I just had to tell someone about my experience today. It wasn't anything extreme, but I came bounding in the door hoping Mark was home from his run, but he wasn't, so now you get my story.
I wanted to go to the temple sometime this week and it so happened that it landed on Saturday...again. Today already had a bunch of stuff packed in it and it gets busy working together as a couple on different projects, and you want to fit a date in, and you want to get caught up on life--so it seemed that this week, perhaps I could not go to the temple and still pursue worthwhile activities. But I knew if I said that this time, I would be disappointed all the rest of the day because I'd know I could have probably fit it in and I had justified it away.
So, I decided to go.
My new motto--do it when you think you don't want to. This happened to be the theme of my temple trip. I got there and saw there was a wait for initiatory, but it didn't seem too long. I could read something or I could just sit there. I didn't want to start reading and not REALLY get a chance to read, so I thought "maybe I'll just sit here." I know, I'm lame. But, I thought again, "I need to do some things when I don't feel like it." So I reached for a Book of Mormon. I spent the next ten minutes reading the end of Mormon and my eyes were opened! I felt like I newly understood Mormon and Moroni's role in writing, compiling, and preserving the Book of Mormon. I made connections to our day and the day of Mormon and Moroni. I thought of the fair ones of our time who are lost--but remembered with joy that people can be reclaimed from spiritual death! I thought of the great work and a wonder that the Book of Mormon is! It was a time with the Book of Mormon that I hadn't had for a while! It took picking it up and reading it when I didn't really feel like it.
When it was my turn for the ordinance, I realized part way through that one of the sisters performing the ordinances was Japanese. (I could tell from her nametag.) This sister was beaming, happy, beautiful---ah, it just made me miss the Japanese people. Her countenance reignited my love for these wonderful people. I hadn't thought about my mission or the Japanese people very much until recently. And her smile and happiness, and great efforts to speak English bravely, inspired me and brought back warm memories from my mission. I decided that the next time I had a chance, I would speak to her in Japanese. Sometimes I feel shy or silly trying to speak Japanese after not speaking it for so long, but I thought of how I would feel if I were in her shoes. I'm sure she struggles to understand everyone around her. I know that when I was new to Japanese, I appreciated someone who would speak to me in English and make me feel included and a part of things. I didn't want to sound stupid, but I didn't want to turn down an opportunity to talk to someone from my mission country. So, I asked her if she was Japanese and then told her in Japanese that I had served a mission there. She was soooo excited. She thanked me and told me how she doesn't speak English very often and doesn't speak very well. I told her that her English sounded awesome. As I responded in Japanese, she excitedly uttered, "Natsukashii," which means something like "I miss that" or "that is nostalgic." She was soo grateful that I had spoken to her in Japanese. When I saw her again, she excitedly pumped her two fists as if to say, "Yay, my friend who spoke Japanese to me!" I thought about how I almost justified myself in not speaking up and talking to her. It seemed like a small thing. And I didn't want to do it at first. But it made such a difference in her day and in mine. I knew the Spirit had prompted me to talk to her. God wants His children to feel loved and noticed. This sister needed to hear her own language today. And I needed to do things that at first I didn't want to do. It was a good lesson to learn.
