This afternoon as I was reading a question from a young man from Scotland, concerning an inactive family and they not being too eager to meet with him. It took me back to 1996. My husband was not a member and I had been inactive for years. One day when I had gotten home from work, I found this basket on my door with a message signed “your visiting teacher Jane.” My first thought was oh boy, here we go again.

There had been a very dark time in my life when I had so desperately needed a visiting teacher and no one came. Anyway, every week I would find something on my door or a message on my machine from this diligent visiting teacher. I tried ignoring her for three months in hopes that she would go away. But deep down I was hoping that she would stick it out. Which she did.

I finally decided to return her calls and thank her for the little tokens she left on my doorstep. We played phone tag for about another month or so before we finally met face to face. The first time I saw her she had this most beautiful smile and such a twinkle of love filled her eyes. She reached for my hand and said “My name is Jane, and I can see in your eyes that your not dead.” I instantly fell in love with her. She brought me back into activation.

In 1997, I went through the Salt Lake Temple and took out my endowments. Heavenly Father has poured so many beautiful blessings upon my head. I share a very beautiful friendship with her and now I am going out to those lost sheep and leaving little tokens and phone messages hoping that I can touch their lives the way she touched mine. Yes, there are some who are very angry and have been hurt, but our heavenly father taught me a beautiful lesson.

I was having a really hard time reaching a dear friend of mine who is on a really bad road. One day, she just come out and asked me, “Why don’t you just give up on me? Everyone else has.” I was speechless. What would I say? Then I felt this warmth of love fill my soul, and in my mind I heard this question. “Would I give up on you?” With tears pouring down my face I looked at her and asked, “Would your Heavenly Father give up? Throw His arms up in the air and say, ‘You’re a lost cause’?” Tears came to her eyes as she shook her head no. I then asked her who was I to give up on her if He wouldn’t give up on any one of us. Then I bore my testimony to her and shared with her the story of my friend Jane.

Thanks for letting me share this with you, I enjoy your articles.

Lorie Bishop

Posted by John in Home Teaching, Visiting Teaching, HT-Experiences, VT-Experiences