Is It Wonderful To You?

It was the first day without rain last week and I was anxious to get outside and work on the flower beds. As I began weeding I felt prompted to go to the temple instead. I reminded myself that I was already planning on going with my husband that weekend for a ward conference temple night and kept on weeding. I got such satisfaction from seeing the flowers unencumbered by weeds I kept going on to the next bed, and the next, when suddenly the prompting came again, "You should go now to the temple." I heeded it this time and went in to change. 

On the way to the temple I felt like I may have taken too long to decide to go. I might have missed whatever or whomever the Lord wanted me to see, but I knew that I would feel better having obeyed the prompting and I always love the feeling of peace therein. 

Our stake has a drawer in the entry of the temple where members place names of family who have work to be done. I took out five family file cards and knew that the member who had placed those cards would be as glad as the people whose cards I had retrieved to have their temple work move forward. It felt as good as weeding the flower beds to help empty the drawer... with everlasting results! I was happy as I entered the initiatory area of the temple.

For the past few months I have had to wait over an hour to serve but there wasn't even a line that day! As the ordinance worker invited me into the first room I looked at her sweet glowing face and loved her immediately. Her short grey hair was styled and curled around big beautiful blue eyes. As she began speaking it slowly dawned on me that I knew her! I looked at her name tag and saw Tammy Mitchell, the same woman the Lord directed me to when I was struggling after my diagnosis of cancer. (Read the amazing story here) NO WAY!!!! I didn't even know she was Mormon! When she finished speaking I asked her if she knew who I was and she shook her head no and said, "You look familiar but I can't place you." I then showed her my scar and reminded her where we had met. She smiled with remembrance and recognition and asked how I was doing with the cancer now. I told her my scans have been clear and we hope I'll be ok now. I had to move to the next room then and when I came back she was gone. As I was sitting there, marveling at the timing of the whole event, she suddenly appeared around the corner, hugged me and said, "I love you!" I returned the hug and the love and felt so grateful for God's love for us and even his management of the smallest things in our lives if we let Him. 

Today when I read the conference talk "Is It Wonderful To You?" by Bishop Gerald Causse from April 2015 I remembered this experience and wanted to write it up to build the testimony of anyone who is wondering if God is there or if He is aware of you. He is! Let my experience and the experiences of others be an anchor to your faith and engage yourself in the work of salvation however you feel you can.

"To marvel at the wonders of the gospel is a sign of faith. It is to recognize the hand of the Lord in our lives and in everything around us. Our amazement also produces spiritual strength. It gives us the energy to remain anchored in our faith and to engage ourselves in the work of salvation."

I want to use his words because he says it best:

On this special day, I bear witness that the wonders and marvels of the gospel are anchored in the greatest of all of God’s gifts—the Savior’s Atonement. This is the perfect gift of love that the Father and the Son, united in purpose, have offered to each one of us. With you, “I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me. … 

Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!”

Click here to listen to Bsp. Gerald Causse

We Are Never Lost To God

I loved the Sept 2013 General Relief Society broadcast and especially loved Pres. Monson's talk. The story about the overwhelmed and depressed Tiffany whose only wish is for a loaf of homemade bread and the way it got fulfilled was so inspiring. I thought to myself, “Wow, I could do a lot of good in the world if I would listen to and obey promptings like that!” Funny thing... the very next day I was mailing postcards to the grandkids and on a whim decided to turn left instead of right, heading toward the east bench of old Farmington. There was zero traffic. I wound my way up and around the quiet streets to an intersection where the level road met a very steep hill and came upon a young teenage girl in a small white car, waving desperately out the window to me. She was facing up the hill but couldn't move forward. Every time she took her foot off the brake she would roll backwards. I stopped and asked her if she had a clutch. She said she did and I figured it was too hard for her to manage on a hill and I would just do it for her. She then showed me that it wouldn't drive forward at all. I tried to direct her to a safe parking spot on the side of the road, which we finally managed, in fits and starts. Once safely parked, but leaving the car idling, she called her mom who told her to just drive it home to Bountiful. She offered me a candy bouquet she just happened to have, HAHA! I told her to keep it because she wasn't home yet and she might need it for someone else. I followed her to Centerville and when she didn't seem to be having any trouble, turned off for home. WOW! I mean, what are the odds I would take a strange way home and run into a young woman in need RIGHT at the right time! 

Thanks, Heavenly Father!

