My Gift

So... last Sunday we went to church. While we were there, the power went out. It was very strange. I kept feeling like I was supposed to write down what I was feeling, so I did. In the dark. On little, tiny pieces of paper that Jeanalice had brought with her. With a half-sharpened pencil.

Here is what I wrote:

(Unedited even now... as much as that drives me nuts!)

3/15/09
As I sit here in sacrament meeting, I find myself overwhelmed by the Spirit. I am constantly fighting back the tears that come to me when I have an overwhelming amount of emotions. It is not that I have heard anything that has struck me profoundly, it is just a sense of calm and peace.

Yes, the kids are still bickering and wiggling. Yes, other children are still playing with noisy baby toys and whispering. Yes, there are all sorts of distractions to be seen and heard.

Usually just one of those things would be enough to distract me and make it so that I am unable to recognize or feel the Spirit as I woudl like to. Today, however, I am able to feel the Lord's Spirit overcoming me. I am grateful to the Lord for this blessing and gift.

Unfortunately, in this busy world today (full of appointments, commitments, and activities), I do not feel this gift as often as I would like to. That is not to say that I do not feel the Spirit regularly. I do. But not to the extent that I have felt it today... all encompassing; like my Heavenly Father is right here with me. I feel the Spirit often in life... while watching my children be kind to each other, while seeing a beautiful landscape in nature, while singing or listening to music that touches my soul... but not like this.

I do not remember ever feeling like this before.

I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for this experience. Only He knew I needed this. Only He could have given me this gift!