I made it! School has begun! We survived our summer, and I’m only a tiny bit sad that the rigors of routines and schedules are back in full swing. It’s been a full week, since last Sunday, but I wanted to share some of what I shared in the talk I gave last Sunday. It’s been on my mind a lot lately, and I just feel like sharing it…
My topic was the scripture from Doctrine & Covenants 88:118 “And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.”
It was a wonderful topic for me. I enjoyed preparing it very much. It was interesting as I pulled from personal experiences, recognizing the Lord’s hand so much in my life. I didn’t really get a lot out of school as I was growing up. I enjoyed the social aspects of school, but until I got married, I don’t think I took it very seriously. It was only with direct encouragement from my husband that I even continued my education, and was able to get my Bachelor of Arts in music.
After that, things changed dramatically. My husband gave me a priesthood blessing that told me that I was not using the talents my Heavenly Father had given me. It was a wake up call, and what I needed to begin, trying to write music. My first pieces were very simple piano pieces, being that I struggled so much with words, that it seemed a good place to start.
After I had completed these songs, I felt led and prompted to put them on a website so others could listen to them and play them. I couldn’t really see any purpose in it, and didn’t really know if anyone would even care about them, but through faith, I followed the prompting. I didn’t know anything about computers (though my Dad is a computer programmer), and so I began learning the very basics of HTML.
Through the years, I have learned so much. I feel like my college years were just preparation for the real education that would begin. I have been taught by the spirit. In my talk, I shared several scriptures and quotes about education and seeking knowledge through faith, and then I ended with the story of meeting Nawroz (See this post for more details). My association with him began because of those simple piano pieces that I’d put on my website.
Nawroz, from Iraq, was touched by those simple songs, he orchestrated and performed my music there in Iraq and we began what will I’m sure now be a life long correspondence.
I was able to share my testimony with him, and through some amazing series of events (again see the previous post), he was able to learn about the gospel and be baptized. Both of our lives were so touched by the miracles that happened. This summer was the biggest miracle of all, when I got to meet Nawroz and see his sweet wife.
I never would have guessed that by putting those simple piano songs on the Internet, I would be an instrument in helping someone find the gospel. It is only in seeking the Lord’s direction with faith that we can know what the Lord’s will is for us. I believe so strongly, that each of us has a great purpose, and a specific, individual mission that we are to fulfill. I don’t know what my mission is in it’s entirety, but I have a great desire to share this message with others, and I was so grateful for the opportunity to share it with those in my ward.
Afterwards, I got to lead the ward choir singing a new arrangement that I wrote of “Go Forth With Faith”. (I’m waiting for copyright permission before I can put it on my website, but I hope to soon!) It was a wonderful Sunday. I hope to have more opportunities like that in the future.
Happy Sabbath all!