A thought for Sunday

I'm posting this a bit late, but it's still sunday... maybe you can consider it "a thought for monday" :)

Last night I was able to attend the Relief Society General Broadcast. It was a great meeting full of laughter, tears, touched hearts, and moving words. One of the most touching parts of the meeting for me was singing the opening hymn- "Count Your Blessings." I don't know why, but this song hit me with such force. I felt the love of God. I felt that I am so blessed, and that I need to start trying to bless others lives more.

The phrase of this song that touched me the most was "count your many blessings, angels will attend, help and comfort give you to your journeys end." I was filled with the spirit and I recognized the truths of these words, and thought of how angels have comforted and helped my in my life. Then the thought came to me... "what is an angel?"

I recalled a talk given a few years ago on angels, both the heavenly kind and the mortal kind by Jeffery R. Holland. After doing a little searching today, I re-read the article. It touched me as much and the song did last night. I would like to share a couple of passages of that talk here:

"I have spoken here of heavenly help, of angels dispatched to bless us in time of need. But when we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of 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, and in my case, one of them consented to marry me. 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."

I love this. Have you ever met someone who fits this exact description? I have. These are people that smile at you, say hello, or notice that you are having a bad day. Someone who shows that they genuinely care about you and what kind of day you are having.

"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. “[N]or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man [or woman or child] upon the face thereof to be saved.” 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."

This is the best promise of all. To know that the Father is ever watchful of us and sends us angels in time of need.

During the hymn last night and once again after reading this talk by Elder Holland, I thought to myself- "have you been an angel in someone's life lately? Because you need to be." I realized that everything has been about me lately- work, school, being busy, boys. I haven't been focused on others like I should be. When was the last time I looked around to see who I could reach out to, show love to, and uplift?

I extend this challenge to myself and all those who read this blog. I know we are few, but perhaps if we all try just a little bit harder to be someone's angel everyday, we could change the world.