November 10, 2012

Day 10... Today I am thankful for the message we received at Evening of Excellence on Wednesday night. I have thought about it each and every day since... and have realized just how much of an impact it made on me. The theme this year for the Young Men and Young Women is "Arise and Shine Forth". A great message for our youth... that they are the "light" in a world that has become increasingly dark.

The leaders had set up a table with 8 lamps of different sizes and shapes on it. Each lamp represented one of the eight young women value colors. The lamps each had a piece of ribbon tied around them representing that value. As the girls got up and shared what each value stands for, they would then go over and turn on that lamp before sitting down. Dan had been asked to make closing remarks... and this is what I haven't been able to stop thinking about. He asked someone to turn off the over-head lights, and then he plugged in the extension cord that all of the lamps were plugged in to. The only light in the room were the eight lamps. You could feel the Spirit so strong it brought tears to my eyes. He talked to the girls about personal progress... and that while finishing one "value project" was good... finishing all eight was better because of how much more "light" they would have. He talked about the election... not about the president... but about the fact that 2 states legalized marijuana for recreational use. He told the girls that as "dark" as the world is becoming, that our Father in Heaven is counting on them to carry His light. To arise and shine forth and be a beacon unto every nation. He told them to choose good friends and to avoid situations that would dim their light. He told them that they will have the opportunity to go forth to all the nations of the earth to share HIS light and HIS gospel as missionaries. He told them that along with their leaders and parents, and our Father in Heaven and the Savior of course, that he will always be there for them. To encourage and support them. That he will come and "rescue" them day or night if they need him.

I am thankful for the Young Women leaders of our ward and the hours they spend in prayer on behalf of my daughter and the other girls. I am thankful for a Bishop that I know spends hours on his knees in prayer as well, and that was open to the Spirit and prepared to give the girls the message they needed on Wednesday night. And frankly, I needed it too. I need to make sure that I am doing what I need to be doing each and every day so that I too can be a "light" in a world that needs light now more than ever before.