He Knows Part 1

If there is one thing that I have learned over and over again it is that the Lord knows who we are.  He is aware of our every need and he is ready to bless us.  In our hour of need he does not abandon us and when we feel to cry out 'Master the tempest is raging' he will calm the storm.  Peace be still, it is only for a moment. 

There are times in life when that tempest is raging and life feels like it is crushing us.  During those times it can be very difficult to recognize that the Lord is aware of us.  It can be very difficult to carry on, to be believing.  It is difficult to keep perspective and remember that whatever the trial may be it is only temporary. 

Yesterday we had a lesson on the Scriptures and I was reminded of some passages that had a huge impact on my life.  In connection with that there was a talk in Sacrament meeting where the speaker referred to a letter he got from a brother.  It reminded me of a letter I got from my older brother.  It was a letter that had a huge impact on my life.  It is one that I carried with me for my entire Mission and for quite some time after that.  I believer it is in one of my sets of scriptures now, I think I should go and find it.  Anyhow, I reflected on these yesterday and shared both experiences with the kids tonight in our road warrior FHE.  We had to make a run to Costco tonight so we heald FHE in the car on the drive back.  It was good.  Anyway, I felt that I should record these two experiences.  I am going to share these two experiences in two seperate blogs - He Knows Part 1 and He Knows Part 2.

Part 1:  The Letter.

When I was 19 years old I was delaying certain things, specifically mission.  I knew that I was going to go but I wasn't exactly pressing forward with it at all.  I was treating that responsibility lightly.  One day I received a letter in the mail from Jim who was serving in the Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Mission. 

The letter was simple really.  In it Jim spoke about missionary work and talked of missionaries going out for the right reason.  He shared his testimony of the Savior and his love for me.  It touched my heart to know that my brother loved me and that I mattered to him enough that he would send me a letter.  At the end of the letter he shared a scripture reference as he always did in his letters home.  I admit that I rarely looked up those scriptures.  This one, however, I decided to look up.  I didn't know what impact the two verses of scripture would have on my life.  I believe that the Lord knew.  I believe that the Lord ispired a righteous Missionary to write a letter.  I can still remember the day, it was sunny out, a little warm.  I sat at a little table in the breakfast nook at the Telegraph St. house.  I read the letter and then turned around found a Book of Mormon.  I opened to Alma 7:23-24 and read:   

Alma 7:23-24
23 And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.

24 And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works.

This passage said what I needed to hear at the time.  It inspired me to get moving and to be the person that I should be.  I wanted to be found doing good and being good.  These verses provided a blue print for what I needed to become and they hit me with such power that I wept.  I knew that I needed to read The Book of Mormon and that I needed to get my paperwork going.  I knew that the Lord was aware of me.

These verses have ever remained sacred to me.  They probably mean very little to others but for me, on that day, I knew that he was aware of us, of me.