Sisters,
As I sat in my car in the parking lot of the grocery store a few months ago I sat asking myself the same question over and over. How am I going to do this all by myself? I had been experiencing unknown abdominal pain and severe fatigue for almost a week and just couldn’t shake it. I quickly said a prayer letting my Heavenly Father know how much I needed his help. As I grabbed my cart and headed into the store I heard a familiar voice behind me it was my friend next door, we began talking about our day and as we talked we grabbed things we had on our lists. I began to notice she didn’t have much on her list but she stayed with me through every isle as I loaded my cart. When I had finally finished and was ready to check out she was still there with me, we were having so much fun visiting. She went through the check stand first and after bagging her own grocery’s she began emptying my cart and began bagging up my grocery’s. Did she know she was the answer to my prayer?
In President Monson’s October 2013 Conference address he said “Relief Society is made up of a variety of women. There are those of you who are single-perhaps in school, perhaps working-yet forging a full and rich life. Some of you are busy mothers of growing children. Still other of you have lost your husbands because of divorce or death and are struggling to raise your children without the help of a husband and father. Some of you have raised your children but have realized that their need for your help is ongoing. There are many of you who have aging parents who require the loving care only you can give. Wherever we are in life, there are times when all of us have challenges and struggles. Although they are different for each, they are common to all. When you find yourself in such circumstances, I plead with you to remember prayer”.
Often times I look back at the life I lived when I didn’t have the knowledge of how daily prayer could bless my life and wonder how I got so far without it but what I’ve realized is, I didn’t have that peace that comes through prayer or the understanding of how much my Heavenly Father and the Savior love me. I also didn’t have the understanding of how often we are sent to answer someone’s prayer and not even realize it.
Do we truly know how important we are in being a tool in answering other people’s prayers? We go about our day not really knowing how one simple phone call, smile, letter, visit, lesson, meal, kind word or prayer will effect those around us and may never know how it changed someone’s life for the better. Sisters I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such talented, strong, sensitive, nurturing, caring, faithful women you are true examples to me.
Love, Sister Mark 2nd Counselor
