Baring Testimony

This Sunday Robert and I and the kids made it to church right on time, instead of 15 minutes early...BIG MISTAKE! Our ward is so huge that we didn't get a seat in the chapel at all, in fact we had to go to the farthest back of the gym...miles away it seemed....from the pulpit. We used to be "bask row sitters " as I call them, but since we moved to this ward , five years ago, we have tried to sit up close to be more involved. Now that we have older children it is much easier to be up front because we don't have to make for a quick exit with screaming babies. I have been able to appreciate the spirit of the meeting so much more clearly and I have grown accustomed to getting a seat up close so when we couldn't find one...I was very irritated, to say the least. I think the whole ward could hear my sigh and see the disgusted look on my face...oops:( After I sat down I crossed my arms and legs and sat...very annoyed. Sacrament began and my first observation was that NO ONE in the back sings and... FYI there are no hymn books on the last row( I forgot my scriptures so I didn't even have my mini hymnal...UGGGH!) I love to hear and sing the hymns in sacrament, it adds to the spirit, invites Him into my heart, so I was devastated to not participate. Feeling sorry for myself, I sat... sighing away. After the opening and the sacrament had been passed(which took forever to reach us back in the "outer darkness of the abyss(kidding)" The second counselor to the bishop bore his testimony and opened the meeting to the congregation. The spirit whispered(well...yelled..in a still small voice, of sorts) "Get up and tell your story!" I arose and began my trek down the "gauntlet", as I later lovingly referred to the 4 mile path to the pulpit. I didn't get there before our bishop's wife(who was in the second row) so I patiently waited for her , as my heart nearly exploded out of my chest, not because I was nervous but because the spirit was guiding me with what to say. It is important to note that I will not get up and bare testimony unless I feel the prompting of the spirit( always feels like having a heart attack so I can't miss it, thanks Holy Spirit...might miss it if it were different I suspect? I am grateful for the heads up! Makes it easier to get up there, for sure.)

It was my turn , at this point, so I made my way to the pulpit and began by telling about how irritating it was to be ON TIME and not get to sit in our "usual" seat...chuckles and giggles proceeded. I told of how shy I used to be, growing up, more giggles???? and how we, as a family, used to sit in back and not participate as much. How ,now, we try to be "surrounded" by the ward family members and be a part of the whole meeting. I talked about how I have prayed for the Lord to help change me from the inside out to become more outgoing and how it has been a long process and I Have become more outgoing over the years. How important it is to "put yourself out there" and participate and talk to people, to belong. How the spirit can guide us and protect us and give us calming feelings. I bore testimony of The Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ and of ward families(how we can feel their love for us and give love to them) and how God can do anything we ask Him to, even change our personalities(our hearts) if we so wish! I talked about how important it is to get up and bare testimony(for that is how it grows!) and that it may touch just one person or maybe none at all, maybe it is just for our own growth but we must listen to the spirit... and do it, besides it really feels so good to get it out...more giggles.

I am so glad that I joined this church and that God has seen fit to teach me of the workings of the Holy Spirit, He is my constant guide and companion! I know that He wants all of us to learn of Him and our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that The Holy Spirit is who will testify to us of the Divinity of God and Jesus and will witness to us of the truth of all things (especially the scriptures). We may have the power of discernment to know what is right and wrong, as well, through the Spirit. My life has changed in so many ways for the better, over these 15 years(wow , has it been that long already?) I look forward to Christ's second coming and receive Him into my heart...the door is open! He is invited in! The path He has set for me has been interesting, hard, easy, fun, discouraging, encouraging, fulfilling, long, short, peaceful, exciting, calming, encouraging and Wonderful!!! OH and PERFECT for me, just me! It amazes me how individual our journey's hear on Earth are ...how unique to us they are. It shows me how Perfect our Lord is!

Funny note at the end....Steven Taylor(a memeber of our ward) got up after me and said"I love Sister Grossnickle, she is so real! And , by the way, Sister Grossnickle...I think the Smith's took your bench...but don't try to catch them after the meeting..I hear they are runners"...More chuckles.

After Sacrament meeting was over a least 40 different people came up to me , at various diffferent times, and thanked me for my testimony, or related to me or chuckled because they can't believe I was ever shy. It was rather surreal how many poeple came up to comment to me, that usually doesn't happen on that grand of a scale. I believe the Holy Spirit had a message for many that day, even my young women came up to me...ALL of them! Me thinks some young women were listening??? YAY!