HUMBLE

Dear Readers- This is an account of my experience at church and is a story about someone who had life struggles and touched my heart. You might want a tissue.

*A relief society is a organization of women that  help other sisters and families through charity.
*BOM is a shortened version of the word Book of Mormon
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It has been about 2 months since we have made it to church. I have been a member of the "Church of Jesus Christ of Later day Saints" my whole life. Born, baptized at 8, completed girls camp...the whole shabang. I have been in many different wards and met people from all walks of life. For me to miss church isn't that "big" of a deal. The gospel is something I have learned about my whole life and it's hard to get all the kids ready some Sundays.  2 months was a little longer than normal.

So on Sunday, we ventured out into the winter storm to make it to church. The roads were so bad: (snow on top of ice and snowing ice.) I was petrified, as I clutched onto the stearing wheel going about 40 down the highway. Trey was yelling at me to turn around, and then he did the craziest thing: rolled over in his seat and closed his eyes. But, we made it safely.

I walked in the building (it was time for class at this point), but sacrament was still going. Reverence filled the building. I was still shook up from the trip over with 4 kids and my adrinaline was in full swing. It was abnormally reverent this Sunday; no kids out in the lobby except mine (who were constantly asking in a loud voice "where's my class at??") We ventured to the back row of the overflow section and sat down for the last 10 minutes..

In relief society.
I walked into *relief society greeted by many faces. A couple of them noticed I changed my hair. The president of the relief society jumped up to ask me if I would give the prayer. I wasn't feeling the spirit. I felt like a visitor almost. I was comfortable enough to tell her that I really wasn't feeling the spirit enough to pray.  I asked her to pick someone else and I went to sit down. Class started.

This lady gets up to give the prayer. I'd never seen her before. She was new to the ward. She was a heavier set lady in her mid 30's, with redish color hair that needed a cut. Her whole top front row of her teeth were missing, wearing a dress that was worn in. I could tell she had lived a pretty rough life. She looks around the room and.....
She said "Before I pray, could I please tell you a story."...her hands were shaking and her face was so humble. She starts by saying she hasn't been a member of the church very long and she wasn't quite sure she could pray.
She starts. "When I was in high school, I had a really rough life. I couldn't find happiness...made alot of bad choices"
She continued her testimony and I started to bawl my eyes out. I pictured my aunt Ragina standing up there and I felt for this lady more than she knew. (At a young age, my aunt Ragina died a 2 years ago from a long struggle with drug addiction.) She couldn't find happiness and looked in other places. She said she got to a point where she asked for help. Then a girl from school handed her a *BOM, the lady took it home, and ultimately It had fallen behind her dresser. (*that's where they normally land the first time your handed one...*that's a joke) So she continued...
She said she never opened the book. Her life went on...In the story she skipped over chapters, shaking her head calling the chapters "struggling years." I knew what she ment. I had seen it. My aunt Ragina struggled, her whole family "struggled." A struggle doesn't just last a day, it lasts for a long time to a person...especially a struggle that involves drugs.
She said "One night I was sitting there and  I asked for an answer. This time almost immediately, there was a nock at the door. It was 2 men dressed in black suits (aka the Mormon missionaries.) They handed me this book, the BOM. I knew this couldn't happen twice by coincidence, there was no way.." She continued on by saying how she followed this path and she felt this was the answer to find her "happiness." She got baptised in October and keeps her book at her table and reads it all day. Whenever she needed an answer, it was right there. She was trying so hard to find her happiness, and now she had found it.

THE PRAYER

It was now time for her prayer...she wasn't sure how to pray. It was so sincere.  "Thank you for everything you have given me. Thank you for my house. Thank you for giving me heat for my house..."I saw a glimpse into those unknown chapters (the ones she just shook her head at) and saw someone that was truly struggling.
she continued and I started to bawl again...
later in the prayer she said it again, "Thank you so much for heat in my home." ...Heat.  I can't imagine living without heat. Something so little of a worry to me but something alot of people in the world pray for. To me, running out of heat just means go get more oil. But to others, heat is something you look for to escape the winter.

What a humbling experience it was for me to hear this ladies prayer. She made me realize how much I take having the gospel in my life for granted. I do, I take it for granted because I was born with the opportunity. I have a BOM, and mine is still behind my shelf (*joke). And the fact that there are people with greater struggles to find happiness.

I did go to church this day and Im glad I did. I'm glad I told that relief society president that I couldn't say the prayer. I'm glad that this lady touched my heart with her humble words. And I'm glad I had a friend sitting right next to me to tell me "she loved me."..as I was probably the only one in the room bawling my eyes out. I felt this ladies spirit, saw a dead family member (in memory not literally), and now feel even more greatful for the gospel.