Standing

Once a month, our congregation is given the opportunity to stand and bear personal witness to the power of a loving Father in Heaven's hand in their lives.  Sometimes the witnesses are shared experiences of life's daily events.  Other times, they are scattered almost jumbled bits and pieced attempts to verbalize the feelings of support, peace, love, compassion, and truth that have been experienced.  To the individual sharing, they are faith promoting experiences that have testified to them that God is real and that not only does He love them, but that He knows them personally and is aware of the wants, desires, and needs.  For the listening, it gives hope that He really is there and peace, knowing that we are not the only people struggling with the challenges of this mortal existence.  I truly enjoy these meetings.  The are uplifting and increase my faith.

However, today I received a different witness.  The meeting had just been opened to the members of the congregation to share their testimonies and witnesses of God's hand.  I watched from the stand as a small whisper of a child excused herself as she made her way from the center of the pew.  Without fear or reluctance she boldly walked to the front of the chapel, up the small flight of stairs and waited for me to place a small stool in front of the podium so she might reach the microphone.  Even with the stool and the podium lowered to the lowest possible position, she had to reach up and pull the microphone down to her level.  I am sure the from the congregations' view, they were just seeing the top of her small blond head.   I am not sure she could even see many of the people looking up at her.

There she stood for several seconds before suddenly being filled with fear, doubt, and apprehension as she realized she was expected to speak.  The challenge was not what to speak, but rather how to verbalize what she was feeling.  

My world changed.  Before me stood a sweet angel, recently joining this mortal existence, yet closer to the presence of God than I.  She did not speak a word.  She began to retreat, then found courage and returned to her full upright stance, faltered and then returned again, finally turning to the person she trusted most at the moment, her earthly father.  He saw the fear, reluctance, but even more the great desire to stand as a witness that she too, at this very young age, knew that God is real.  The He is her Father of Heaven.  He loves and knows her.  He is aware of who she is, who she can become, and what she can and cannot accomplish.  And at that moment, she was in need of the loving hand and strength of her earthly father.

In a heart beat, he was there, standing behind her, supporting her, and then bearing his own personal witness, leading the way for her to follow.  I was touched and honored to be there with them, knowing that at that moment I was privileged to have my feet planted in a Holy Place.

She never said a word, but stood there looking up in awe as her verbalized what was in her heart.  She silently testified of truth, love, faith, and God.  What amazed me more was her desire to boldly stand as a witness.  She was not ashamed.  She just did not know how to do it.

How many of us have been in the same shoes?  Where have we turned?  I am grateful to know that I have always had earthly parent to whom I could turn for support.  I am even more grateful that they have taught me that when they are not readily available, I can turn to inspire leaders, Holy Temples, and most importantly a loving Father of Heaven who knows me, understands my needs, wants, and desires.  Who will help me carry my burdens and remove them when I have exhausted my strength.  I know He is there.  I hope that each of you can come to know Him as I do.