There is much I would like to write about but something specific for this morning. Last night as I was dumping my phone, I found this picture. Seriously, this picture has not been touched at all--straight from a parking lot in Provo. How can you have moments like that and not know there is a God? Everyone must do his/her own searching/discovering. I found that out on the cruise last week. (Yes I will have to post some pictures later of the cruise because I took some fun shots.)
MEET ELLIOT URIAH ENGLISH!!
My awesome roommate was so kind to let me wake up at the crack of dawn without any complaining from her on how I was awesomely interrupting her sleep. Love you Wendy! About 5:30 I would get up, get dressed and head down to the jogging track. Most mornings were so windy that the doors were closed and the ship wouldn't let us out. But after much asking of the staff members, someone told me I could get to the track by going through the gym section of the ship. THANK YOU NICE PERSON for the information. After my attempt to keep my jogging program going, I would sneak back into my room, grab my scriptures and head up to the 15th floor where I found a little quite nook to study in. This was my habit every day. The nook was a more closed deck outside. I would move the chair and a table away from watching who was walking by and turn myself so that I wouldn't be distracted by people walking by.
Well, here it was Friday morning--just one day left on the Oasis and Uriah catches my attention. I looked up from studying to find this bright smiling 22 year old from Guyana. He told me that he came to move my chair and table for me because he had seen me studying there every day--but that I had beaten him to the job by coming up to study a little earlier than in past days. I was very impressed and touched that he noticed a passenger's morning habit and came to set it up for me. Who was this kid!?! :) We had a good chat about the Savior and I was impressed by his kind heart and big smile. Uriah didn't claim the singer card but some how I convinced him to sing me a song. He said that he would come back before I was done studying to sing to me. Sure enough, true to his word he came back. And of all the songs he could have chosen to sing to me--he sang one about God!! My heart was touched. What a way to share his testimony of loving God. Thank you Uriah for the song! Keep up the singing! You have a great voice! (Before the end of the month is up I am going to Google the song and see if I can find the words. It is a song I would like to teach to my kids some day.) (BUMMER--I can't get the movie to upload. I will try again later. But the song says, ""Lord you are more beautiful than diamonds. And Lord you are more constant than gold. And Lord you are more precious than silver. And nothing I desire compares with you…"-- I will try to upload it and see if I can get Uriah's awesome singing uploaded by tonight.)
I left my study that morning, praising Heavenly Father for allowing to meet Uriah.
Later that day I was at the pizza parlor and before I said a word about what to do with my pizza, the sweet Jamaican girl behind the counter, with a HUGE grin on her face told me about her morning dream. She dreamed that Satan was chasing her--and she was running away and trying to get out of his grasp. She finally found a window and jumped out of it just in time to escape his power/grasp. I asked her why she was smiling and she she said that when she woke up, she immediately called her sister and asked her sister to pray for her soul. She was happy because her sister prayed for her and she felt a peace come into her soul after having such an intense and ugly dream. That peace, she told me, was why she was smiling so much.
Seriously, this girl and I had only exchanged a smile before she just shared her morning with me. Again, I could not help but smile at her openness to tell someone why she was so happy/smiling.
Then Sat morning, about 6 AM--as I was waiting to get off the ship, I was sitting in central park at a little cafe. Seriously, I indulged a little in their raisin, bran muffins. AMAZING! As I was looking up into the dark/fog filled sky, an employee came walking by. He was from India. I smiled and we had a great conversation. Now... by the end of this trip, I was already in awh with all the people who where serving me. 2,000 employees are on the Oasis. Many of them don't get my tips, and the ones that do, don't get anything until the end of the week anyway... But here, their constant focus was MY and all the other cruisers, happiness/satisfaction/enjoyment. I was amazed at their humanity. I pondered over and thought "Well done!"--to Royal Caribbean for building up 2,000 employees to be better neighbors, kinder citizens wherever the next journey in their lives take them. --The last two days of the trip, these thoughts were heavy on my mind, and my own need to become better in my humanity. Well this kid from India starts chatting with me. And before he left, he thanked me for being friendly--! He was kidding right?! For that is how I felt everyone one that worked on that ship was. Just good good people!! I was reminded again and again, how each of us is a Son or Daughter of God. Our Heavenly Father's qualities can be found in everyone.
I surely did not want to go on this business trip, but both Patti and I prayed and we felt I was to go. And walking away from it, yes quite exhausted, like the mission, going to the temple, institute, studying, I am more in debt! I am so thankful God allowed me to view so many different nationalities of people. I saw their kindness and constant goodness. Wow--I learned a lot. I want to be better as a result of being around Uriah, the Jamaican gal who's name is too pretty for me to remember how to spell and this guy from India. I stand all amazed. Every single person has something to offer. Everyone has something to give. We are here not to just by pass earth life and "get through it" but to truly work and serve, love and support our brothers and sisters. ALL we come in contact with. I am not here for my own journey alone. If I were, what a sad and selfishly lonely life earth life would be.
