My Mena Miracle

Missionaries are taught to look for miracles in their everyday work.  Sometimes, it is in the looking that we can see with open hearts how the Lord is working in us and through us to serve others.  I had one that I didn't even have to look for--it smacked me "right in the face."

As a back story, it is a bit crazy to teach two Institute classes weekly--two different courses and two lessons for each class period plus make dinner plans. In addition, that Mena week, Gary and I had to do a short workshop for district meeting as well on Wednesday about the sacrament and sacrament meeting attendance. Plus apartment inspections! It felt a bit stressful and didn't allow for my "normal" talk preparation.  After deciding on a topic, I often create my talks in my head as I drive around doing errands or whatever.  Our mission life doesn't have much of us driving alone in the car.  The three of us are most often together. All these factors made my struggle about the topic even more stressful.  However, Saturday morning when I finally conceded that I was going to talk about patriarchal blessings, putting the talk together went fairly smoothly. 

Now my miracle: It has a couple of parts.

When we got to Church, we picked up the program as we entered the Chapel.  As I opened it up while sitting on the stand, underneath the agenda for Church was a quote from General Conference---about Patriarchal blessings--actually part of one that I was sharing that day in my talk.  It brought tears to my eyes as I saw this witness that I was talking about the topic that I should be.

Second part: President Decker, the branch president, had mentioned a young adult that he wanted us to meet.  However, when we arrived to Church, we were told that he was sick and was not there.  I thought our chance of meeting the young adult were gone.  Luckily, President Decker had told her to meet us, so right after Sacrament meeting, she came up and introduced herself and we were able to chat a bit before she headed off to serve in Primary and we went to Relief Society.

After Church, she came to speak with us again in the foyer.  As we chatted, the couple who brings her to Church joined us in our conversation.  The sister then mentioned how they had talked to Miranda about patriarchal blessings that very morning and found out that she did not have one.  Miranda said that she knew that she needed to prepare to get her own blessing because of the conversation followed by my talk seemed like a signal that it was time.

So, like I mentioned in my talk,,,someone in Mena needed to hear about patriarchal blessings.  How sweet to learn that it was a young adult--one that we have been specifically assigned to minister to!  That, my friends, is a miracle that only God could arrange to happen!  So, so glad that I listened and did my part after a very busy week of lessons, presentations, and apartment inspections!