I didn't know I was tall until...

I didn't know I was tall until one day I was in the little department store in Aberdeen with Mom.  I was about 16.  We were just looking around and a sales lady, Mrs. Satterfield, came up and started chatting with Mom.  I was just kind of standing there.  At one point, Mrs. Satterfield looked at me and then asked my Mom, "Does it bother her that she is so tall?"  Two thoughts came to my mind.  One was, am I really that tall?!!  And the other was, does she think I am deaf as well as too tall?!!

I went home that day wondering if it was a bad thing that I was tall.  I had never looked at it in a bad way, but the way she said it made me have to stop and think about it.

Since we have been on our mission, I have noticed similar things happening to people who are being taught.  They go along with their lives thinking that everything they do is OK.  They don't know that it's wrong to smoke or drink or any number of other sins.  They don't know until someone points it out to them.  Then they have to analyze it and figure out if what they were told is true.

In my case of being too tall, I had to decide if that was a good or a bad thing.  There was a period of time after that that I was very self concious.  I even considered a surgery that you could have that would cut bone out of your legs and make you shorter.  After a while, I realized that God made me this tall and I really didn't want to be any other way!  There have been moments when I wished I was just a tad shorter, but then I wouldn't be me.  I am happy with how God made me.

As for those who have things pointed out to them about things that are possible to change, they, too, must decide if this is what they need to do.  We see this all the time as missionaries.  Some will say that they want to join the church, but they don't want the "surgery".  They don't want to change, so they won't.  Others try to change.  It is a very slow, painful process.  Some make it.  Some don't.  We have been working with Michael for quite some time.  He comes to church more often than many members!  But, he has been a Rastifarian for many years and smokes both cigarettes and marijuana.  He is having a very difficult time stopping.  He is trying, so hard!  We pray he will continue to try.

The other day, Reed showed me a tie.  It had ink marks all over it.  He didn't know how they got there but he couldn't wear it the way it was.  We had two choices.  We could just throw it away, or try to clean it.  We decided to try and clean it because even if the cleaning didn't work, we would have lost nothing.

I got some hand sanitizer and worked it into the ink spots.  In a matter of seconds, the ink was gone!  I then rinsed it in water and let it dry.

It worked!  That which we thought was lost, was saved.  It was sanitized and cleansed.  The same happens all the time in our lives and in those around us.  The cleansing power of the Atonement works every time.  It's worth the effort.  And we have nothing to lose.

We love YOU!