LED TO A VERSE
Felt to share this personal revelation to me. Not for anything more other than I felt to write it down and share it.
Seems like all those that I deeply love are going through their own little times of trial and hardship. Yesterday and the last few days have been filled with deep emotions. Some anxieties. I have fasted, I have prayed many times throughout the day on my knees requesting God's assistance to all those that I love. No one is dieing! Don't take alarm. :) But everyone in their own way have awesome Goliaths and Labans they are facing. And yesterday the overwhelming thoughts of all that is to play out. I felt much in my soul like the servant that was with Elisha in seeing all of the chariots of soldiers ready to pounce them, "Alas, my master! how shall we [they] do?" I do not believe in despair, I have too much hope...but truly the burdens I behold others going through caused a great heaviness on my soul. Then, as God does so often in my life, he led me (not in my normal routine of reading in order) he led me to read Alma 55 in preparation for institute tonight... and there the Balm of Gilead was given! As I am sure that Joseph Smith in his own Hell of Carthage Jail must have received a stirring and deep peace in receiving D&C 122...I too was given such a moment by reading Alma 55:31
But behold, the Nephites were not slow to remember the Lord their God in this their time of affliction. They could not be taken in their snares...""...not slow to remember the Lord their god in THIS THEIR TIME of affliction."(emphasis added) I read this verse and wept. I am not perfect, so far from it. But with confidence I can say that I have strived not to forget God in good times and in bad times. And this verse spoke peace to my soul. It was as if God was saying, "Hey Bryndi, I have got your back. You are not slow to remember me. Those whom you love are not slow to remember me. Trials are here. Affliction is great and yes very deep, but I am here. You are not without me right now in this your time of affliction." I told you---kind of really personal. :) I often play Richard G. Scott's words over and over in my mind.
"No matter how difficult something you or a loved one faces, it should not take over your life and be the center of all your interest. Challenges are growth experiences, temporary scenes to be played out on the background of a pleasant life."And I did last night before coming upon the verse, ponder over Elder Scott's words. I told myself that the challenges were just temporary scenes to be played out as a background of a pleasant life. "Temporary" played out in the "background". Background is just filler stuff. It is not the focus of anything. In a picture, the subject is the focus and the background often becomes blurred.
Well, this verse spoke much peace to my soul. I rejoiced/found great peace in the fact that I can say with confidence I have been striving to keep God/remember him throughout my days. I try to direct my thoughts to him and be with a constant prayer in my heart. This being said, I am not perfect. I am far from it. But there is something to say about the peace in being prepared. I am well acquainted with who Heavenly Father is and what keeping his commandants can do/do do for me. At this moment of my time and those I love times of affliction--we are not just Sunday worshipers of a God we only know through an hour of Sunday worship. We are a family/friends acquainted with the tender mercies of God throughout the week. There is not a day that goes by that I do not see His hand witnessed and often countless times throughout each day. I know in whom I trust! And just as another act of His many countless kindnesses, he allowed me to be reminded that I have remembered him in times of joy, and I will remember him in this my time of affliction and I can call upon Him in this my time... the deliverance/kindness of God was that, "They could not be taken in their [the enemies/the affliction/the trial's] snares..." May this very personal thing, help whoever feels entrapped by a snare of whatever magnitude/shape.
PS. SIDE NOTE! MIRACLE!!! I had the opportunity to go with a girlfriend to the temple yesterday morning. Boys--oh you would be so lucky to date such a girl!! As we were walking up to the temple from the parking lot my girlfriend turned to me and asked if we could slow our pace for she was starting to be "huffing it" as we walked. Embarrassed at my speed in my walk, I slowed down and told her of course we could slow down...we both laughed and walked the normal speed one should walk in high heals. It wasn't until after leaving the temple that I caught the miracle and significance of our walking!! I was not "huffing" at all. Now I am not in awesome shape yet, but for months I have been working on it. Just last year, I would dread over ever having to walk up to the temple with a guy because I knew I would have to be hiding my inside huffing of walking fast up the slanted hill. It is like the dreaded stairs at UVU. You start at the bottom and by the time you get to the top floor, which is from the bottom of campus to the top--by the time you get to the top you are trying to not look winded and you are keeping a smile on your face just so your mouth is open to get as much air to your lungs without looking like you are gasping for it. If you are reading this and have not never experience this/know what I am talking about--you can stop reading now because there is just no way for you to sympathize or know! ;) Well, that is how I used to be going to the temple. And yesterday, in high heals, I was walking fast enough to make my friend winded. Not on purpose of course. Lesson learned, I want to make people comfortable and I will watch my pace. Miracle witnessed! I DID NOT HUFF!!! Really!? ... I stand all amazed! And anyone who knows me ... reads all amazed! ha ha Told you!! God, IS a God of miracles!! :)
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