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My Very First Assignment
When I was asked to be a Visiting Teacher the first time, it was at college. I'd been a member all of my life but have always been a little clueless, so I wish I could say I wasn't totally shocked that the program even existed, but I was. Still I happily accepted and prepared a wonderful lesson on "Being Perfect". I told the story of the "Big Jump" and how we have to progress one step at a time but explained that we can do a lot better than we think we can. I encouraged each sister I taught to prepare and try for just one day to be their "perfect" self. Then we were each going to say what we thought.
I left and didn't think anything about it but one little girl was from an Indian reservation. She listen to my message so intently it made me nervous. A couple of days later she left a message on my answering machine that she really had a perfect day. She was so excited but at the time I was surrounded by new friends and wasn't sure what her phone number was so I just let it go.
The next night I was in my pajamas kneeling by my bed to say prayers but I couldn't concentrate because all I could think of was this little Indian girl. I finally got up and dressed to go visit her even though it was close to midnight. When I threw open the door to leave, my roommate's brother (who I had a terrible crush on) answered it. The thought of the girl whizzed out of my head as I drooled over David and invited him in.
The following Sunday she was not at church. I found out later that she had left school to go home because she didn't feel she had any friends. I felt awful but what I learned and will always remember is that Visiting Teaching is a sacred responsibility. I made a deal with Heavenly Father that if he'd forgive me on this one for totally dropping the ball, I promised I'd do better. Often times I really have- other times I haven't but I keep trying.
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No Nursery for the Baby
I believe the very basis of Christ-like service is when someone does something for you that you can't do for yourself. When I was expecting my second baby, I was overwhelmed. I was watching a new infant along with my young son and pregnant. By the time I stopped daycare, there was only a week before the baby came. I'd been trying to turn the office into a nursery so that my eighteen month old wouldn't be woken up in the middle of the night by the infant. It felt important to me but my back was killing me and when I looked around at the stacks of papers and felt the beginning of labor, I knew there was no WAY it was happening. I collapsed in a puddle of tears.
Luckily one of my visiting teachers, Marianne Nevil, popped by just then. Normally I would have said everything was fine but she could tell by my red nose, fat lips and polka dotted forehead that something was wrong. When I showed her the room, she rolled up her sleeves and in a few hours, the room was gorgeous. I will always be thankful to her, not for a few hours work but for coming in my time of need and doing something beyond my ability. I had that baby two days later.
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My Sticky Floor Sacrifice
Sometimes I don't click at all with someone I'm assigned to and that happened with Jodie. I just felt she didn't even like me- that she thought I was stupid. I still made my monthly visits and I had a great companion at the time which doesn't often happen but our visits were more obligation than anything.
Then one day I was mopping my kitchen floor which was a real pain in that particular house. Once I started, I liked to cover the whole area including the dining room and front hall which took a lot of time so I would only do it when the floor was really gross and it was a sticky mess. I had just dipped the mop in the bucket the first time when the phone rang. It was Jodie and she felt she needed to talk to me. It was so tempting to put her off but after a second, I dropped the mop in the bucket and ran out the door.
We had one of the most enlightening discussions I have ever had about the reality and significance of our Father in Heaven's love for us, especially for women who have never felt the love of an earthly father. I got home as the children got off the bus and my window of cleaning time was closed but I was given a new perspective that day that has stuck with me ever since for my small sticky floor sacrifice.
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The Defective Video
The month after conference we are allowed to share any conference talk we want. I had just gotten cable and it was my first experience watching conference at home- ever and I even got to tape it. I listened to a talk by one of the apostles on the importance of not losing the lambs. When parents of children go inactive, we usually lose their children from the church too, which can negatively effect their lives and decisions.
At that time I visit taught a wonderful Mom who was struggling with church attendance. A few days after conference I told my companion that I wanted to show that talk to this sister. I cued the tape while she was in room and headed out to go visiting teaching.
When I got there I put the tape in and a completely different person was talking. I tried to fast forward and reverse but kept coming to the same talk so finally I just gave up and sat to listen to the message. It was about spiritual tornadoes. How righteous people can have one event totally knock down their testimony and when that happens, we need to run to their rescue and help them rebuild it. I turned off the tape and the sister told me that it was exactly what she had been trying to cope with. She thanked me in tears with hope and renewal in her heart.
Afterwards I turned to my companion who agreed that she thought I had cued the tape correctly, but evidently this other talk was the message the Lord wanted her to hear.
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Losing Thomas
Two years ago I lost a baby. About six weeks before his due date he died in utero. I had felt so prompted to have him that it was an incredibly difficult loss. I was in the hospital less than a few hours and went straight home afterwards, not wanting to tell or talk to anyone- even my husband.
Somehow sweet Meagan found out- she was my visiting teacher. I will always remember her walking into my bedroom without being invited, jumping right in bed with me and hugging me. I was finally able to cry. Then she handed me a little figurine of an angel with a dove in its hand. She stayed all morning until we could laugh and talk comfortably and then left to pick up her kids from her mother's and to do laundry. I still love Meagan for simply letting me mourn and heal.
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