Today we already took down the Christmas Stockings and little
nativities and packed up extra presents we had. We get to begin using
the short stack of gift cards. Telling people Merry Christmas is now
instantaneously outdated. It was 80 degrees at noon, I finished my
Skype call to my family. Now there's 364 days until Christmas.
It's a little sad to think that it's all over now, but part of the joy
in life is moving on, knowing that what came will come again. Just as
powerful a experience itself, is memory. Memory is a key attribute of
knowledge. What good would knowledge do if we never kept it? The past
is in the past, and is not now, but many times the future is
determined upon what we did in the past, and the now is just a filter
of recognition.
At any rate, I loved Christmas. We had a beautiful sacrament service,
and many investigators came. One of them we've been trying to help
progress for a long time now, and her and her less active husband
loved the beautiful music and spirit of the chapel.
On Wednesday we had a powerful lesson with a Lady who has not had a
very merry Christmas. She's been working two jobs as a 75 year old
lady, and hasn't been able to attend sacrament, yet alone buy
groceries. But with youth she quoted Psalms 23 verbatim to the King
James Bible, and let us know she will make it out on top. It was
amazing to see her faith in the Lord. Sometimes, when you hear people
approach such a sticky situation with confidence, you think they are
foolish. Maybe it is a foolish thing to do, but faith is foolish to
worldly sight. It was a touching moment to spend some time with her in
the holidays.
Saturday we went caroling with the Elder that live with us. One of
them played the guitar, I sang the melody, and the other two prayed
for the ability to sing. It worked beautifully. It was wonderful to
see family after family touched at our service to them. Truly
Christmastime is a special time of year. When else will people
appreciate you coming to their door to sing?
When I finished skyping my family on Sunday afternoon, I turned off
the monitor, and wondered if they knew just how much I loved my
mission. Did I miss my chance to let them know how much fun I was
having? Could they tell that I was happy? It brought me back to
something one of my brothers used to say when playing sports. "You
gotta capitalize!" Did I capitalize on the situation? Maybe I did,
Maybe I didn't. It was a little numbing to see all of them together,
but I hope they know how much I've changed- even if I still like to be
a little fashionable.
It was the most wonderful time of the year. It was time for chesnuts
to roast on the fire. It was the time to watch Mr. Krueger's
Christmas, but it will always be time to remember the savior.
Elder Richard Hall
nativities and packed up extra presents we had. We get to begin using
the short stack of gift cards. Telling people Merry Christmas is now
instantaneously outdated. It was 80 degrees at noon, I finished my
Skype call to my family. Now there's 364 days until Christmas.
It's a little sad to think that it's all over now, but part of the joy
in life is moving on, knowing that what came will come again. Just as
powerful a experience itself, is memory. Memory is a key attribute of
knowledge. What good would knowledge do if we never kept it? The past
is in the past, and is not now, but many times the future is
determined upon what we did in the past, and the now is just a filter
of recognition.
At any rate, I loved Christmas. We had a beautiful sacrament service,
and many investigators came. One of them we've been trying to help
progress for a long time now, and her and her less active husband
loved the beautiful music and spirit of the chapel.
On Wednesday we had a powerful lesson with a Lady who has not had a
very merry Christmas. She's been working two jobs as a 75 year old
lady, and hasn't been able to attend sacrament, yet alone buy
groceries. But with youth she quoted Psalms 23 verbatim to the King
James Bible, and let us know she will make it out on top. It was
amazing to see her faith in the Lord. Sometimes, when you hear people
approach such a sticky situation with confidence, you think they are
foolish. Maybe it is a foolish thing to do, but faith is foolish to
worldly sight. It was a touching moment to spend some time with her in
the holidays.
Saturday we went caroling with the Elder that live with us. One of
them played the guitar, I sang the melody, and the other two prayed
for the ability to sing. It worked beautifully. It was wonderful to
see family after family touched at our service to them. Truly
Christmastime is a special time of year. When else will people
appreciate you coming to their door to sing?
When I finished skyping my family on Sunday afternoon, I turned off
the monitor, and wondered if they knew just how much I loved my
mission. Did I miss my chance to let them know how much fun I was
having? Could they tell that I was happy? It brought me back to
something one of my brothers used to say when playing sports. "You
gotta capitalize!" Did I capitalize on the situation? Maybe I did,
Maybe I didn't. It was a little numbing to see all of them together,
but I hope they know how much I've changed- even if I still like to be
a little fashionable.
It was the most wonderful time of the year. It was time for chesnuts
to roast on the fire. It was the time to watch Mr. Krueger's
Christmas, but it will always be time to remember the savior.
Elder Richard Hall
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