Some of the beautiful women in my life...my sisters
My mom...of course. I've always thought that she is so beautiful!!!
Need I say a thing...I love her smiles!
Today I visited with a great friend who was struggling with some things and felt like she was possibly beyond help. My heart wanted to leap out of my chest and squeeze her. I wanted her to see all of the wonderful things that I see in her and even more importantly all of the amazing gifts God has given her.
After visiting with her my mind kept wondering back to our conversation and I had such a range of emotions. I looked at my beautiful children and I thought...I will never let them feel that way...EVER. I felt a tiny bit of anger towards Satan because I know that if he get fabulous women like this one to feel hopeless then he has won half the battle (or more). Then I felt determination. I felt a urgent determination to let any women that come into my life see how truly remarkable they really are (because I genuinely feel that).
Many of my feelings have come from an experience that I had a few weeks ago.
I was jogging at about noon and was almost five miles from home when a woman yelled out to me, "Excuse me miss...do you have a cellphone?" I told he no and was starting to ask if I could help when a huge man grabbed her and literally threw her into her apartment. The woman immediately scream (a type of scream I've never heard) "Help me please, help me!". The apartment had a tall metal gate around it so I couldn't get to her so I looked ahead and and saw a Walgreens up the hill. I honestly prayed to God for more strength than I knew I had and ran as fast as I could up that hill. They let me call 911 and within minutes there were five police cars there. They drove me down to the apartment and we got in and went up to the door. My heart sank...no answer. I looked at the police officer and hoped to see him getting something to knock the door down but instead he told me that they couldn't open the door unless they saw distress. I started to tear up and was hoping I could hold myself together. In these few short moments this woman had become my sister in a way. I felt responsible for her. She had asked me...she looked me in the eyes and asked me for help. I had to get to her.
The police promised to wait outside for a few hours but inside I new they would never catch the man that hurt this daughter of God. As I turned to jog away, (after waiting for an hour or so), the police man put his hand on my shoulder and said, "It's really ok. This kind of thing happens all of the time." Then a woman who lived across the way said, "Ya, that woman has been in trouble for a long time. No one can help her."
Those words have run through my head over-and-over. Someone can help her. She isn't beyond help. There IS a way out.
I found myself following a car into the gated community the other night (no kids were with me) and knocked at the door hoping to find this woman but again, no answer.
It might sound a little crazy but I won't give-up. The worth of souls truly is great in the sight of God and as these two women and others share with me there fears I only feel stronger the love of a kind Father and Brother that leaves the ninety-and-nine to go after that one lost.
So, where I was headed with this comes back to tonight. As the kids and I were reading scriptures before bed tonight we read 3 Nephi 22. I fell in love with verses 8-17. Particularly verse10. It reads,
"For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that has mercy on thee."
Wow...that covenant that promise of peace is offered to all children of God. The woman I put my arm around at church today and the woman who stays shut, for now, in her apartment.
So as I tucked my kids into bed tonight I made sure they each knew how loved they are loved and left my working husband a message to let him know the same but then I felt like I should let anyone who might one day read this to know as well. I'm not a bit time blogger but if there is a message that I want all those I care about to know then this would be up there on the list.
We are all so loved and there is always a way to find joy and peace.
Good-night all you beautiful women!!!
After visiting with her my mind kept wondering back to our conversation and I had such a range of emotions. I looked at my beautiful children and I thought...I will never let them feel that way...EVER. I felt a tiny bit of anger towards Satan because I know that if he get fabulous women like this one to feel hopeless then he has won half the battle (or more). Then I felt determination. I felt a urgent determination to let any women that come into my life see how truly remarkable they really are (because I genuinely feel that).
Many of my feelings have come from an experience that I had a few weeks ago.
I was jogging at about noon and was almost five miles from home when a woman yelled out to me, "Excuse me miss...do you have a cellphone?" I told he no and was starting to ask if I could help when a huge man grabbed her and literally threw her into her apartment. The woman immediately scream (a type of scream I've never heard) "Help me please, help me!". The apartment had a tall metal gate around it so I couldn't get to her so I looked ahead and and saw a Walgreens up the hill. I honestly prayed to God for more strength than I knew I had and ran as fast as I could up that hill. They let me call 911 and within minutes there were five police cars there. They drove me down to the apartment and we got in and went up to the door. My heart sank...no answer. I looked at the police officer and hoped to see him getting something to knock the door down but instead he told me that they couldn't open the door unless they saw distress. I started to tear up and was hoping I could hold myself together. In these few short moments this woman had become my sister in a way. I felt responsible for her. She had asked me...she looked me in the eyes and asked me for help. I had to get to her.
The police promised to wait outside for a few hours but inside I new they would never catch the man that hurt this daughter of God. As I turned to jog away, (after waiting for an hour or so), the police man put his hand on my shoulder and said, "It's really ok. This kind of thing happens all of the time." Then a woman who lived across the way said, "Ya, that woman has been in trouble for a long time. No one can help her."
Those words have run through my head over-and-over. Someone can help her. She isn't beyond help. There IS a way out.
I found myself following a car into the gated community the other night (no kids were with me) and knocked at the door hoping to find this woman but again, no answer.
It might sound a little crazy but I won't give-up. The worth of souls truly is great in the sight of God and as these two women and others share with me there fears I only feel stronger the love of a kind Father and Brother that leaves the ninety-and-nine to go after that one lost.
So, where I was headed with this comes back to tonight. As the kids and I were reading scriptures before bed tonight we read 3 Nephi 22. I fell in love with verses 8-17. Particularly verse10. It reads,
"For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that has mercy on thee."
Wow...that covenant that promise of peace is offered to all children of God. The woman I put my arm around at church today and the woman who stays shut, for now, in her apartment.
So as I tucked my kids into bed tonight I made sure they each knew how loved they are loved and left my working husband a message to let him know the same but then I felt like I should let anyone who might one day read this to know as well. I'm not a bit time blogger but if there is a message that I want all those I care about to know then this would be up there on the list.
We are all so loved and there is always a way to find joy and peace.
Good-night all you beautiful women!!!
