My dearest family :)
The funny title comes from my dear companion who tried to wish our District Leader a happy birthday this morning, but got it a little bit mixed up. :) We both got a good laugh from that!
Today I've spent most of my time typing up this poem written by one of my Zone Leaders, Elder Gluch. He read it aloud in District Training Meeting this past Tuesday and it really touched my heart. I know everyone can relate in one way or another, and I hope it can touch you too:
I'll tell you of a sorry tale,
A tale that's mine to tell.
This tale I tell is about the time
My soul was saved from hell.
This tale's beginning has a start
At about age twenty-one,
When life was all a game to me,
My focus merely fun.
I do not mean to say to you
That fun is Satan's game;
But used with caution it must be,
"Cause fun is not always so tame.
What started out as innocent play
Quickly slipped a page.
What started as fabulous fantiful free
Quickly became a cage.
My innocent fun had shifted some,
Not so innocent it became.
I started down a slippery slope;
I couldn't see my aim.
It didn't seem that much to me;
It didn't weigh on my mind,
But it was then about this time
I found myself to be blind.
It's funny how the story goes.
It's interesting to envision,
The pointed purpose plainfully displayed
Points to poor decisions.
Not long after all this "fun,"
With boredom it seemed to mix.
I had to think of something more
To satiate my fix.
My family, friends and loved ones, oh,
They tried to turn me 'round.
But no, I couldn't hear them,
For my destination I was bound.
The leaders, members, prophets, all
Had warned me of my actions,
But being blind, I couldn't see
Their side of satisfaction.
Almost all had given up,
For I just wouldn't hear.
The still small voice, it's sad to say,
No longer ringing in my ear.
The chains had slowly bound me tight,
The devil seemed to have won,
But his venemous laugh I must have missed
For deaf I had become.
We'll take a pause for just a sec
And look at plain hard truth.
You think it's bad now? Just you wait.
The story isn't through.
My life, at least what it once was,
Had degraded some.
The pressure builds for a gospel life,
The weight, it weighed a ton.
I soon began to see effects
Of being deaf and blind,
But on this path I barreled down,
These consequences mine.
My destination seemed so fixed,
I couldn't change my path,
So onward charge until the end,
There ain't no lookin' back.
"Now all is lost," that's what I said,
"Impossible to try.
I might as well enjoy my stay
Instead of asking, 'why?'"
For God, He cannot change the past
No more than I can drink the sea.
Besides, He's got so many friends,
Why would He want me?
It's then that I refused to say
That God's hand was in all things.
'Cause in my life, or so I thought,
The miracles had ceased.
To confess, I needed Father's help.
That courage I could not sum.
Becauase of this, my blind, deafened state,
My mouth, as it seemed, became dumb.
You might be thinking, "Oh, so sad,"
But don't pitty poor, old me.
I took these things upon myself
Just wait, you look and see.
It seemed as though my life had been
Cut off from blessings given.
To me, I thought they'd already shut,
The wondows up in heaven.
Then coldness enveloped my heart,
The bitterness so deep.
How could He have abondoned me?
These thoughts did slowly creep.
For I refused to realize
It wasn't Him, but me!
That's what happens when you rely
On selfishness, deceit.
In my pathetic, crippled state
I stopped along the path.
There was no more progression,
My only focus, aftermath.
My legs would not continue on,
My life a shambled mess.
I chose to let myself go lame,
Impossible to progress.
I'm hoping now that you can see
The sorry state I'm in.
I hope you learn from my mistakes
This path, do not begin.
A sickly, sorry, despicable sight,
Hardly anything left,
The once impressive sight I was
Had come nigh unto death.
Empty, cold, a barren plot,
I'd left myself to die.
When in the corner on my room,
A book caught my eye.
I hadn't touched that little book
In who knows how long.
I picked it up, a feeling came,
Surprisingly so strong.
It had been a while since I had felt
That feeling stir in me.
I opened to a raondom page
And then began to read.
Have ye any that are sick?
Bring them hither, here.
Have ye any lame or blind,
or dumb, or deaf of ear?
Bring them hither, them I will heal.
For I percieve your need.
For you I have compassion;
Your faith is sufficient for me.
The multitude with one accord
Did go forth to the Son,
And them that were afflicted so
He did heal them, every one (3 Ne 17:7-9).
The tears, they refused to stop,
Flowing freely down.
It had to be a miracle,
This scripture I had found.
It applied to me so well,
This couldn't just be luck.
Proof of a loving Father above
Through my old, abandoned book.
I dove right in, the fire burned,
It came from deep inside.
My mouth, my eyes, my deafened ears,
They opened one more time.
I couldn't hear, see, walk or speak,
Spiritually speaking so,
But through my Savior's loving grace
I once more began to grow.
So if you think you'd like to try
To walk the path of sin,
Just remember the moral of my sorry tale:
True happiness comes from Him.
I know Jesus Christ is our Savior, every one of us. If we're just willing to turn to Him, especially through prayer and the words of the Book of Mormon, we can feel His healing power. The Atonement is real; I know because I've experienced it repeatedly throughout my life. Elder Gluch has felt it too, as well has generations of God's children as recorded through prophet's writings. It starts with simple faith and willingness to change. Humility is the key. It's not worth anything to live a life without the full blessings of the Atonement that come by living the Gospel of Jesus Christ, restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I know that will all my heart.
I love you all and pray for you often. Thank you for your prayers too.
All my love,
Sister Morey
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