Ah, I love Sunday. Annnnnnd I have decided that I am going to spend each Sunday reflecting a bit on my week. So welcome to the first edition of :
"Sunday Sunshine"
By Me
By Me
The other night I was reading from this month's Conference issue of the Ensign, and was inspired by the address of Ronald A. Rasband called "Special Experiences." His talk focuses on those experiences that we have in our lives that strengthen and fortify our testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ; moments that increase our faith and knowledge that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true and living church.
In the last few years I have had many of these "special experiences" in my life. Most often they are quiet little moments in my world as Heavenly Father speaks to me through the people around me. Such moments happened frequently as I lived on my own in Hong Kong, and they happen almost daily now as I look at the world around me in awe.
This week I had such an experience:
I am a shy person. It seems ludicrous to people who know me well, or who know me as a performer, but I can be PAINFULLY shy. It's something I have pondered A LOT in the last few years, and this week I was taught a very important lesson by a four-year-old girl.
Friday I met a little girl named Kira. I work with her mother, Salem, and she's the darndest cute thing on the planet. This little four-year-old girl came to visit us at work on Friday when her mom was unexpectedly called into work.
"Who's that?" Kira said to her mom as I walked into the dressing room.
"That's Amy."
"Ammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmy!" Kira ran towards me, threw her arms around me and gave me a big hug and kiss on the cheek.
It is such a tiny thing that Kira did, but her actions impacted me significantly. As I have tried to work through my "shy issue," I have often been reminded that if I look at those around me as I SHOULD, like my brothers and sisters, I really have nothing to fear. (Heaven knows I'm not the least bit shy around my Biff...) Anyway, Kira was the perfect example of this to me. The girl had NO idea who I was, and yet she greeted me with a big smile, a hug, and I kiss on the cheek, and had no qualms about it. I thought, "If only I could be like that." I want to be the person who can go up and give someone I hardly know a hug. I want to be the kind of person who can carry on a good conversation with someone who, when it began, was a perfect stranger, I want to the the kind of person who can compassionately mourn with and serve the people that I am only acquainted with. They ARE my brothers and sisters- literally. YOU are all my brothers and sisters, and it is such a blessing to know that. That alone is reason enough for me to not be the silly shy girl that I am.
I looked into this little girl's face and saw the love, innocence, and exuberance of the Savior. Kira did what He would do. She did what I SHOULD do.
... So if you don't know me and happen to meet me this week... be ready for a big kiss on the cheek. ;-)
On another note, I was going through my notes on "The Miracle of Forgiveness," and found these quotes that I absolutely love:
"Many people die with their music still in them.Why is this so? Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it, time runs out." -Oliver Wendell Holmes "I have spent my days stringing and unstringing my instrument, while the song I came to sing remains unsung." - Tagore
President Kimball concludes with this thought:
"My plea therefore is this: Let us get our instruments tightly strung and our melodies sweetly sung. Let us not die with our music still in us. Let us rather use this precious mortal probation to move confidently and gloriously upward toward the eternal life which God our Father to those who keep his commandments."
Good stuff right there.
On a lighter note:
This weekend I domesticised myself even more. I love Break the Fast because it gives me the excuse to learn to make stuff with hungry, not picky, Mormon boys as guinea pigs. :-) Anyway, I finally made those Lemon-Lime Bars I posted a few weeks ago... and they turned out beautifully, if I do say so myself.
3 comments:
Hey! I made those same bars last week and they were so super dang good!! Dan was a good helper and zested and juiced the lemons and limes for me. Isn't he nice? I do so love Better Homes and Gardens. Wel,, except for after, when I think my house and "garden" sucks after reading all about the nice ones in their magazine. I especially loved the article about the people who had a "tight" budget of $10,000. Gag me with a spoon. My tight budget is $0.10. Augmented (regretfully) with Visa. Hey, life takes Visa, right? Dave Ramsey called, he wants his Visa back.
That was totally the topic of our lesson at church today! Being friendly and loving eachother. We do need to broaden our horizens and be more "sisterly" (brotherly)
to eachother. I really liked how in our lesson, our RS president talked about how we all feel like we don't fit in at times, and we all need to love ourselves and not listen to that voice. I was surprised when (at the end) people I thought were the most secure in themselves stood up and testified that they have felt that way too. Everyone was shocked to realize "I'm not the only one." So, Amy, you're not the only one! But do reach out with the hugs because everyone could use one :)
Home for good next Conference weekend!!! I say YES! (now that we have visited Florida and all!)
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