Visiting Teaching Thoughts

Last month I was able to go to the temple with my friend, Melissa, a sister I have visit taught for awhile.  It was her first time and it was so exciting to be there with her and her family.  It's a step she's wanted to take for awhile and finally made the changes necessary to get there.  It has been so wonderful to see the change that has come into their lives as they've strived to do what the Lord has asked.  Actually it's been amazing and as I sat in the temple with them the thought came to me I was here because of visiting teaching.  I would have probably never gotten to know this sister otherwise and although it took some time she is one of my good friends.  So since then I've just been thinking about the people I've been able to visit teach and what a blessing it has been in my life.

I've been touched so much by this inspired program that I actually bore my testimony in Relief Society on Sunday, something I don't do often but know I should more.  I was talking to a friend who hates visiting teaching and feels like it is a forced friendship and that people don't really care.  My feelings are that it has to start somewhere and maybe it is forced at first but over time it turns into a real friendship.  I am the type of person who is content to stay at home and I don't care if I talk to anybody all day.  That's just the way I am and so visiting teaching does force me to go out and meet people and those people have completely blessed and brightened my life.   Although my sisters may not be my best friends, hanging out every day, they are some of my favorite people and I cherish the visits.  As I looked out at the audience on Sunday there were 3 sisters that I had visit taught previously and my mind flooded with happy memories of talking with them and getting to know their families and of the love I had for them.  When our ward split 1 1/2 years ago, I was actually excited until I realized that I would not be visiting teaching 2 of my sisters anymore and I just lost it.  Ginger and Heather are two of my favorite people.  Ginger could be my mom and she is very free spirit and very naturalistic.  I just love her.  She never wanted me to make an appointment but to just stop by if I saw her car in the driveway and she would make time for me and she always did.  How awesome is that.  One day I stopped by and her car was there but there was no answer at the door.  I had the kids with me and knowing she liked to work in her yard I told Mikey to run around back and see if she was home.  He came back white faced and scared and told me he thought she was dead.  Alarmed I ran to the back and was laying on a bench wrapped from head to toe in blankets (it was August mind you) with just her nose and mouth exposed to breath.  I woke her up and we laughed.  She was doing an Indian sweat meditation thingy.  It detoxes your body and she urged me to do it sometime.  Just hearing Mikey say I think she's dead still makes me laugh.  When I visited Heather I would often be there for 2-3 hours just talking.  I've mentioned Kristen Nelson before, who died unexpectedly recently also has impacted my life.  So many sisters who are so different from me, who I would have otherwise never talked to really because of differences in personalities, stage of life, etc.  I came to find out were just amazing people.  It's not until we get to know someone within their home do we really know them.

A couple weeks ago our family was cleaning the church (the kids get so excited for this yet they do not  show the same enthusiasm for cleaning our house) and Conner told his sibling, "Hey guys lets do a really good job cleaning the church because you never know what Mom and Dad might let us do (referring to a reward).  It made me think about our Heavenly Father.  As we do what He asks He blesses us but when we don't do it or not the best we can, we miss out on blessings.  I wonder what blessings I'm missing out on.  You just never know what could be.  This makes me think of visiting teaching and all these wonderful sisters I would have missed out on if I had not fulfilled my calling.  I never realize how much I need those visits as much if not more than my sisters.  I'll be the first to say I am not the best visiting teacher but I do love it and I try and I care.