Still Learning

Hello Friends & Family! (And anyone else who happens upon this post by chance)

I wanted to take some time to reflect over this past year and let you know about my life. First off, I'm still very bad at staying in contact with people I don't see often. So I'd like to apologize if that's the case with us. I'll try and drop a message when I think of you, and I hope you'd do the same for me. Nobody's perfect. But just know that even if we've grown apart, I still care about you.

This year my greatest growing experience was probably serving as a Shift Coordinator on Saturday Afternoons at the Rexburg, Idaho Temple. For those of you who don't really know much about temples, here's a great video about them. There are many different tasks to be done at the temple and the majority of it is done by volunteers. I started serving as an Ordinance Worker at the Temple in October 2016. Since then I've worked almost every Saturday without pay and doing a variety of tasks to help things run smoothly.

I was very shocked at being asked to be an Assistant Shift Coordinator because that meant I would be the Coordinator come the start of the next year. Turns out I'm one of the youngest Coordinators that this temple has ever had, because normally they don't ask people our age. And I can see why. It's very time-consuming, and it takes a lot of organization and problem-solving on your feet.

But the thing I've learned most from being a Coordinator is that God really is in the details. Just about whenever something could have gone very wrong during the shift, there was a quick solution nearby. There have been only a few medical emergencies on my shift and almost every time one occurred it was when I had an Registered Nurse as a worker. She was always in the position closest to the person who needed help. I couldn't have planned that... but God did. Or the times when I made the schedule with what I would consider a mistake in it, but then a sister would come up to me and thank me for giving her that schedule for one reason or another.

So if God can plan things so well in the temple, why don't I let Help me plan my life more? I've been slowly trying to trust Him with more aspects of my life and see what he can make of it. I've been learning, growing, finding the friends and help I need, healing, and more peace. I won't say life is a breeze because there are unexpected moments and encounters that we may not feel we are prepared for. But just know that if it's in your path, God trusts you to be able to handle it.

Some of you may have heard this before, but a many years back I was reading in Matthew 22 where it says "love thy neighbor as thyself." I used to read that thinking that it meant the same as the Golden Rule's , "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." But this time I read it as "love thy neighbor as thyself."

Wait. You mean... I can love others the way that I want to love them? I can just be myself and that's okay? God trusts me that much?

Yes, yes, and yes! came the reply that I felt in my heart. You are enough!

It doesn't matter who you are ore where you've been. Because you are a child of God you are enough. Because Christ loves you and chose to suffer with you your sufferings and sorrows, you are enough. Because God is the Father of that Spirit which dwells within you, you can have help choosing to do what is good. And that is enough.

Christ went about doing good. Don't run faster than you have strength, just do something good. And then be grateful that God trusted you enough to give you that chance. Life is wonderful, and I hope and pray that you will be able to recognize more of that this coming year.

[Insert fun signature sign-off phrase],
Shawni, Daughter of God. At your service.