Angels

I am the visiting teaching supervisor in my ward and I had to teach the visiting teaching conference today. It consumed my mind for a couple of weeks but it turned out well (I think).

For those of you who aren't familiar with the visiting teaching program in our church... it is a program where the women in our church can accept an assignment to visit and serve other women that they are assigned to. Its purpose is to build caring relationships, offer support, comfort, and friendship to other women around us.

One of my favorite quotes from my lesson was from a talk given by Jeffery R. Holland (a twelve apostle) called the Ministry of Angels. He said...

“I testify of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind. In doing so I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face. On occasions, global or personal, we may feel we are distanced from God, shut out from heaven, lost, alone in dark and dreary places. Often enough that distress can be of our own making, but even then the Father of us all is watching and assisting. And always there are those angels who come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal.”

I passed out this poem for the women to read while my friend played a beautiful piano solo...

Angel on Errands

She wept as she knelt beside her bed;

"Father, please hear my prayer," she said.

I need a friend, I feel so alone,

"Her prayer was soon ended by the sound of the phone.

"Hello, I hope I'm not bothering you at all,

But I suddenly felt the need to call.

"The loneliness soon faded away

As a bond of sisterhood was strengthened that day.

A heart cried out, A prayer was heard,

Because an Angel heeded a call to serve.

One Sister sat at her desk with a pen

Working on a lesson for church again.

Week after week she faithfully prepared,

But she wondered, "Does anyone really care?"

"I'm doing my best to answer my call,

But am I making any difference at all?

"What joy she found in the mail that day

when a note of gratitude came her way.

"Just want you to know we appreciate

your wonderful lessons-- they are so great!

"That simple note was such a gift,

She had really needed that little lift.

She was blessed by an angel who had taken

time to write a note so sweet and kind.

Another was feeling completely run down;

She felt overwhelmed as she looked around

at the dishes and laundry and dinner still to make

and knew this was the day she would finally break!

Then a knock at the door, a friend stopping by

"I was thinking of you, thought I'd come to say 'Hi.'

"The tears welled up, the friend jumped in,

She washed all the dishes, got some laundry put in.

She helped make the dinner, gave a hug, then went on her way;

Another Angel was on errand that day.

So many lives, So many needs,
So many Angels who do thoughtful deeds.
When promptings come, let us never fail
To heed them quickly, for we can never tell
When our Errands as Angels will be a part
Of an answer to prayer in a Sister's heart.

Laurie Dukes

I also passed out a little Bath & Body Works lotion at the end as a reminder that "we are all instruments in the hands of the Lord." I truly have a testimony of this and I'm so grateful for the angels in my life.