I don't really know why I chose that title other than it is SO true. My new companion, Sister Harward, came up with that phrase this week after a few mildly awkward situations happened in a row. There's really no avoiding it. As a normal person, I tend to avoid awkward situations. As a missionary, you find yourself in so many different situations and with so many different people that you literally just cannot avoid those awkward situations. Just go back and read some of my previous posts. Maybe I'll try to remember some more hilarious ones for next week's post.
Tender Memory
This week, I thought of a sweet memory. I was contemplating what makes me happy in missionary work (because let's be honest, sometimes times get rough and you just need a reminder). This little story came to mind.
In Aiken, we had an investigator whose multiple grandkids (of all ages) lived at her house with her. She was talking to us about the two who were sitting on the couch next to her.
Now, people in general out here are very open an honest. About everything.
Our investigator was talking about these two grandkids who were sitting on the couch next to us as if they weren't there. She described how one of them was very quiet and sweet and the other one could be naughty and mean. His name was Nahlen. She was describing a couple of the things he did sometimes.
When she started talking about this, I looked over at him. After a second, he put his head in his hands and was very still. I could tell he felt bad. While our investigator talked with my companion, I sat down next to him on the couch.
"Nahlen? You okay?"
Silence. He put his hands in his lap and looked straight ahead.
"Hey. Guess what. You're pretty awesome."
Silence.
I thought for a second. What to do? How to help him?
I pulled a pass-along card out of my bag, a picture of Christ. (It's the one where He's walking out of the tomb.) I showed it to him and asked, "Do you know who this is?"
Nahlen looked up and shook his head no.
"That's Jesus. Here."
I gave him the card. He looked at it for a second while I thought of what to say next.
"You know what, Nahlen?"
He didn't say anything, just looked at the card in his hands.
"Jesus loves you," I told him.
He kept staring at the card.
"Now, who is that?" I pointed at the card.
He said the word: "Jesus."
"He loves you, right?"
Nahlen nodded.
"Yep, He does," I said. "Guess who else loves you."
Nahlen looked up at me.
"I love you."
What I didn't realize up till that moment was that I did. I really did love him. He was a child of God, just like me.
I think I got teary-eyed, too.
Nahlen kept staring at the card.
"Now, remember, that's Jesus," I said. "He loves you."
Nahlen nods.
Our investigator, Nahlen's grandma, turned and said, "It's true, He does love you. Jesus loves you, Nahlen! I love you, too!"
I smiled and got up off the couch because it was time to go.
"Nahlen, put that next to your bed, okay?"
Nahlen nodded.
"Remember that Jesus loves you. And I love you, too!"
Nahlen nodded and got up. We all gave each other hugs to say goodbye.
That's one of my absolute favorite little tender moments.
Now, since I'm out of time, here's my quote of the week: "Sorrow is not forever... Love is."
I saw that on an old man's wall. We call him Grandaddy (because he told us to). He was telling us about his wife who passed away just under a year ago and how much he loved her. It was so sweet.
Always remember that, y'all. Never forget it.
Love all y'all!!
And never forget that Jesus loves you, too. Remember Him.
Love,
Me
(Sister McKay)
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