I am so grateful for the many opportunities that are given to me that help me learn and grow. I feel like I am constantly faced with something, and trying to figure out what I'm supposed to learn from it. The weekend of Kaylee's birthday, I was approached by the bishopric to talk in church. I REALLY wanted to tell them it wouldn't work out. I was busy with Kaylee's birthday, getting ready for family to come into town, and Kaylee's baptism. I was feeling stressed out, and I didn't want to add one more thing to my plate. But as I have learned in the past, things come to me at certain times for very specific purposes. So, of course, I told them I'd do it. As I explain my experience, I'm going to take pieces from my talk. My talk came from a talk given by Sister Beck, titled, "An Outpouring of Blessings."
Many of you that know me well know that I am a big ball of anxiety. So in order to avoid any anxiety over this talk, I decided to get the talk written right away. So the night I received this assignment I got started. The next morning my computer crashed. The anxiety immediately began to build. How in the world was I going to be able to do the pre paration that was necessary without the Internet? I tend to over plan things , so I wanted all the time I could get to prepare this. Thank goodness for technology and the Ipad, I was able to start reading different conference talks. But I had hit a wall. Nothing was coming to me, nothing felt right. I was having that stupor of thought we've all heard about. So I went on a mission to make sure the lines of communication between the spirit and I were completely open. I felt prompted to read my patriarchal blessing, I continued to read various talks given by apostles and prophets, I attended the temple, and I asked my husband for a priesthood blessing. It wasn't until that blessing that it all clicked. This was it. Unconsciously, the blessings I had been partaking of, were the very things I wanted to talk about. Once I received that confirmation, I was able to sit down and write my talk in about an hour. Sister Beck said, "Because of the priesthood, which is woven in and around and through our lives, every power, every covenant we need to do our life's work and walk back to our heavenly home has been poured out upon our heads." Those blessings are available to all. One of the goals of the Relief Society is to teach women how we can be “full participants in the blessings of the priesthood.” (Relief Society Handbook, 1988, p. 1.) In the Church, women do not baptize, ordain, or stand in the circle to confer a priesthood blessing. But, as the late Elder John A. Widtsoe of the Quorum of the Twelve wrote, “Men have no greater claim than women upon the blessings that issue from the Priesthood and accompany its possession.” (Priesthood and Church Government, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1939, p. 83.) But after my experience over the course of that week, I wonder how often are we taking advance of these blessings? Do we wait until we stand in need?
I continued to share about the many different priesthood blessings that we all get to enjoy everyday. I talked about how they have blessed my life.
Sister Beck closed her talk by saying, “Spiritual gifts are numerous and varied and come to us as we seek them and use them appropriately. We enjoy them because of the power of the Holy Ghost, which is in and around and woven through our lives. Priesthood blessings are the same for men and women, for boys and girls; they are the same for married and single, rich and poor, for the intellectual and the illiterate, for the well-known and the obscure. I am grateful that through the infinite fairness and love of God, all men and women were given equal partnership, gifts, blessings, and potential through priesthood ordinances and spiritual gifts."
I am grateful that Heavenly Father knows me, and knows my needs. EVERY single time I stand in need of something, he delivers. Sometimes it's not how I expect it, but I always benefit from it. I know it wasn’t coincidence that my computer crashed just as I was getting ready to prepare this talk. He knew I needed some help before I could stand and give this talk. He knew I needed to live this topic, to fully take advantage of it. I am grateful for the promptings of the spirit that led me to where I needed to be. That I was able to learn what I needed to learn. That power is a much better tool then the Internet. I know that the blessings of the priesthood, such as baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, the temple endowment, and eternal marriage, are available to men and women alike. It’s up to us to take full advantage of it, to live worthy of it every day. I know that through the power of the Holy Ghost we can we can equally share in the blessings of spiritual gifts. As we follow these promptings we will be able to bless the lives of many.
Monday morning, the day after I gave my talk, I sat down to figure out what was wrong with my computer. It booted up perfectly with no problems at all. Coincedence? I think not.
Monday morning, the day after I gave my talk, I sat down to figure out what was wrong with my computer. It booted up perfectly with no problems at all. Coincedence? I think not.
I'm not really sure why I feel like sharing this experience on my blog. But I gave this talk about two months ago, and I still feel like it needs to be documented here.
