Way I Serve!!! part 2

So after I was set apart I thought to myself "bigger and better things" I had no idea at the time what the Lord had in store for me. I was sitting in sacrament a week later while a new sister, who also was a new nanny was speaking. While she was speaking to a ward that she had only been in for two weeks she looked very nervous, she was a good childhood friend of one of my friends who had to work during church that day. I was urged to text her and see if she needed a ride home. She had an appointment with the bishopric and then we decided to go pick up our other friend and then we went to the wonderful Los Angeles Temple Visitors Center.

 The sister missionaries, one of which was a sister to a friend in high school in my home stake,  showed us the "families can be together forever" video, and yes this was the second or possibly third time I had broken down in tears during this process.  We went from the visitors center to an home teaching appointment that I had previously committed to. We then went to drop K off at her house that she nannied at, we sat in the car as she asked questions I was able to turn to the scripture to find some comfort hopefully she did as well. I was driving M home I had the clearest question pop into my mind as clear as day "IF YOU CAN HELP ONE OF MY DAUGHTERS IN THREE HOURS WHAT COULD YOU DO WITH 18 MONTHS?"

Hesitant as I am to admit it. I wanted to scream no!!! I can't do it! I won't do it! I am too old to serve a mission. Well even today about 7 months later. I keep thinking Am I sure i can do. I think of Nephi with his brothers in the Book of Mormon. When they were asked to get the plates Nephi responded

"I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commanded them." 1 Nephi 3:7

I had a institute teach explain attitude once during a class that stuck with me. With any responsibility that we have there are three levels of attitudes. I won't do it, I have to do it, and I want to do it. It isn't the easiest to get to wanting to do something that you have to do.

A few weeks later it was the first week of August and I was in Utah for the month working with the family that I nanny. I went to church with my "Family- not really family but as close as you could get" and the full time elders were speaking.  The first elder started his talk with the question "What is missionary work all about? He continued to explain that missionary work is all about love. Love of the Savior, love of the Gospel, Love of fellow man. Sunday school followed with a lesson in Alma 40 on the plan of salvation also known as the plan of happiness.

As if this wasn't an overload. I went into Relief Society with Debbie and the instructor had written this question on the board. What marvelous opportunities have come my way because of my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints? Here are a few of my answers that I wrote down to this question.

• A Knowledge of the scriptures
• great people put into my life 
• trust in the power of the priesthood
• Love of the Savior, Jesus Christ
• Knowledge of the Plan of Salvation
• ability to love Myself as a daughter of God
• I am of worth, of infinite worth
• opportunities to serve those around me
• ability to set a great example
• Values to Never question
• Standards to Live By
• Knowledge that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the complete and true testimony of Christ on the earth. 

Yes this seems like and was a spiritual overload. I would think that if I was so stubborn I would have made the choice to serve a mission right then and there. As I am a very stubborn person, my thoughts were that I turn 26 next week, why would I even consider a mission. I started a study of the book of mormon and found about steps and choices. 

  

We chose to step

 Pressing Forward ---> Desire---> Mist of darkness or trails come our way---> we chose to 1. hold to the rod of iron or 2. we lose our way. ----->the faithful clung to the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

The words Hold and Clung stand out to me. We all have trials that come our way and we all make choices. We need to hold fast and cling for the truth that we hold so that we can help others find their way back into the fold. 

One week later, sitting in another sacrament meeting I went to support a good friend who had just returned from her mission from Nashville tennessee. She spoke of the people she taught and the also the storms that she went through. There were a few tornados while she was serving. She taught that as these storms would rip through the neighborhood and tear things down and apart. It is like the trials we face in our lives. We may be ripped apart here and there, but as we hold fast we will rebuild bigger and better and be stronger before the next storm life sends our way. 

It wasn't an hour after I got out of this sacrament meeting that I sent a text to set an appointment with my Bishop for the first sunday I got back in town. And then the paperwork began.