"Consider the Lilies"
*This is a pretty religious post. If you are not LDS, I would encourage you to visit mormon.org to understand the different terms that are mentioned here.*
The week before I started 7th grade, my daddy gave me a father's blessing. I'm positive he had given me multiple ones before, but this is the first one that really stuck out to me. In the blessing he told me I would make many friends. This was so important to me, because we had spent my whole life moving, and I was a pretty shy child. I still am really shy, haha, I just try really hard to talk to people and not be shy. I made great friends there- Lauryn, and Karen first of all, and then all my Church friends, band friends, bus friends.... it just went on and on. That blessing shaped my life, because Heavenly Father let me know I would be ok. I would make friends. For an almost 13 year old, these were the concerns of my life.
I really grew to appreciate priesthood blessings when I went away to college. I never realized how truly blessed I was to have a worthy priesthood holder in the house until I moved away from home. I mean, I always knew my father was there, but I never realized how many people don't have that out there. And I went to a Mormon school! These were Mormon's who didn't have a worthy priesthood holder in the house.... I can't even imagine the rest of the world.... Anyways, I made it a point to ask my daddy for a blessing every time I went home, or he came to visit. Now, I should explain I didn't only go to my father for blessings. I had numerous home teachers and friends give me blessings while I was at school. My friend Phil gave me a blessing that changed my course of study; my home teacher Leo gave me a blessing that encouraged me to finish my Trojan War class (which I did, and passed, thank you very much), Aaron and Nate blessed me to get over my homesickness and not drop out of school.... and countless others. I am so grateful for the worthy priesthood holders and home teachers I have had out there who were able to bless me in times of need when my own daddy couldn't be there. I would never have gotten through college without those.
However, my daddy still gives me my favorite blessings. He was always willing to give me a blessing when I went home. It was so great to just go and ask and have him say "when?" I was home a few weeks ago (Wow, actually it's been a month..... that went fast....) and had asked him for a blessing, not because I am struggling with anything in my life, or am looking for some answers. I am pretty settled in life I would say. I just got promoted from assistant to the regional manager to assistant regional manager... ok, no, it was to Project Coordinator, haha. Just a little Office humor. I just got released from my calling as Family History Co-Chair and put in as a part of the activities committee, so my stress level has decreased a lot. I haven't felt homesick in months- but that is a different story. I'll share that one later. Anyways, I have been feeling really good about myself, so I didn't need a blessing for peace or comfort, I just wanted a blessing. I asked my daddy for a blessing while I was home, and he was all set to give me one.... and then everyone got sick. Yep. It was a wonderful week. I ended up getting sick when I got back, and it was miserable, let me tell you. Anyways, so I ended up leaving without a blessing, because we were just so focused on the sick people. I got back and was sad, but I wasn't too worried about it. I knew I was fine, and life was working out as it should. I've felt good about the decisions I've been making, and about my future plans, so I wasn't concerned about not getting a blessing.
A week or two after I got back we had a lesson on Heavenly Father at Church. It really got me thinking about my relationship with Him. Is it strong enough? Do I really know Him? Do I feel His love for me? These were all weighing on my mind heavily after this lesson, so I went home and prayed, as one is apt to do when put in these situations of contemplation. I prayed to know of His love for me. To know that He really cared. Obviously I know these things. I know He has a plan for each and every one of us. I just wanted to test my faith. I prayed and prayed to know this over the coming week. I searched for the blessings in my life that He has so abundantly given me, and felt good about it, but still didn't think I'd gotten an answer.... well, I mean, I felt like there was still something missing.
It was shortly after that that my parents told me that they were going up to the Boise area over Father's Day weekend because my mom had a couple job interviews. Oh yeah, my parents are moving to the Boise area. Surprise! I'm really fine with them moving, since I haven't lived in New Mexico since I was 18, but I wish my sister and her family were going with them. It breaks my heart to see my family so scattered. Anyways, so my parents told me that they would be up here with me on the way back, and I got excited and asked my dad to give me a blessing when he got here. He said of course, because he's just that great. They went up to Boise and looked around, got a feel for the place, and came down to visit me for the night. They didn't get in until late, so my dad went to bed and we planned on a blessing in the morning. However, we were running behind in the morning, and they took me to work without a chance to give me a blessing. I was feeling kind of sad about it, but again it wasn't something that I needed. Like I said, I'm feeling good about my life. We got up to the U's campus and I showed my parents around. It was fun. We went to my office and they got to see where I work, meet some coworkers, check out the different buildings.... fun fun. As I was walking them back to their car my dad looked down at his hand and said "Where's my wedding ring?" Apparently my dad had lost his ring somewhere, so we went and looked in their luggage, and then decided to look back at my house. My dad felt bad about it, but I felt fine. The first thought that went on in my head was that now I could get a blessing. We got back to my house and it was sitting right there, just waiting to be put on. With that task done in two seconds I turned to my dad and said "Now can you give me a blessing?" My dad proceeded to give me a blessing that, although I had felt I did not need, I really actually did need it.
That day all I could think of was how that was the answer to my prayers. I had asked if God truly did love me and he sent my parents all the way up here, had my dad leave his wedding ring at my house and had us drive all the way back from my work to get that blessing. My dad probably thinks he's getting forgetful now, but I know it was part of the plan. My mom might now get any of those jobs she interviewed for, but I know they fulfilled their purpose in coming here. Heavenly Father wanted to show that he knows what he's doing, and even something as significant as a blessing in times of good and peace to a girl who is just randomly living her life as she best can is important to Him. He loves me. I know He does. I know Heavenly Father loves all His children. He knows us and will provide help and comfort whenever we need it, regardless of our circumstances. If we are willing to look for Him, He will be found.
