This week, I drove to Huntsville, Utah, where I grew up. I went to see my dear friend Linda from second grade. (Yes, I went for two months to public school😂) It was great to see her, her sister Julie, and her mom Joyce again. Joyce is amazing; she gave Donny and myself our first piano lessons. Joyce is 94 years old now and sharp as ever, she was my mom's best friend in Huntsville. I remember coming home from Sweden or Japan, and Joyce would always have a batch of fresh homemade dough for us to make scones along with a big jar of fresh raspberry jam.😋 And yes, I left her house with a big jar of fresh homemade raspberry jam for my trip home. 😁👍
On the drive there and back, I prayed to know what to write for #sundaymessage. The only thought that kept coming to my mind was “HEALING,” but no other thoughts. Maybe my mind is in need of some healing help. 😂
Well, this morning I got up to make our Sunday pot roast, and while preparing it, I listened to talks, podcasts, and anything related to the topic. After all, today is Sunday, 🤦🏻♀️ and nothing felt quite right to write about. It’s hard to discourage me,😂 so my self-talk said “keep the faith! God will lead me, and I would find what He would like me to write!“
I went to church to take the sacrament and feel of the Spirit, and His miracles began to manifest. In my church, the bishop asks someone from the congregation every week to share a thought before the song and sacrament each week. Well.. THANK YOU CAMI! The words she spoke before the song filled me with the Spirit, and when she spoke about “healing, " her words could not be better‼️😁 I asked her if I could post her thought; she sweetly said yes, and I’m so grateful because her words are inspiring! ☺️ I know you'll enjoy pondering them as much as I have. I'm grateful, too, that this day the Lord answers prayers, and I had great parents who taught me to be patient and to wait on His time frame, not mine. ❤️
#HappySunday
CAMI’S TALK
I’ve been thinking lately about how incredible the human body is. Our loving Heavenly Father created our bodies with an amazing ability to heal themselves.
When we get a cut, almost immediately, our bodies begin working at a cellular level to repair the damage. When we break a bone, our bodies begin the process of rebuilding it until, over time, it can become strong and whole again.
One of the most incredible parts of this process is the role our blood plays. Our blood carries oxygen, nutrients, and other things our bodies need to repair, rebuild, and heal. Even when we aren’t consciously doing anything to make it happen, our bodies are constantly working to restore what has been damaged.
As I’ve thought about that, I’ve wondered if this can teach us something about the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Just as our physical bodies can become wounded or broken, our souls can become wounded too. Sometimes we may feel broken because of mistakes we have made. Sometimes we may carry pain caused by someone else. We may feel discouraged, lonely, inadequate, or simply exhausted from carrying something that feels too heavy. And sometimes, in those moments, we may believe the lie that we are too broken to be whole again.
The blood that Christ shed for us in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross wasn’t just to make forgiveness possible. Through His Atonement, Jesus Christ has the power to heal us—to mend the places in our souls that we cannot heal on our own.
We don’t have to fix everything ourselves before we come to Him. We don’t have to become perfect before we are worthy of His love. We simply need to turn toward Him and allow Him to help us. He has already shed His blood and suffered enough on our behalf.
The human body is an incredible thing. Our loving Creator gave our bodies the ability to heal and be preserved. For instance, when we get a cut on our skin, our body instantly begins working at a cellular level to repair and rebuild so we can become whole again. If we break a bone, these too can begin the process and become solid again. These miraculous processes that take place in our bodies are possible because of the blood that circulates through our bodies. Blood carries the nutrients, oxygen, and antibodies our bodies need to heal and become whole. It is truly incredible!
Like our bodies, our spiritual soul can at times feel broken or wounded. We may feel empty, unworthy, too broken to be whole again. We may feel alone, isolated, and as if we are the only one suffering through something. Just as the blood circulating through our body allows our bodies to mend and become whole again, the blood that our Savior and Redeemer shed for us can do the same for our spiritual well-being. Our Savior has done all of the suffering that is required for us to be made whole and live with our Father in Heaven again. We do not have to suffer anymore. As we lean into this thought, and allow our Savior into our lives-He will heal our broken hearts, our empty souls, and remind us that no matter how unworthy we may tell ourselves that He can heal us and make us whole again. You are not alone. Whatever negative thoughts you may have had about yourselves are false. Christ has created a way for us to become whole week after week as we partake of the sacrament and renew our baptismal covenants with Him.
As we take the sacrament today, let it be a reminder that because of Jesus Christ, we can be made clean, renewed, strengthened, and whole again. No matter what happened during the previous week, we can come to the Savior again. Let it be a reminder that just as our bodies were created with the ability to heal, our Heavenly Father has provided a way for our souls to heal through the Atonement of His Son, Jesus Christ.
I testify that these things are true, and say them in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.