Ebenezer Christ RS

 Emily Freeman (in her book Written On Our Hearts) tells a humorous story.  When she was young she was asked to play the piano at a missionary homecoming.  As she was practicing with the girl who would be singing the song "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" they felt like the line "Here I raise my Ebenezer; Here by Thy great help I've come" made no sense and so they changed it.  After the homecoming, the missionary thanked them but said they left out his favorite part...those two lines.  Emily asked who Ebenezer was and he said they'd need to figure that out.  So Emily searched and found the answer in 1 Samuel 7.  Samuel asked the people of Israel to fast and pray before they battled the Philistines.  The Israelites were victorious.  In 1 Samuel 7:12 we read, "Then Samuel took a stone and called the name of it Eben-ezer saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us."  The name Eben-ezer means stone of help.  So Emily writes, "The stone became a memorial for Israel of a time when the Lord had helped them through a situation they could not have made it through on their own."   

Emily tells a story of a time when she was struggling.  She needed comfort.  She received a blessing and was told to "have an optimistic approach to the life that is yours".  She knew that she did not feel optimistic about the things she was facing.  She thought a lot about what might help and knew she needed a tangible reminder.  So she bought a basket with a blue fabric nestled inside.  Whenever she looked at the basket, she felt known and remembered.  And now she will never give it away because it reminds her of a time when she needed a deliverer and the great Deliverer came to her aid.  

She asks if we have an Eben-ezer.  And immediately I knew what at least one of mine is.

I LOVED serving as RS President and I learned and grew exponentially.  I felt such a deep love for the women of my ward.  A love that I know came from God through me.  I was a bit devastated when I got released from my calling as RS President.  But Susan Vincent, who was called as RS President after me, got this picture of the Savior and it has a wide matte.  She passed the matte around to the women of the ward to sign or write a brief message.  And then she presented it to me (as well as one for each of my counselors).  I have it hanging in my bedroom.  I look at it often.  When I'm having a bad day or feeling a bit down I look at the picture of the Savior.  I read the kind messages from women that I love dearly and it usually helps me feel better.  It helps me remember that the Savior can enable me to do more and be more than I am on my own. It helps me remember that I have people who love me and that I'm doing at least a bit of good in this world.  It is my Eben-ezer.