Yesterday I left work feeling I needed to head over to the mall and go to a store where I had met a sweet single mom in one of the stores. I gave her a Book of Mormon and challanged her to read it and find if it was true for herself. My prompting to the mall, I figured was just to follow up with her. She was there and she had started to read and admitted that the past week, she got all through 1 Nephi and had felt a difference in her life. It was wonderful to reconnect with her! I left her store with yet a 3rd hat and felt I was good to go over to the Church. I figured she was my only reason for going to the mall. And anyone who really knows me KNOWS I hate shopping with a passion. I almost rather go to the dentist! So there was no reason to stay any longer at the mall.
As I walked out of the mall, I noticed 3 boys dressed in black with piercings all over and black spiky hair, walking in front of me. In front of them was a woman in an electric wheel chair. I didn't think she was moving fast enough for these boys and I was curious how they would react to her. They all cut in front of her as she tried to make the handycap door open... and then, after they cut in front of her, one held the door open so this woman could get through. I could not help but smile at their kindness. They held the door open for me too and I remarked to them that we needed more people in the world that are considerate of others. What I thought were boys, turned out to be men! I was impressed by their kindness.
Well, I got talking to this woman and just felt drawn to her. The past few weeks I have prayed over feeling like I was not a great neighbor because I am just never home to care for those who live around me. And I have expressed my desire to care for those wiser in years then myself.
My heart has been turned in stores whenever I see a sweet older man/woman sitting with their grocery cart--I find myself making sure they catch my wide grin as I walk by. I have had quite a few sessions of prayer letting the Lord know I really want to be my brothers keep and love those around me. Well Ros was the answer to much prayer.
Rosilinne fell asleep while driving back in 1993 and was hit by a bus. When she was taken to the hospital she had so many things broken and messed up the doctors could not believe she was alive.
She told me of her struggles to get better. She spent almost a year in the LDS hospital trying to have her body rebuilt. And yet, here this peppy woman was at the Mall-- in her electric chair--buying flat bread (that you can find in the food court) for her sister's family of 8. She told me she often comes for several hours to the mall and goes and watches movie after movie just to get out of her place. She told me how she loved transformers and thought that Star Trek was quite good. Ros is paralyzed on her left side (complications from the accident and a stroke) but here this peppy little lady was out living life to the fullest! She told me how people tend to not know what to do with her because her body would make you think she was a vegetable. But she loves them anyway and tries to help them understand that she is quite capable.
It started to rain so we went back into the mall court and for an hour just talked while we waited for her bus to come.
Ros was a school teacher and after her accident she still tried to help trouble teens. She would often tell them, "You are not going to recognize me when I am resurrected because I am going to be one hot chick!" I got a great chuckle out of that and told her I might have to adopt the same thought.
We talked of great things and then she told me that she went to the temple every week. I was surprised a bit by this because of her limitations with her physical body. I asked her why she did this, and she told me that when she dies, she doesn't want Jesus asking her, "Ros, what did you do with your life". So faithfully every week Ros goes to the temple with her sister. She does 2 or 3 sections in a row!
With tears in her eyes she commented that she hoped that Heavenly Father would recognize her desire to do something with her life even though it was very difficult and sometimes quite painful to accomplish even the basic tasks.
My cup was filled! We exchanged info and I watched her bus pick up her electric chair and then drive away. I had to say a pray of thanks for meeting such a determined woman. A woman who was living her life, not just existing.
That was last night... and then this morning, as I am waiting in the lobby of the Timp temple to do initiatory (45 min wait to even get into the locker room) I looked up from Moroni 7 to see a woman shuffling very slowly past me. I stood up and quite loudly said, "Ros?!! IS that you?!" And there after 20 secs of just trying to make her body turn towards me--it was Ros!! What a fun, unexpected reunion!
This week I have been studying in Moroni and I love the words written there... having a determination to serve him to the end.
What an example the Lord placed before me last night and this morning--Rosilinne IS determined to serve the Lord UNTIL the end. Even when life is quite difficult, she is still serving, hoping, praying, believing, and smiling wherever she goes. Can I say the same for me?!
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