I have a new calling in Young Women. I am the assistant Laurel adviser, in charge of personal progress. It is somewhat strange being back in Young Women after years away, and while I know the girls by name, I don't know very many of them very well. I have been to our weekday activity once, and to opening exercises once, although I didn't stay for class (I got to substitute as music chorister in Primary, my favorite calling EVER!).
On Sunday we were introduced to a special Christmas "project" for lack of a better word, the twelve days of coming unto Christ. Beginning today and for the following eleven days, we will get to open an envelope or a box which contains an activity that will help bring us closer to Christ. I am really rather delighted with this because I want my Christmas celebrating to be more Christ focused. And for some reason of late, I have been letting the children really irritate me, driving away the festive holiday spirit that should be a significant part of the month.
Each day there are several activities we can do--reading scriptures, writing something--designed to draw our focus towards Christ. Next Sunday, the day after day 12, we will have a special combined class and we will have the opportunity to share an experience we have or a significant something we have felt as we have worked through the twelve days. I was impressed today to record my impressions and thoughts here, on this blog, so I could refer back to it in the future.
Today was day one: Come unto Christ by increasing your KNOWLEDGE of Him. Included in today's envelope was a 26 question quiz, a sort of trivia game, about the Savior, and four other options. You could read or watch "The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles;" read Luke 2 as you sat near a nativity set and then think about Jesus' childhood; read in the New Testament a bit; ask a family member to tell you their favorite story about Jesus.
I am happy to report that I knew the answers to all 26 questions about Jesus.
I read "The Living Christ" again. I was impressed anew at Christ's willingness to come to Earth as a baby, and have a mortal experience just like everyone else's. Well, not just like everyone else's because he was perfect, but to give up all the power, might, and majesty he enjoyed at the right hand of God to be a baby and learn and grow just like we have to. I love the way Christ is described in this testimony: "Messiah," "creator, " "he entreated," "he taught," "he healed," "advocate." I think I especially like that last one. As an advocate, a representative, an agent for each of us, he is going to fight on our side, he's going to argue for us. Kent and I have been watching a program on PBS called Silk about a woman lawyer in England. She almost always is the lawyer for the defense, and she fights fiercely for her clients. She believes in them, in their innocence, and in their humanity, and she really goes to bat for them. Christ will do that for each of us, and I'm grateful that such a powerful being is on my team.
I read Luke 2 again. The part with the angel of the Lord and the shepherds and Mary keeping all things in her heart and pondering them I practically have memorized. It is the oft repeated Christmas story. But the latter part of the chapter has the less frequently mentioned stories of Anna and Simeon who were both old and blessed to see the Christ child before their deaths. Chapter 2 also includes the wonderful story of Jesus being inadvertently left behind in Jerusalem and found teaching in the temple. When he was twelve. I am amazed that even that early he knew who he was and what he needed to do. It seems a heavy burden to bear for a child, and an indication of how mature and thoughtful he must have been.
I think my book knowledge of Christ is good, I know the stories, I understand who he is, sort of like a famous person in history you can read up about. But I would like to know him better personally. I sometimes feel that I know Christ in the same way I know Brad Pitt; I know who he is, I know who he is involved with, I recognize him in a picture, but we haven't met and he doesn't know me. I realize, too, that the distance is of my own making and that if I want our relationship to change, it has to be me who makes the effort. Christ is there and available (very much unlike Brad Pitt), all I have to do is let him in.
I intended on asking the children what their favorite story about Jesus is, and I will still do that. They are in bed, so that will have to happen tomorrow. But my favorite story about Jesus is when he came to the Americas to visit the Nephites and Lamanites. When he gathers their children and blesses them, and angels descend upon them, and Jesus weeps because he is so moved, I weep too. That incredibly marvelous love moves me to tears pretty much every time I read it. I am always impressed, too, that Jesus ministers one on one almost all the time. When he fed the multitude, he was nourishing a large group, but for the most part, his interactions with people and their healing happened one on one, Christ doing his part and lovingly inviting someone to repent or be more faithful or more obedient. I long for that one on one interaction myself.
No comments:
Post a Comment