The saying goes that if an elephant is in the room, you introduce it. I will admit that I am a crier. Usually I do a pretty good job keeping my emotions in check but certain topics relating to family or church will set me off. It isn't so much the crying that bothers me. It is the fact that I can not talk through my tears. Not even close. Some people you see with tears streaming down their cheeks but with steady voices they continue to speak. Nope, that definitely isn't me. If I'm crying I can't get a stinkin' word out.
Yesterday the bishopric called to see if Jeff and I would speak next week in church, the topic being prayer. I replied "no way." I've never said no to a church assignment in my life and I actually don't mind speaking in front of people. It is just that I immediately knew I was going to get up there and look out at the congregation and start to bawl. Who wants to listen to someone cry for 10-15 minutes? Not me!
Well today in Relief Society I was asked to read a quote (for those who don't know what R.S. is, it is a meeting during church for the women). I read it silently before my turn, no problem. The quote was about how there are angels all around us but these angels may be our neighbors who we see every day. When it was my turn I got half way through and all of a sudden the tears hit me full force. So I gave the quote to the woman sitting next to me to finish. Later on I attempted to make a comment and KA-BAM the tears came back. I said that maybe if I was looking at Rebecca I could get through my comments without crying (we laugh a ton when we are together, we don't cry). It didn't work. Then Shannon remarked about how cute my squeaks sounded (she knows me well enough that laughing would lighten the mood enough for me to finish). I did think it was pretty funny and laughed for a split second but still couldn't finish! Curse you tears!
Here is the quote from Elder Jeffrey Holland:
"Not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some to them we walk with and talk with--here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our own neighborhoods. Some of them gave birth to us...Indeed heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind."
The quote really hit home because it reflects how we feel about our family, friends and neighbors. These past 6 months they have truly been our angels here on earth. Now I feel like Jeff and I are back on our feet and it is our turn to help others.
Next time I had better read a quote about something like ordering pizza or doing a load of laundry. I can do that without being a boo-hoo...haha
