Well
wasn't this weekend fantastic?!? General Conference was like the
Highlight of my week! or Month! or even... well this year so far! I have
enjoyed every minute of it!
Anyhow this past
week I got to go on a "road trip" to Garden and Liberal Zone conference
of which I did car inspections and errands of many sorts. It was quite
enjoyable to see faces I haven't seen in a long time.
We also had a really bad rain/hail/lightening storm. not uber bad. not as bad as the one I experienced in July but it was still pretty awesome. The clouds started to look like marshmallows. and that is when I decided that I didn't like that. So we went inside. A few minutes later hail the size of golf balls started to pelt the house.Iit was pretty awesome.
We also had a really bad rain/hail/lightening storm. not uber bad. not as bad as the one I experienced in July but it was still pretty awesome. The clouds started to look like marshmallows. and that is when I decided that I didn't like that. So we went inside. A few minutes later hail the size of golf balls started to pelt the house.Iit was pretty awesome.
But here is my thought of the week that goes along with the storm that was had, and also with Conference of this past week.
Dearest brothers and sisters, how oft I do pray for you. as I look out at the rain and think about the days at home I think of all the days where we would sit out on the porch and drink root beer floats and watch the lightening strike across the air. It was a precious time that we had. But even as those days of my youth went along it seemed that the storms did not leave. But they stayed there and the root beer floats disappeared and the warm blankets and the comfort of family was soon gone as well.
College was the climax of the darkness and despair I had lost sight of the path of which I was to be going. I didn't see what hope was left in a world where I didn't even know what my purpose was. I had abandoned the faith of my parents and went on my own road. I encountered sorrow, pain, and fear in the time of which I was lost. I didn't have the direction that I needed. The Relief Society stepped in at a moment where it seemed that the clouds of despair were going to overtake me. Visiting Teachers showed up in my life and I wasn't very happy to see them at first. but eventually I was able to become friends with them. My church attendance went up a little more, but then the Freshman year ended and we all went our separate ways. Sophomore year of college was a trying period of life. I was in an uncertainty still of what I was to do with life. The storm clouds still rumbled around me as I continued a lonely path in the wrong direction. Attending church was even more gruesome then it was before. and everything seemed to try and stop me from going, and sometimes it worked. I was tired of going to church and sitting by myself because my roommates were about as interested as I was in going to church. I would often just leave after attendance was taken. My existence seemed... un-needed. But I kept moving forward, I wanted to find something to do with my life. I wanted to be happy. Soon General Conference rolled around and the age change happened. I was indifferent to it because I didn't really think that it was something for me. But the idea caught my attention. It sat there and dwelled in my mind and when people around me started to announce where they were going I was jealous. and then my sister declared that she was doing her mission papers. That is when I became more interested, I started to express my interest to my "friends" and they all turned hostile to even the thought of me going. That made me even more determined to go. After Christmas the long process of trying to get my papers in began. I abandoned my "friends" and stayed in my apartment most of the time, then I met some awesome friends of whom were very enthusiastic about the idea of me going on a mission and very supportive. They invited me to go with them places and to hang out and do activities. I was more happy than I had been in a long time.
Dearest brothers and sisters, how oft I do pray for you. as I look out at the rain and think about the days at home I think of all the days where we would sit out on the porch and drink root beer floats and watch the lightening strike across the air. It was a precious time that we had. But even as those days of my youth went along it seemed that the storms did not leave. But they stayed there and the root beer floats disappeared and the warm blankets and the comfort of family was soon gone as well.
College was the climax of the darkness and despair I had lost sight of the path of which I was to be going. I didn't see what hope was left in a world where I didn't even know what my purpose was. I had abandoned the faith of my parents and went on my own road. I encountered sorrow, pain, and fear in the time of which I was lost. I didn't have the direction that I needed. The Relief Society stepped in at a moment where it seemed that the clouds of despair were going to overtake me. Visiting Teachers showed up in my life and I wasn't very happy to see them at first. but eventually I was able to become friends with them. My church attendance went up a little more, but then the Freshman year ended and we all went our separate ways. Sophomore year of college was a trying period of life. I was in an uncertainty still of what I was to do with life. The storm clouds still rumbled around me as I continued a lonely path in the wrong direction. Attending church was even more gruesome then it was before. and everything seemed to try and stop me from going, and sometimes it worked. I was tired of going to church and sitting by myself because my roommates were about as interested as I was in going to church. I would often just leave after attendance was taken. My existence seemed... un-needed. But I kept moving forward, I wanted to find something to do with my life. I wanted to be happy. Soon General Conference rolled around and the age change happened. I was indifferent to it because I didn't really think that it was something for me. But the idea caught my attention. It sat there and dwelled in my mind and when people around me started to announce where they were going I was jealous. and then my sister declared that she was doing her mission papers. That is when I became more interested, I started to express my interest to my "friends" and they all turned hostile to even the thought of me going. That made me even more determined to go. After Christmas the long process of trying to get my papers in began. I abandoned my "friends" and stayed in my apartment most of the time, then I met some awesome friends of whom were very enthusiastic about the idea of me going on a mission and very supportive. They invited me to go with them places and to hang out and do activities. I was more happy than I had been in a long time.
Two weeks before I left on my mission the hurricane of life hit.
Every possible distraction was thrown my way, my old "friends" were
trying to get me to come back and be with them again. But my inspired
friends who didn't even know that they were being inspired started to
invite me to do things with them more often, as to enjoy our last few
weeks with each other. I made it to the MTC and the storm subsided. That
place is protected by angels. When I made it out into the field it was
as if the entire forces of Satan were against me, but I was determined
that I was going to be a missionary.
And I know that life will not be easy, I know that the storms will never pass, but I also know that it is much easier to learn how to dance in the rain then to drown in its depths. Every day I am more inspired and enthusiastic about what life has to offer. Even though the storms may seem to never have an end, I will always be able to create a light within myself and journey forward with that.
I want all of you to know that it is possible to find happiness.
And I know that life will not be easy, I know that the storms will never pass, but I also know that it is much easier to learn how to dance in the rain then to drown in its depths. Every day I am more inspired and enthusiastic about what life has to offer. Even though the storms may seem to never have an end, I will always be able to create a light within myself and journey forward with that.
I want all of you to know that it is possible to find happiness.
Even if the world seems so dark right now.
There
is happiness in every place, because Christ is our Savior. the Redeemer
of our Souls and our older Brother. We will never be alone and we will
never have to fight on our own as long as we search and ask for help.
Do not make the journey more difficult than it needs to be. There
are brothers and sisters in this church that are here to help. Our
prayers are answered through other people and if we are not willing to
be receptive of the answer from others we will never be able to feel the
love that is there to be offered.
I love all of you.
-Sister Cindy Call
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