But that is not all, oh no that is not all! Because of a wide excision surgery and removal of lymph nodes, I couldn't put any strain on my arm for two weeks! It felt like an eternity as I watched the beautiful fall days go by without me riding. I was so anxious to go biking the first day I could and see how my arm would hold up! My wonderful husband, taking his usual excellent care of me, had readied the truck and already put my road bike in the back. 

It was so tempting to just immediately start out, but I wanted to clear my head and ride for a long time. Hmm, I didn't want to risk putting any further stress on my freshly healing stitches by leaning forward for so long on my road bike and I'm not that great at using my road biking shoe clips yet either. Just then, God inspired me to trade it out for my mountain bike! That way I could sit up straighter and wear regular shoes and ride as long as I wanted to! 

Thankful for my many blessings, I happily headed out into the gorgeous morning! Perfect temperature and my legs felt SO good! I took a different route from the usual and felt like I could ride FOREVER!!! I got to Bountiful and the trail ended! I couldn't see where it connected so I turned right, hoping to find someone to direct me. 

Well, I hadn't gone more than a few yards when a huge dog jumped a fence and came over and bit my shoe! Holy cow, that was scary, I can't go back THAT way! I guess I'll have to figure out how to get to the bike path on the far west side. I said a prayer that someone in this nice little neighborhood would come out and help me. 

Wouldn't you know it, about two houses later a woman came out to her car just as I was passing. (Thank you Heavenly Father! Again!) She tried to direct me to where the other Legacy Parkway bike path was, not really knowing either, but she gave it her best shot. I followed her directions as best I could, ending up SO FAR west I was at the Legacy Freeway! 

I pulled out my phone with the gps so I could see where I was and noticed my phone was at 6%! Dang! I really need to remember to charge it every night. I called my mom to let her know that my phone was almost dead and I was a looooong way from home but don't worry. I looked down and thought that my tire was looking a little bit fatter but no worries. Still perfectly fine! 

I began retracing my route back and as I turned a corner I noticed a strange sound.... pfbt, pfbt, pfbt in a regular beat. “What is that sound?” I thought. I looked around and then with a sinking feeling realized it was my tire! Flat, flat, flat... I was riding on the rim! I called mom again but she didn't answer! I left a message telling her where I was and that I would start walking toward I-15 and to come find me when she got the message. 

I had walked my bike maybe 60 feet when a pick-up truck pulled up next to me. I was just wondering what was going to happen next  as a very sweet woman with an adorable grey buzz cut leaned out the window and asked me if I would like a ride. I almost yelled, “ARE YOU SERIOUS? I need to get clear to Farmington Station Front Runner.” She said, “Yes, I'm serious.” Thank you Heavenly Father! Again!

I put my bike in the back of her truck, texted mom not to worry and hoped there was enough “juice” to get it to her before she started out looking for me for who knows how long??? 

I climb in the back as she turns to her 30 year old daughter and says, “I knew I should have worn my wig. Didn't think I'd see anyone.” My ears pricked up... this woman had cancer. 

I asked her, “What's your story?” She had just completed her sixth round of chemotherapy and was starting radiation tomorrow at Hunstman. I told her I was going to be there too! Our bond was immediate. 

I hadn't really cried about everything yet and for some reason, staring into the depth of her blue eyes as she literally willed me to feel of her strength, totally undid me. The tears streamed down my face as I told her my story. She listened as only the spiritually tried and tested can, and then said, “You need to hear this. God loves you and is watching out for you. There are a lot of reasons to fight to live and even if you help someone else avoid your struggle by being in a study, there is purpose in your life.” 

She told me that she hadn't even planned on leaving the house that day and wasn't even sure why she went to pick up her daughter who was enjoying a walk home on a beautiful day. She was driving on the street at the exact moment my tire went flat! 

Everything had happened to bring me to this point! From the change of bike, change of route, the scary dog, the woman who directed me west and the tire going flat, we both marveled at the way the events had unfolded that we would meet at that moment. SO COOL! I sobbed at the amazingness of it all with my flat-tired bike safely in the back of the truck before heading home. Thank you Heavenly Father... yet again.

Epilogue:

The very sweet woman (who now has hair long enough to be blown by the wind) turned out to be Tammy Mitchell, an amazing cancer survivor and a new life-long friend who continually inspires me each time we talk. Little gems of hard-earned wisdom spill out during our conversations and I constantly feel like I need to take notes when we talk. "We don't just survive this life... we can THRIVE in this life." and "We need to think about what we can give to others that come behind us as we climb our mountains." 
Like that... yes, she is the spiritual giant leading the way for me. 
Thanks, Tammy. I love you!