Speak of Jesus

FAMILY AND FRIENDS. 

This week was sooo good!! It's funny that I say that because it started out pretty dang rough, but the past few days have been so so good that I kinda forgot how it started! 

I was feeling super tired and just frustrated inside about how things were going! I just want to have this incredible area going for Sister Oliver to be able to see all the joys of the work and get to teach lots of people and do what she has the desire to do! And I was just frustrated looking at empty days ahead and all the people who fall through, and feeling like somehow I'm solely responsible for all of this.

HOWEVER. The Lord helped me remember what this is all about, and He reminded me all He is asking me to do. 

He is asking me to keep trying and to love well. That's it.

On one of the longest days I was pushing to get through, we ended with a lesson with the one lady we are really teaching. 

Her name is Star. She has been taught before but hasn't met with missionaries in a long time. She has been so confused with all the different religions she has been a part of and she genuinely wants to find truth, but she is struggling to believe in more, when life and people keep letting her down. 

So when we were following up with the things she had previously been taught, she expressed how she felt so confused. She had been taught so many conflicting things from all these different sources, so it was really hard for her to accept anything. 

So we said okay star, push all the confusing out. Throw it all out. 

Let's start with what you DO know and what you FEEL is good, right, and in alignment with you. And we can build from there. 

She responded with, "I know there is a higher power out there. I know that all of this had to come from something. There just has to be more to life than this."

We then began to teach about how there really is a higher power- We call Him God. We talked about His nature. Who He is. What kind of a God He is. And ultimately, what kind of a Father He is. 

And then, inevitably talking about the Father leads to talking about the Son. 

We talked about Justice and Mercy to help understand the different roles, but needs for both Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. 

We read her a story. It reads, 

"There was a boy fighting in the Union Forces. 19 years old. Went to sleep on guard duty. And the opposition broke through and wiped out a whole flank of the army. Several hundred were killed, including some of the best friends of this young man. But he survived. Court-martialed. Sentenced to die. He expected to die. He thought it was only just that he die. And President Lincoln was ready to sign his death warrant for his execution and a little mother appears on the scene. 

She says, "President Lincoln, when this war started, I had a husbsnd and six sons. First I lost my husband, and one by one I lost five of my son's. Now I only have one son left and he's sentenced to be executed with a firing squad because he went to sleep. He feels awfully bad, he lost some of his best friends and he expects to die. President Lincoln, I'm not asking for the sparing of this boys life for his sake, but for his mother's sake. He's all I have left. For my sake could you spare him?" 

President Lincoln said, "For your sake, little mother, I will spare him." And as far as I know President Lincoln was never criticized for that decision. 

Does that touch the heart of compassion? Notice how that overcame the demands of justice. "For her sake, I will spare him." And so that's what happened for us." 

What a sweet spirit entered into that room as Sister Oliver and I, along with Naomi- who is a recent convert- got to testify to Star what this has meant for us in our life. 

Because Jesus, pain and sorrow and sickness is all temporary. 

Because Jesus, we don't have to been who we've been. 

Because Jesus, we can have joy and happiness that lasts a lot longer than one night, or a few months or a couple years. We can have ETERNAL happiness. 

Because Jesus, death has no sting, the grave no victory. 

Because Jesus, there is the gift of GRACE.

Because Jesus, hearts can heal, lives can mend, relationships can last forever. 

Because Jesus, hope never dies. 

A power filled my heart as I got to testify of Jesus. 

A power filled Star as she tearfully exclaimed she knows what we shared was true because it brought peace and stillness into her heart- not confusion. 

From that night on, my perspective has once again changed and I can see a lot more clearly what it is I am called to do here. 

I feel so much joy every time I get to speak of Jesus and declare to everyone who can hear that He is the Christ. 

&& seeing Sister Oliver testify of Him too brings me even more joy. 

WHEN IN DOUBT- speak of Jesus. 

A peace, a power, and a joy will come into the room and everyone can feel it. 

D&C 45:3-5. 

Jesus claims, "You are mine." 

He paid the price to be your advocate. 

So PLEASE, 

Let Him be. 

ALL MY LOVE, 

ox sister rich