Answered Prayers

Last week I made a quick entry about how a friend called and reminded me that Heavenly Father was aware of me. I didn't expand on what was going on so I'll take a min. now to tell you. I was just feeling lonely. I sat through church the day before feeling so alone in the ward. I sat and listened to testimony after testimony about how people love the ward and how there are so many wonderful people... and I got more and more discouraged because I was having a pity party. I was just having a hard time. I talked to Jamison about it that evening and we both prayed that I'd be comforted. Monday morning as I was saying my prayers I talked to Heavenly Father again and just asked Him to send me a friend to lift me. My friend Susan Todd's name flashed through my head and I felt that somehow she'd be my answer. Just knowing this gave me comfort and I remembered how many prayers she has already answered for me in one way or another and kind of felt that that was my answer. Around noonish the phone rang and I didn't recognize the name or number on caller id but I answered it anyway. I heard, "Brenda? This is Susan Todd. - How are you?" She asked that part very careingly (I know that probably isn't a word, but it fits). I got teary and told her I was ok. She went on and said, "Really? Because I can't get you out of my mind today. Brenda. Brenda Yardley, Brenda... continually has been going through my mind and I just had to call to see how you are doing?" I told her that I was teary because she was an answer to my prayers. I didn't explain to her what I was feeling, only thanked her for answering my prayers. We talked for awhile and again before we hung up I thanked her- and of course was very emotional. I was so aware of how much Heavenly Father was aware of me and wanted me to be happy. Through out the week it was interesting how subtle things would happen where I'd see a ward member at the store or somewhere and it almost seemed to me that they'd go out of their way to say hi to me. It was such a blessing and I'm so grateful.

Susan's call prompted an even deeper desire in me to be in tune to the Spirit so that I could be the means of answering another's prayer. That is one of my 40 x 40's but this reminded me how important it is to not just receive promptings but to acknowledge them and act on them. That could really help lift someone else. A few days ago another friend's name kept coming to my mind. I realized that I hadn't seen her at church for a while and I know that she has a history of health problems. She was doing so much better but I hadn't seen her. I acknowledged the prompting so I called her. She didn't answer but I left a message telling her that I was thinking of her and had noticed that she hadn't been to church for a while and was worried about her. I don't leave messages if I don't have a purpose in calling but felt that I needed to leave one this time. Tonight I started making dinner and realized I had doubled a couple things for the recipe and was thinking through how to fix it. Suddenly the thought to just finish doubling the recipe flashed to my mind. I did. Then my same friend's family name came to mind. I was kind of nervous because I didn't know how she'd accept the food but I finished the soup (with a prayer in my heart that it would be well received), Jamison got some jars for me to put it in and I took it to her house. She opened the door and she just looked at me so relieved and said, "You are so inspired! Did Shara tell you?" (Shara is one of her neighbors and is a councilor in the RS presidency.) I said, "No, what was she supposed to tell me." She gasped and said, "she didn't tell you?" I repeated that I hadn't talked to her for awhile. She said that the day I called she was in so much pain and was just sobbing so hard that she couldn't make it to the phone. She was feeling lonely too. She heard my message and just felt so much gratitude and realization that she was loved. Then tonight, her son wanted chocolate cake. He's been having a hard time and she felt that he really needed that so she had been spending time making that for him instead of making dinner. After making the cake she just didn't feel good enough to make dinner and was just talking to Heavenly Father asking Him how she was going to feed her family. That's about when I rang the doorbell. The fact that I didn't know what was going on with her reassured her even more that Heavenly Father is aware of her and will inspire people to answer her prayers. I'm so grateful to Susan for reminding me how important it is to be willing and able to answer someone's prayers. I feel so grateful that I have been striving to be worthy and in tune enough to recognize the Spirit's promptings so that tonight- and the other day, I was able to be an instrument in His hands.

*My friend called again to thank me for the "best yummy soup" and asked for the recipe. The real name of the soup is Cheeseburger soup, but in our house, if I call it that it doesn't get eaten as well so we call it "Yummy Soup." She was so complimentary and grateful. It feels good to do what is right.