Greetings family. This has been an amazing week with many tender mercies from the Lord. Mom, I loved your story about the woman with RA and great cooking skills. She is a tender mercy and a new friend, I'm sure. This week, I got my own tender mercy at the temple. We went on Tuesday at noon, and there were not very many people in the session. You can fit about 50 in the ordinance room, and there were only 6 sisters and maybe 20 brethren. I was sitting by this beautiful sister who looked like she had Tongan or Samoan ancestry. She had an especially beautiful complexion. After the session she said something to me in the dressing room, and somewhere in the midst of our brief conversation I discovered that she had served a mission in Washington D.C., and she also gave me some acne gel that has been doing wonders for my face. I'm sure you all know that I have struggled with this demon for years, and I can just never seem to entirely overcome it. In the days leading up to this temple visit, I had resolved in my mind to go in focusing on myself as a child of God and to gain strength to just stop worrying about it. To see myself, truly and entirely, as a child of God with a worth that is already infinite and cannot be made less. Sometimes I feel like I'm doing good with it, and then someone, usually an elderly person or a really young kid, will point out, totally innocently my red spots. And while I keep on a brave face and try to pretend it doesn't affect me, inside I'm hiding a lot of sorrow in my quiet heart that the eye can't see. Anyway, I was determined to find renewed strength to conquer at least those worries in my temple visit, and I know, for certain, that me meeting that sister in the temple was a way of the Lord acknowledging my concern and promising me that He will take care of it in His own way and time. So I'm not acne free or anything right now, but I now have a very tangible experience to remember when those self-esteem stealing demons come a calling. Also, I find a lot of strength in writing positive messages for myself on the mirror, like "You are beautiful!" It really helps.
Another great thing happened this week while we were visiting with a lovely member of the ward who struggles with a lot of health issues that often keep her from coming to church. She is extremely creative and talented. She is something of a muse. I have great conversations with her about great writing and writers and movies and all such culture. This week she gave me a priceless gift: a huge dictionary. It's from the 1960s, and I'm not at all certain how I'm going to get it home when the time comes, but it is fabulous. Rhonda is just one of those people who gives things away on the spur of the moment from the goodness of her heart. I want to be like her one day. Another face and heart I will never forget from my precious, privileged time in Texas. We were also over there on Saturday night watching the Pioneer day broadcast from the Tabernacle Choir. So good! I know you all would have enjoyed it. Did you get to see it?
Lately, I've been studying and applying personal revelation, especially trying to recognize the different ways the Spirit speaks to me. One of the best I can only describe as a rush of love that comes upon me suddenly. I'll be paying attention in a meeting, or bowing my head in prayer, and all of the sudden I will feel this extension of love for the people I am with. I first noticed it in a meeting full of missionaries. I recently felt it with a member family I barely knew when we were having dinner. Love truly is a spiritual gift.
Sorry I can't write more. Time calls me to other duties. I love the pictures of Cotton Candy Facial hair, but I'm not sure who they are impersonating other than probably Abraham Lincoln.
Much love,
Sister Whitney Mikell Sorensen
PS I was fine on money. I didn't end up buying very much. I just need to buy a new journal today, since I only have a few pages left in this one, my third!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment