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| Lunch on the train |
We were at a member's apartment, helping her build a kitchen into her
apartment. Yup. We assisted in moving all the different pieces of the kitchen
from the 5th floor to the ground floor and helped build it into her kitchen
space. It took like a bijillion hours, but it got done, thanks to the
awesomeness of some members and Sister Eschenmann. (Sister Eschenmann has
studied English, Russian, Sewing, Maintenance, and she worked for a while
building airplane parts. Oh, and she trained for the French Army.
Basically Boss.)
Anyway...
This member lives in like a quasi assisted living complex, so most of her
neighbors are also golden-aged. We got into the Elevator to head up to the 5th
floor, and the son of one of the members who was helping (younger than
10-years-old) was with us. Just before the elevator doors closed, this sweet old
women gets on, and immediately starts talking. I'm only catching every other word
because she is talking about a million miles an hour. I can also tell that she
is currently not wearing her dentures, because of the way her lips were wrapping
around her gums as she was talking. Suddenly, she laughs as says
"Haha! I don't have any teeth! SEE!"
and she leans down, and opens her mouth wide and shows off her toothless
gums to this little boy. The initial look of EHH? on his face I will
always hold dear in my heart. Then, like a man, he smiled up at her. As she got
off the elevator, she told me
"Now, remember...black and green tea are SUPER healthy...don't
forget!"
So this week was frustrating because I wasn't feeling personally validated,
which although I knew wasn't true, it was still causing me grief. Basically, I
was comparing myself to other people too much in my head. I talked to my
companion and some other missionaries and got some really super advice, which I
appreciated. But they were all like
"It's part of being on a mission. EVERYONE goes through that."
which I know is true, but telling someone who wants to be validated that
their pain or problem is like everyone else's is like telling a person who wants
to develop patience that they have to wait in line until all the other people in
front of them get it first.
But, I kind of compiled all the advice into one in my head and this is what
I came up with:
What is the blessing that I can offer other people from each of my
weaknesses?
It was an interesting experiment. I recommend it.
zum Beispiel:
"I care too much about what people think of me"
becomes
"I care about how people feel"
"I eat too much chocolate"
becomes
"I savor the good things in life, and through my actions, I give other
people permission to do the same" (hehe)
It doesn't justify the weakness, but it gives me a way to "beat the system"
in my head and fulfill, in part, Ether 12:27. Just a thought. :)
So in church yesterday, we had a surprise visit from Elder Kearon, who is
in the First Quorum of the Seventy. He shared some thoughts with us in Sacrament
Meeting, which were just so beautiful, they made me weep.
He talked about some old apple trees that he drives by all of the time in
England. He said that these trees looked too dead to be alive, but just last
week, he noticed small and tender green shoots coming out of those dead-ish
branches. He then said,
"For those who feel like they are spiritually dead. Your spring will come."
I want to add my promise and testimony to that as well. On the days where
you just want to lay your burden down and give up, give in, or throw the towel
in (there are days where I will even fold the towel before I throw it in, just
so that someone will take it! haha),
please, please remember:
Your spring will come.
God lives.
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| Playing American Football |
Hold on. Keep going. You're so close.
I believe in you. I really do. And I always will.
All my love,
Sister Roderer
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