Blessed by Living Waters

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Saturday morning session of the April 2003 conference.

Throughout the fall of 2022 I had the nagging feeling that I needed to establish a better habit of daily gospel study. I put it off until the new year when I determined that I would keep up with the Come Follow Me chapters and begin reading The Book of Mormon again, as well as keep up with the General Conference Odyssey and study the current conference talks. Ambitious, I know. But I felt I needed to up my game, as the saying goes. 

I enjoyed studying the life and ministry of the Savior in the first part of the New Testament. I found a YouTube channel that gives weekly insights to the Come Follow Me lessons which helped me grow a deeper love for Jesus Christ. Through the Book of Mormon I recalled that all families have challenges. Through General Conference talks I felt instructed and nourished.

When tragedy struck our family in April I clung to my testimony of Jesus Christ, so recently nourished and strengthened by my daily habit of gospel study. 

Sister Kathleen H. Hughes, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, said, "Living water heals. It nourishes and sustains. It brings peace and joy." That sentence alone struck me with great force. Because I had acted on a prompting, I could weather the storm of losing a precious son. I was partaking of the living water, and the bread of life daily.

Sister Hughes said, "There is cause to be concerned, but there is greater reason to be at peace."

Yes, yes, there is. We have a Savior, a Redeemer, a Friend and Brother, a Spiritual Father, all in the person of Jesus Christ, whose Atoning Sacrifice will make all things right in the end. Somehow. 

The Samaritan woman looked into the face of Christ, listened to His voice, and recognized Him at a time when most others rejected all He taught. We know Him too, or we can, if we allow His healing power, His nourishing strength, His peace and joy, to flow through us like "a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

I'm so grateful for daily manna to feed my soul.  

Conduit for Revelation

In November 2019 I gave a talk in Stake conference that I shared in a previous blog post. I've continued to ponder on the subject of that talk for over a year. Particularly this paragraph:

 

A popular question in Christian circles, when facing a situation or need, is: What would Jesus do? Frankly, that question makes me uncomfortable because I can’t do what Jesus did. I don’t have the ability to read minds and hearts; I don’t have the power to heal all manner of sicknesses, and I don’t have the authority to raise the dead.

 

At the first of this year I restarted reading the Book of Mormon, reading just one chapter a day. I love this book and find it to be a conduit for revelation to me. The other night as I began to read a chapter the conduit opened up and my mind filled with understanding such that I had to pay attention and write it all down. Perhaps what came to me is old news to you, but if not, here it is for our mutual benefit:

Healing the spiritually blind: help them to see the truths of the Gospel and the Lord's hand in their life; help them to see the eternal purpose of life, the Plan of Salvation, their divine nature and individual worth.

Healing the spiritually deaf: teach them the ways to hear the Spirit through the scriptures, General Conference addresses, the still small voice, warm feelings, remembrances, etc.

Healing the spiritually lame: teach them the skills and practices that will help them move forward spiritually under their own power.

Raising the spiritually dead: reactivating someone, restoring their spiritual life.

Feeding the multitudes spiritually: give excellent lessons, talks and testimonies; well prepared, deeply fulfilling spiritually, giving them living water and the bread of life.

Succoring the spiritual beggar: give time and attention to those who struggle, who are poor financially, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, etc.

Curing the spiritually sick: love and accept those who sins are visible or smellable, as well as those whose are not; love is a healing balm; acceptance creates trust that allows for change to happen.

I was so energized by that revelation! It helped me understand that although I can't heal people physically, I can have an effect on them spiritually and can put this into practice in my ministering efforts.

I have always loved visiting teaching and done my best to be faithful in that. Ministering is just a broader vision of taking care of the needs of the members. I miss being visited regularly. I think that until ministering is better understood and practiced, we won't be able to become a Zion people. Because I don't have any visible physical needs people think I don't need anything. I really miss the uplift of the monthly spiritual message and would love to receive something similar still.

I know Heavenly Father understands my needs because I got a strange phone call the other day from a Jehovah Witness (with an out of state phone number) saying she was my neighbor just calling to share a Bible verse with me. She actually shared two different verses and then bore her testimony of the Savior. We talked for only a few minutes, but it sure lifted my spirit and fed my soul to talk to someone about the gospel and how it is our anchor in the time we live. How she got my number is a mystery, but I'm so grateful she was faithful to her conviction to share the gospel.

Mary Did You Know?

Advent - Day 11

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.                                                              Luke 1:30-33

The Crumpled Letter

by Chris Geilman

It was a cold, bone-chilling December day in 1988 in San Luis Obispo, California. Stricken with a rare neuromuscular disorder, I struggled with rigid muscles in my abdomen and legs. The cold aggravated my symptoms. Walking was painful and difficult, and celebrating Christmas in the manner I desired would be impossible.

After our children departed for the bus stop, I hobbled out to the mailbox to slip some letters under its sodden wooden top. A crumpled, damp envelope already protruded from under the lid. As I pulled it out to add to my stack of letters, I glanced at the address. To my surprise scrawled across the front was "To Santa, From Sarah." Sarah was our nine-year-old daughter, a sensitive and loving child who cared deeply for those around her.

The thought occurred to me that this might be my chance to see what she really wanted for Christmas. I opened her envelope and read: "Dear Santa, I am nine years old and all I want is this. My mother has been very sick and has not been able to walk, and I am hoping you can get her better for Christmas. That's all I want. Love, Sarah."

