My post title seems stunningly inadequate, and for that, I apologize. I really want to talk about the people in our lives who influence and teach us.
I firmly believe that specific people are brought into our lives-- at specific times in our lives-- for a reason. There are moments in your life when there is one particular person who is specially equipped to help you, to teach you, to inspire you, to comfort you, to give you direction.
When my husband and I were praying about where he should go to grad school, we prayed to know where we should go and where we could do the most good. A long story made short, we received "a lightning bolt answer" that we should go to St. Louis. We even felt pretty strongly about which apartment complex we should live in. As a result, we ended up in a ward that we love. (Somehow, the word 'love' doesn't seem strong enough to describe my feelings about this ward. I tear up just thinking about having to leave in a year.)
I don't know how much good we have done in our ward, but I do know how much good the ward has done us. The Lord has put these people in our lives-- in a specific time in our lives-- for us to learn from, be counseled by and receive help from our ward.
A specific example: I began to have some serious problems with my joints right after my daughter was born. That same month, I got a new visiting teacher, the Stake President's wife. Well, the Stake President just happens to be a rheumatologist!
Coincidence? I don't believe so.
I KNOW that the Lord knows me and knows what I need. Better yet, he knows who can help me and leads them to me when I need them.
I guess this all boils down to the fact that God is in charge. And I just wanted you to know that I know that's true.
What a powerful testimony! You make me want to be more prayerful about my decisions too. I feel like I have good intentions but I don't always pray about decisions like that. Somehow I still managed to land in a great ward where I could learn from many different people, including children. It has been great. Looking back I remember getting impressions and feelings about buying our house here and that is how I decided. Maybe it just worked different for me, I don't always kneel down and ask but God sends feelings my way and I'm sensitive to them.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ash! Lately the Lord's been trying to teach me about Promptings from the Spirit and I appreciate the example.
ReplyDeleteThink of all the amazing things your ward has done for your family and, when the right time comes, you'll be able to use those things to affect more people.
Thanks for being part of my life for the past decade plus!