The week before I started 7th grade, my daddy gave me a father's blessing. I'm positive he had given me multiple ones before, but this is the first one that really stuck out to me. In the blessing he told me I would make many friends. This was so important to me, because we had spent my whole life moving, and I was a pretty shy child. I still am really shy, haha, I just try really hard to talk to people and not be shy. I made great friends there- Lauryn, and Karen first of all, and then all my Church friends, band friends, bus friends.... it just went on and on. That blessing shaped my life, because Heavenly Father let me know I would be ok. I would make friends. For an almost 13 year old, these were the concerns of my life.
I really grew to appreciate priesthood blessings when I went away to college. I never realized how truly blessed I was to have a worthy priesthood holder in the house until I moved away from home. I mean, I always knew my father was there, but I never realized how many people don't have that out there. And I went to a Mormon school! These were Mormon's who didn't have a worthy priesthood holder in the house.... I can't even imagine the rest of the world.... Anyways, I made it a point to ask my daddy for a blessing every time I went home, or he came to visit. Now, I should explain I didn't only go to my father for blessings. I had numerous home teachers and friends give me blessings while I was at school. My friend Phil gave me a blessing that changed my course of study; my home teacher Leo gave me a blessing that encouraged me to finish my Trojan War class (which I did, and passed, thank you very much), Aaron and Nate blessed me to get over my homesickness and not drop out of school.... and countless others. I am so grateful for the worthy priesthood holders and home teachers I have had out there who were able to bless me in times of need when my own daddy couldn't be there. I would never have gotten through college without those.
However, my daddy still gives me my favorite blessings. He was always willing to give me a blessing when I went home. It was so great to just go and ask and have him say "when?" I was home a few weeks ago (Wow, actually it's been a month..... that went fast....) and had asked him for a blessing, not because I am struggling with anything in my life, or am looking for some answers. I am pretty settled in life I would say. I just got promoted from assistant to the regional manager to assistant regional manager... ok, no, it was to Project Coordinator, haha. Just a little Office humor. I just got released from my calling as Family History Co-Chair and put in as a part of the activities committee, so my stress level has decreased a lot. I haven't felt homesick in months- but that is a different story. I'll share that one later. Anyways, I have been feeling really good about myself, so I didn't need a blessing for peace or comfort, I just wanted a blessing. I asked my daddy for a blessing while I was home, and he was all set to give me one.... and then everyone got sick. Yep. It was a wonderful week. I ended up getting sick when I got back, and it was miserable, let me tell you. Anyways, so I ended up leaving without a blessing, because we were just so focused on the sick people. I got back and was sad, but I wasn't too worried about it. I knew I was fine, and life was working out as it should. I've felt good about the decisions I've been making, and about my future plans, so I wasn't concerned about not getting a blessing.
A week or two after I got back we had a lesson on Heavenly Father at Church. It really got me thinking about my relationship with Him. Is it strong enough? Do I really know Him? Do I feel His love for me? These were all weighing on my mind heavily after this lesson, so I went home and prayed, as one is apt to do when put in these situations of contemplation. I prayed to know of His love for me. To know that He really cared. Obviously I know these things. I know He has a plan for each and every one of us. I just wanted to test my faith. I prayed and prayed to know this over the coming week. I searched for the blessings in my life that He has so abundantly given me, and felt good about it, but still didn't think I'd gotten an answer.... well, I mean, I felt like there was still something missing.
It was shortly after that that my parents told me that they were going up to the Boise area over Father's Day weekend because my mom had a couple job interviews. Oh yeah, my parents are moving to the Boise area. Surprise! I'm really fine with them moving, since I haven't lived in New Mexico since I was 18, but I wish my sister and her family were going with them. It breaks my heart to see my family so scattered. Anyways, so my parents told me that they would be up here with me on the way back, and I got excited and asked my dad to give me a blessing when he got here. He said of course, because he's just that great. They went up to Boise and looked around, got a feel for the place, and came down to visit me for the night. They didn't get in until late, so my dad went to bed and we planned on a blessing in the morning. However, we were running behind in the morning, and they took me to work without a chance to give me a blessing. I was feeling kind of sad about it, but again it wasn't something that I needed. Like I said, I'm feeling good about my life. We got up to the U's campus and I showed my parents around. It was fun. We went to my office and they got to see where I work, meet some coworkers, check out the different buildings.... fun fun. As I was walking them back to their car my dad looked down at his hand and said "Where's my wedding ring?" Apparently my dad had lost his ring somewhere, so we went and looked in their luggage, and then decided to look back at my house. My dad felt bad about it, but I felt fine. The first thought that went on in my head was that now I could get a blessing. We got back to my house and it was sitting right there, just waiting to be put on. With that task done in two seconds I turned to my dad and said "Now can you give me a blessing?" My dad proceeded to give me a blessing that, although I had felt I did not need, I really actually did need it.
That day all I could think of was how that was the answer to my prayers. I had asked if God truly did love me and he sent my parents all the way up here, had my dad leave his wedding ring at my house and had us drive all the way back from my work to get that blessing. My dad probably thinks he's getting forgetful now, but I know it was part of the plan. My mom might now get any of those jobs she interviewed for, but I know they fulfilled their purpose in coming here. Heavenly Father wanted to show that he knows what he's doing, and even something as significant as a blessing in times of good and peace to a girl who is just randomly living her life as she best can is important to Him. He loves me. I know He does. I know Heavenly Father loves all His children. He knows us and will provide help and comfort whenever we need it, regardless of our circumstances. If we are willing to look for Him, He will be found.
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