A little over a year ago I said a prayer.
I prayed for the opportunity to help someone.
I have been so blessed in my life. I have love, health, family, shelter, God, direction, goals, dreams, hope and faith. Knowing that my life is for the better because of my blessings, I felt it was my duty to, in a sense, pay it forward. Those are the thoughts that preceded this plea to the Lord to guide me to someone in my life who I could help in any way He needed.
This prayer changed things. The first thing that it changed was me. Since I was praying for this opportunity, I decided that I had to do my part by talking to others and being receptive to the needs of those around me. At that time, I had a co-worker who was a real nice, outgoing, and happy person. He was the last person I thought would be the answer to my prayers.
As I got to know him I saw that what I knew of him was just an outer shell of happy. I remember times that we would talk for hours and what I saw in him was unhappiness. The way he explained his life felt like he was following a path he didn't really want to be on but didn't know how to get off or which path to get on if he could find a way off.
I am LDS/Mormon and have worked my whole life to find my personal beliefs and discover that God has great potential for His children. The plans I know He has for me are above my highest expectations. Finding this out for myself has given me purpose and drive. So, as I sat and talked with my friend it was overwhelmingly sad. How could someone with such a good heart just let his life pass him by because he didn't know any better.
Ok Lord, you answered my prayers and showed me someone who needs help but now what am I supposed to do?
I prayed a lot the months that I was trying to help my friend. The Lord blessed me to see a glimpse of the great man my friend could be if he made the decision to leave the path that was easy, to one a little more rocky but definitely more rewarding.
This friend of mine has parents who belong to our church and he was actually baptised when he was 8. Shortly thereafter, their family stopped attending church. They were taught of Christ and standards to live by, but as my friend grew up he lacked the opportunity to grow his faith. Through much persistence and some bribing, he started going back to church.
It has been an amazing experience to see someone come to life through faith in God and Jesus Christ. He changed. His outer shell of happiness became a core of happiness that exuded out to those around him. After many steps, challenges, changes and prayers he became a new person. He is actually getting ready to serve a mission for our church and will leave in a month.
I bring this story up because yesterday, his 17 year old sister got baptized. People get baptized all over the world into all different religions every day, but hers was especially special to me because I could see the answer to a prayer I made over a year ago.
As I sat in a crowded room of friends and family, I looked at my friend and his sister and I had a very special moment. The thought went through my head that God must really love them and there is something special about them, because out of everyone in my life, God chose them to be helped. In no way am I tooting my own horn for this, I just mean to say that God had me thinking one sleepless night about my blessings, which lead to me praying to be able to help someone else, which lead to me making this new friend, which lead to his life changes, which lead to his sister getting baptized, and countless other thing God was then able to do that I don't even know about. Then, I thought if God loves the two of them that much, He loves all of us THAT much, and He loves me that much.
Needless to say that last night was very special for me. I have a strong faith in our Heavenly Father, but last night as I had that thought and feeling I just knew He loves us.
I prayed for the opportunity to help someone.
I have been so blessed in my life. I have love, health, family, shelter, God, direction, goals, dreams, hope and faith. Knowing that my life is for the better because of my blessings, I felt it was my duty to, in a sense, pay it forward. Those are the thoughts that preceded this plea to the Lord to guide me to someone in my life who I could help in any way He needed.
This prayer changed things. The first thing that it changed was me. Since I was praying for this opportunity, I decided that I had to do my part by talking to others and being receptive to the needs of those around me. At that time, I had a co-worker who was a real nice, outgoing, and happy person. He was the last person I thought would be the answer to my prayers.
As I got to know him I saw that what I knew of him was just an outer shell of happy. I remember times that we would talk for hours and what I saw in him was unhappiness. The way he explained his life felt like he was following a path he didn't really want to be on but didn't know how to get off or which path to get on if he could find a way off.
I am LDS/Mormon and have worked my whole life to find my personal beliefs and discover that God has great potential for His children. The plans I know He has for me are above my highest expectations. Finding this out for myself has given me purpose and drive. So, as I sat and talked with my friend it was overwhelmingly sad. How could someone with such a good heart just let his life pass him by because he didn't know any better.
Ok Lord, you answered my prayers and showed me someone who needs help but now what am I supposed to do?
I prayed a lot the months that I was trying to help my friend. The Lord blessed me to see a glimpse of the great man my friend could be if he made the decision to leave the path that was easy, to one a little more rocky but definitely more rewarding.
This friend of mine has parents who belong to our church and he was actually baptised when he was 8. Shortly thereafter, their family stopped attending church. They were taught of Christ and standards to live by, but as my friend grew up he lacked the opportunity to grow his faith. Through much persistence and some bribing, he started going back to church.
It has been an amazing experience to see someone come to life through faith in God and Jesus Christ. He changed. His outer shell of happiness became a core of happiness that exuded out to those around him. After many steps, challenges, changes and prayers he became a new person. He is actually getting ready to serve a mission for our church and will leave in a month.
I bring this story up because yesterday, his 17 year old sister got baptized. People get baptized all over the world into all different religions every day, but hers was especially special to me because I could see the answer to a prayer I made over a year ago.
As I sat in a crowded room of friends and family, I looked at my friend and his sister and I had a very special moment. The thought went through my head that God must really love them and there is something special about them, because out of everyone in my life, God chose them to be helped. In no way am I tooting my own horn for this, I just mean to say that God had me thinking one sleepless night about my blessings, which lead to me praying to be able to help someone else, which lead to me making this new friend, which lead to his life changes, which lead to his sister getting baptized, and countless other thing God was then able to do that I don't even know about. Then, I thought if God loves the two of them that much, He loves all of us THAT much, and He loves me that much.
Needless to say that last night was very special for me. I have a strong faith in our Heavenly Father, but last night as I had that thought and feeling I just knew He loves us.
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