I had a really special experience the week before Halloween that made me stop and remember that I am loved by my Heavenly Father.
As I said, it was the week before Halloween. My plate that week was FULL beyond full. In fact, it was about to topple over, it was so full. It was Tuesday of the week, I had all of my kids off to school except for my two youngest ones. I had just finished teaching a group exercise class and needed to quickly shower so I could put my baby down for a nap and then clean the house before I started teaching piano lessons.
As I quickly got in the shower, I found myself in a moment of feeling VERY overwhelmed as I recalled all I had to do for that specific day in addition to all I needed to accomplish the rest of the week. I felt stretched to thin and as if I was running a marathon without a break and yet not completing all that needed to be done. I immediately found myself in humble prayer, pleading to my Heavenly Father for strength and courage to accomplish all that I needed to do and asking for guidance that I might be able to use my time wisely to complete what was required of me as a mother, a teacher, with my new business, in fulfilling my callings, etc. I got out of the shower and continued to finish getting ready, when I just felt an even deeper need for my Heavenly Father. I needed to know right then that He was there. I just needed to feel His strength. I needed to feel Him close.
I stopped right there, got down on my knees again, and told my Heavenly Father that right there at that moment I needed His strength and I just needed to feel Him near. I told Him (mind you, I have never done this) that I was going to open my scriptures right then and I needed Him to tell me where to read. I stopped and waited, when right away a scripture verse came to my mind as clear as day as if someone was typing it in my head. The verse was Mosiah 27:13 in the Book of Mormon. I opened my scriptures and went directly to the verse.
This chapter in the Book of Mormon describes the story of Alma the Younger and how he, with the four sons of Mosiah, were destroying the Church. Verse 13 begins with an angel, who appeared to them in the previous verse, speaking to them and asking them why they were persecuting the Church? Then the angel said in verse 14; (which is what I felt Heavenly Father wanted me to hear)
"And again, the angel said; Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith."
Nothing more needed to be said. I was overwhelmed with a deep feeling of love from my Heavenly Father to the point that I could physically feel His arms around me. It was as if He was saying, "I know you, I hear you, I am here to be your strength, and I love you." I was reminded again at that moment that I am a daughter of God, that He knows me personally, that He hears every one of my prayers, that He is here to strengthen me and to cheer me on, and that He loves me more that I could ever fathom.
My testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ grew leaps and bounds that moment and in the testimony that I am a daughter of God. That knowledge is priceless and will ever be a beacon of strength to me throughout my life. For that I am ever grateful!
This week's challenge: to live my life in a way that reflects the knowledge that I am a daughter of God
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