Icy raindrops hit my face and blended with the tears on my cheeks. I thought my heart would break, for there was nothing I could do to give Sarah what she wanted for Christmas, and I regretted that her belief in a generous Santa would have to be shattered on Christmas morning.

As I prayed about what to do, I realized that I had never prayed to be made well. I had let hopelessness seep into my soul and despair replace my faith.

After a great deal of prayer, I composed a letter from Santa to be delivered to Sarah on Christmas morning along with her other gifts. In the letter I explained that Heavenly Father had reasons for why things happen as they do, and that if she would just believe in Heavenly Father and keep on praying and doing what she could, things would work out for the best.

Sarah learned that Christmas day in 1988 that Santa could not make her mother well but that Heavenly Father could one day, if it were for the best. Our daughter quietly transferred her belief in Santa to faith in a loving Heavenly Father.

During the following years, Sarah never ceased praying that I would be made well. After more than six years, a breakthrough in medical technology placed me soundly back on my feet and eliminated my need for either a cane or wheelchair. Sarah knelt in prayer to express her deep gratitude to Heavenly Father.

Years ago as I opened Sarah's letter to Santa on that rainy December day, I thought I was going to deepen her belief in a fun Christmas tradition. Instead, her simple, uneven script taught me to have childlike faith in a kind Heavenly Father, and that lesson turned out to be my most precious Christmas gift of all.

Bytheway, John . . .

After a rotten Sunday, I listened to John Bytheway all day. Talk about uplifting! He speaks to the youth but it goes right to my heart. He's funny, encouraging, serious, spiritual, knowledgeable, and just downright wonderful. I feel better for having listened. Most days when I'm down I listen to good music, such as Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Bach's Brandenberg Concertos, Yo Yo Ma playing Ennio Morricone, Vivaldi, Hymns, etc. Lots of good music out there (do you want me to list all of my cd's?). But today I wanted to hear uplifting words, something that was totally missing from church yesterday.

There is a Balm in Gilead

After the difficulties of the past week I was grateful for Monday morning and the quiet after everyone left for the day. While I was folding some bedding that needed to be put away I felt impressed to sing hymns, so I began with There is Sunshine in My Soul Today, followed by Count Your Blessings and We Are Sowing. I felt lighter and stronger as I finished my task. Coming down stairs I put on three CD's of hymns and enjoyed the spirit they brought into my home as I went about my work.

I love music! I sang my first solo in church when I was about eight. It was for Mother's Day and I sang a song from the old green children's song book called My Grandmother's Garden. When I was almost 14 I was called to be the Primary chorister (in the olden days when Primary was on a weekday afternoon). I've led the music in Primary, Sunday School, Relief Society, Sacrament Meeting, and several ward choirs. It is one of my most cherished callings. As a teenager I would put on Mormon Tabernacle Choir albums (the old-fashioned LP's) and "direct" the choir as they sang. I have a secret desire to direct them in real life. Can you imagine what a thrill that would be?!!

Music calms my soul and invites the spirit, which is what I needed yesterday. Today as we read our chapter of the Book of Mormon I enjoyed more balm as we read these verses:

For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do. . . And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins. . . And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out.    (2 Nephi 25:23,26,29) 

I'm so looking forward to the refreshment of General Conference this weekend. And then to the return of our missionary son from Argentina on Wednesday.

I Believe in Miracles

This is what Valentine's Day looked like for my husband and I.

TopDad woke up with minor chest pains and recognized them as similar to those he'd experienced five years ago when he had his first heart attack. He showered and got dressed, ate breakfast and we read scriptures. The pains did not subside and seemed to get worse. He asked me to say the family prayer after scripture reading. My prayer included language like this "Father, there is no way we can get someone here to give TopDad a blessing, so I'm asking for a miracle and a blessing through the power of the priesthood which he holds and through the Atonement of Jesus Christ that he will be healed."

TopDad decided to go to the hospital so I called the principal at school to let him know, then we loaded up and I drove, first dropping Dr. Hair off at school, (Dandylion stayed home with a stomach virus), then on to the hospital in town. There they did several tests, blood work and x-rays, but couldn't determine exactly what was happening. Dad was still in pain and not even the Nitroglycerine and Morphine got rid of it. After talking to a Cardiologist in Des Moines, the attending ER physician made arrangements to transport TopDad to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. I returned home to pack a lunch, a book and some knitting, check on Dandylion and fill a water bottle. I gassed up the car and drove ninety miles to Des Moines. I found TopDad in the ER being prepped to go to the Catheterization Lab for an angiogram. After the procedure the doctor brought me a "picture" of TopDad's heart and said that there was nothing wrong with it, in fact, he couldn't find any evidence of the other heart attack.

Wednesday morning the cardiologist asked if TopDad had been shoveling snow on Monday; he had been pushing and flipping snow from the sidewalks with the boys, but nothing strenuous. The doctor believed he had strained his chest muscles and that was causing the pain (which didn't go away until about 9:00 PM Tuesday). He was released with a slight change in medicine and instructions to follow up with the family doctor.

On the drive home I said, "Well, we can look at this in two ways, either my prayer for a miracle was answered, or the doctor was right and it was just a strained muscle." TopDad replied, "I'll go with the miracle."

I have no doubt that the God who created our hearts can heal one and leave no trace.