddy Russ and his Grandson Layne, came to church. Russ has had a really hard time recently, and I had offered to help him get a priesthood blessing. I asked some people to help, and we walked into the bishops office. When President Stanger, one of the men I had asked to help, asked what was going on before the blessing, Russ looked at me really hesitantly. Layne, who is currently involved in a lengthy CPS battle with his mother, is a big part of Russ's current struggles. So I asked Layne to take a walk with us, and we went and played basketball in the gym while they gave Russ a blessing. Russ came out read faced, tears streaming down.
The Lord has given us the opportunity to have people always at the ready, to minister to the one. Russ needed worthy priesthood holders that day, and they were there.
I had a moment earlier this week where I had a huge desire to make gluten free bread. Now, if you know me, you know I don't really cook anything. I burn mac n' cheese sometimes, let alone decide to make homemade bread. But, while Sister Jones was packing, I made a bunch of gluten free zucchini bread. And... It turned out good! But by the end, I maybe ate two slices and knew I couldn't eat as much as I had made. The thought came to me on several occasions, as I would walk past it on the counter, to give it to my gluten free Grandma here in Helena... Sister Judy Connole. So Sister Smith and I took it over one night, and she wasn't doing well. She stumbled to the door, and I had to catch her before she almost fell over. Sister Connole has had lots of health issues recently, and I had no idea how bad it was. But yet, I have never seen someone so grateful, for bread.
When we allow ourselves to feel connected to the Spirit, we will be directed to do things that we do not even realize in the moment, are divine interventions from God. And as strange as maybe it sounds, Heavenly Father had me make bread. So that I could minister to the one, that being Sister Connole that day.
This week was been a little harder. Emotions that stem from the love we have for our companions, our families, those we teach, can come with immense sadness when you see those people hurt. I sat down to read from my scriptures last evening, and where I had stopped, the next verse read,
"Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you." [Alma 34:31]
It struck me in that moment, that we can unintentionally harden our hearts, when we allow ourselves to surrender to the emotions of our circumstances. We can push ourselves away, from the plan and the person, who can make us whole again. That of course being, our Savior Jesus Christ.
I know He lives. I know that regardless of the hard things that may fall on our covenant path, that God will make that hard rock into a diamond. Regardless of changing and fast moving circumstances, God will use us as instruments in His hands, to leave the ninety and nine, and minister to the one.
God may not open the door to solutions yet, but all the meanwhile I will praise Him in the hallway He has put me in.
"...let your hearts be full drawn out in prayer unto Him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you." [Alma 34:27]
May your hearts be comforted this week, and may you feel His loving arms, around you every moment of every day.
Sister Walstad
P.s. Donny Osmond came to church on Sunday? That is a whole other story...
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