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| Myself and Sister Gorder |
Many eons ago, when I was serving in Vacaville with Sister Gorder, I had one of the most memorable moments of my mission. Okay, this event wasn't really a fond memory, but it taught me a lesson I will always treasure.
As many of you may know, Sister Gorder and I learned a lot together. I didn't train her, we trained each other. We were both fresh into the mission field and still learning the ropes. It was a very humbling experience. For those of you that haven't been to Vacaville in the summer, I'll explain what it's like. In the words of Darla, you feel "..like a popsicle on the fourth of July." It's hot!
On one of these blisteringly hot Vacaville days, Sister Gorder and I were out doing our thing. We went from appointment to appointment. As a missionary, life doesn't get much better than that. At one of the houses the girl asked if we could do the lesson outside. Of course, we said yes. We took our places on the front patio and were about to start our lesson when, he came.
Both Sister Gorder and myself were completely flustered and ready to detox from this horrendous experience. Never in my life have I met someone with such an evil aura around them. It made my whole body feel ill. At the moment, I didn't get why it happened; why I had to go through that. But, now I know.
Peter and John, like Sister Gorder and myself, also faced ridicule. Alright, they had it a LOT worse, but go with me here. In Acts 5 there is a specific part that changed my perspective about when I get persecuted.
"....and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name."
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| Sister Kenemore and myself "rejoicing" |
They rejoiced over their persecution! Why? Because they were "worthy" to go through it all for His name. Each of us should be found "rejoicing" when we are persecuted for our beliefs. It means we are doing something right and the Lord knows we can handle it. As much as I don't like being yelled at or told falsely that I am wrong, I welcome it. The more opposition I face the better. Just means that Satan knows a whole lot of good is about to happen and he wants to stop it. So, rejoice and give Satan that good ole one-two!
4 comments:
This makes me feel slightly better about myself. Being yelled at or made fun of for doing what's right is not always easy or fun. But really, you can consider persecution as a blessing. It's an opportunity to strengthen your testimony and to practice charity :D Through the persecution we grow! What things do you do to help yourself "rejoice" when you are persecuted?
You are right sister. Even though the trials and the pain hurts, it is how we learn. and they are there for a reason. We almost never rejoice for the problems that we have or the intense pain that we have to deal with, or things that come up against us and our standards, especially in those situations. At least I know I don't get giddy when there are more issues to deal with.
But as mentioned, when we do think about them, they are all just more chances to grow, to be that much better. An opportunity waiting to be handled correctly to turn that conflict into another step down the straight and narrow.
You're blog is a good every time i get the chance to read it. I am glad i get to learn from your experiences and spirituality. Keep up the good work!
Oh indeed I do remember this! We did learn alot, from that experience.. And experiences that followed that day!
Its great to be in the service of God, even during this experience I know that He was with us helping us every step of the way!
It is always better to rejoice than to revolt! Be happy and bring the spirit, even when your "natural self" is telling you other wise!
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