Women of Faith

There is a book by this title that I've been planning to read for awhile. I still haven't gotten to it. But I feel the need to record my own thoughts about several women of faith that I am fortunate to know.

Today we sang "Each Life that Touches Ours for Good" in Sacrament Meeting. Then shortly after church, I was cooking dinner and turned on the Sounds of the Sabbath on the radio. And playing was "Each Life that Touches Ours for Good". I think I needed to hear and reflect on that song today.

Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, no. 293

1. Each life that touches ours for good
Reflects thine own great mercy, Lord;
Thou sendest blessings from above
Thru words and deeds of those who love.

2. What greater gift dost thou bestow,
What greater goodness can we know
Than Christlike friends, whose gentle ways
Strengthen our faith, enrich our days.

4. For worthy friends whose lives proclaim
Devotion to the Savior’s name,
Who bless our days with peace and love,
We praise thy goodness, Lord, above.

Text: Karen Lynn Davidson, b. 1943. © 1985 IRI
Music: A. Laurence Lyon, b. 1934. © 1985 IRI

I love this song, and I have been fortunate enough to have my life touched by so many Christlike "friends whose lives proclaim devotion to the Savior's name."

I feel the desire to write about a few of them and why I admire them. This is in no way a complete list. There are so many more women that I admire and love. I could probably make a list of 50 or more women that have touched my life in the present or past. But that would take more time than I have, so perhaps I will revisit this again in the future and add some others.

First and foremost is my own mother. There are so many things I could say about her. But the things that stand out the most are her patience and trust in the Lord. My mom is such a calm, patient person. She never raised her voice at us or yelled at us as children. I wish I stayed that calm all of the time. My parents divorced right before I turned 14. It was hard on all of us. Especially my mom, I am sure. But she was so amazingly strong and forgiving. That next fall, I went to youth conference at Camp LoMia. The leaders asked each girl's parents to write to them. My mom wrote me a beautiful letter that I have saved ever since. It was written on November 8, 1990. In part this is what she wrote: "One day when I was really depressed the Spirit spoke to me and said, "Everything will be ok." ...I don't know yet what the "everything will be ok" really means. I just know I have to be patient and trust in the Lord that He knows what is best for me. If I have faith in Him, everything will be okay...I know it is really important for all of us to strive to be happy now and live the very best we can so we're worthy to receive the blessings we need." I have reread this letter many times in my life when I was struggling and have tried to follow my mom's example of faith and trust.

I have two sisters; I am the oldest. Rebecca is two years younger, and she has 3 children...the same ages as my three children. She and her husband are incredible parents. They have two special needs kids. My nephew and nieces have food sensitivities and have very special diets. My niece was recently diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. My sister is such a tremendous advocate and support for her children. She loves them and wants what is best for them and works so hard to make sure they get what they need. She spends many hours each week preparing food because they are on special diets. She spends many more hours each week working with her 4 year old on speech and other therapies. These children are amazing, special children with strong spirits. They are incredibly gifted and full of intellectual curiosity so she is also constantly answering questions and seeking books about topics of interest to them. I am sure I don't fully realize how difficult some days are for my sister, physically and emotionally draining. And yet, my sister knows how important her role is as their mother and she continues to do all she can for them. She sacrifices for her children as much as anyone I know, and they are so very fortunate to have her and her husband. They are truly incredible people with strong commitments to the gospel. She has been blogging about her experiences, and I am touched every time I read what she writes. Heavenly Father has given her some very difficult challenges, but she is strong enough to deal with them through Heavenly Father's help and guidance. On top of being such an amazing mom, she is also a talented photographer and a truly beautiful, wonderful woman. I know she is my younger sister, but I look up to her.

My other sister, Suzy, is just as incredible. She has a bachelors degree in history and editing and an MBA. She plays the piano beautifully. She runs marathons. She is a wonderful aunt to my girls and she is so thoughtful to come up here to visit regularly, even though we aren't that great about driving to visit her. (She lives in Orem.) She often brings little gifts to my girls, and she comes to nearly all of their concerts and other events. She moved here from AZ a year ago, and it has been wonderful to have her close. She was just called to serve the Mia Maids in her ward, as well as to be the choir pianist. She will be great at both. She hasn't had the opportunity to marry yet, although we all hope that is in her near future. But she is a wonderful example of faith. She attends the temple regularly. She fills her life with rich activities. She is so talented.

I have a dear friend in my neighborhood that I love named Aly. She always seems to know when I've had a bad day or just need a kind word. She'll either send me an email telling me how much she loves me or tell me something kind about myself. She watches Gabby for me while I work, and I know she loves Gabby nearly as much as I do. And Gabby loves her and her family. Every once in a while when I come to pick up Gabby, she'll have dinner ready for my family. On a night a few weeks ago, when I had worked long hours for SEP conferences and my kids had the next day off but I had to work, she asked if they could sleep over and then I would get a little break. I had book club that night and wouldn't have been able to go since Alfredo was working late, but thanks to her kind offer, I was able to go. She lets me complain about my job when I've had a bad day (as does Alfredo, thank goodness!). She is genuinely kind. I also love that she gets really interested in a subject and totally immerses herself in it for awhile...and then moves on to something else. I think she sometimes thinks this is a bad quality, but I think it is great. I've learned things from her that I wouldn't otherwise, and she has taught her kids a lot about things that she is passionate about. She is one of the best friends I could ask for. I love her and her family. People love to be around her because she makes everyone feel good. I know that I was inspired to ask Aly to watch Ella and Gabby. I know that she was an answer to my prayers...when her name came to mind, I didn't want to ask because she was homeschooling at the time and I didn't want to interfere with that. But I felt really impressed that I should ask. And it has been such a huge blessing for us to have her watch Ella for a few months and Gabby for 2 1/2 years now. I often give thanks to my Heavenly Father for that answer to my prayers.

One other person that I feel inspired to write about today is Sara. Sara is an inspiration to me. She has eight children, three of whom she adopted. It is an incredible story. Sara is one of the best moms I know...she is incredible with her 8 kids, and they are all great kids. She faithfully holds FHE, scripture study, and family prayer in addition to managing dance, soccer, and other activities for 8 children. This is just remarkable to me. But it is her spirit that is most remarkable. Just like Aly, people are drawn to Sara. She notices others and listens to them and really makes everyone feel important and good when they are around her. She also is so good at recognizing the Lord's hand in her life and documenting it. She is diligent in serving the Lord and prioritizing what matters most. She is a constant example to me.

I am truly thankful to be surrounded by so many great women who have touched my life in countless ways. As I said, this is only a small selection. I talk about how great my neighborhood is with others at work and often say things about how nice my neighbors are or that we have an annual Christmas street party or that my kids have friends. And those are all real reasons I love my neighborhood. But it goes much deeper than that. I am surrounded by women of faith (and men of faith) and that makes this a perfect place to live.