The Best Day

Sunday was a day of Fasting in my faith. We spend a special day fasting once each month. In connection with that,  at church in the main worship service, instead of the usual planned talks, congregants can go up as they feel prompted and share their unscripted testimony. It is always a personal, tender and inspiring meeting, and there is always a sense of the unknown because you just really never know what folks will say.

This time we got the surprise of our lives as a gentleman unfamiliar to all of us slowly revealed in a wonderfully-told story that he is acquainted with our missionary son Sam! He lives in California and Sam is serving in the man's hometown. We had no idea at all when he started telling his story and when he got to the moment where he spoke of Elder Nuss, I gasped out loud and began immediately to weep as I realized what he had just said. It was so electrifying and touching for me to have this moment of connection, to have the miles and the separation between me and my third son instantly fall away. This man had just had dinner with my boy last Wednesday night! He had a picture on his phone! He reported how things were going for Sam. It was brilliant. The tears are coming again just thinking about it.  I can hardly put into words the sweet feelings that flooded through me as I thought of my son out there doing what he's doing. Not only is Sam well, but he's BEING everything I could ever wish for him to be. And I have an eyewitness account, a rare and sweet thing for the mom of a missionary. I realized yet again that what my children BECOME is what brings the best and most permanent joy. This was a pure moment of that best kind of joy.

 The memory of that gift of a story has been like a warm air current carrying me up and up and up, then I soar down, remember again, smile and get carried up again.

I will forever grateful for this dear man taking time out of a very busy business trip to drive an hour out of his way to come to our little church meeting and bring such sweet tidings.