Wednesday, January 5, 2011

my people.

I’m usually not five days late welcoming in the new year with a new theme, something to focus on, something to hopefully impact how I will live during the year.  I haven’t felt a rush this year, and haven’t had something screaming to get out of me.  I am, however, loving this idea of recording my hopes for others.  I pulled the following off of Ashlee’s blog: 

President Packer shared an interesting perspective in his book “Memorable Stories with a Message”:

Donna and I attended an unusual dinner at the home of one of our beloved friends. It was a New Year’s Eve party. Our host had an activity for the evening. He read a quotation from Heber C. Kimball: “I have said often, you may write blessings for yourselves and insert every good thing you can think of, and it will all come to pass on your heads, if you do right.” (From an address in the Old Tabernacle, August 1853.)

He gave each of us a sheet of paper and an envelope and suggested we write upon the paper the things we hoped to achieve in the new year. We were asked to seal the envelope and put our name on it. “I will take these to the bank and put them in the vault,” he said. “A year from now we will meet again and have a dinner and I will deliver them to you. And we will tell if you wish, how nearly we have achieved our goals.”

We thoughtfully set our goals that night and sealed them up, and they were delivered to the vault to lay unopened for a full year. Six things were on our list, each relating to a blessing for someone dear.

Each seemed near to the impossible. One, for instance related to a sister and … marriage. Worthiness was no problem; it was her body so crippled with disease that a [marriage] was out of the question or was it?

The year rolled by and the envelopes were delivered to us again. During the year, with those goals in mind, we had prayed now and then, and then little opportunities came by. They would have gone unnoticed if we had not set the goals.

We were able to move forward, first with one goal, then with another. Five impossible things had happened. The sixth related to the solution of a problem of a friend.

It was on New Year’s Eve that I received a telephone call from across the country. My friend excitedly told me that his problem had been solved. He knew nothing of the notes in the envelope. (Boyd K. Packer, Memorable Stories With a Message, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2000], p. 7-8.)

I have had amazing success when I take the time to write out what I hope the result will be before I embark on a specific project, journey or activity.  If I picture the end result and feel gratitude for the way things turned out, it is amazing to me how often things come to pass just the way I had hoped.  It reminds me that Heavenly Father is waiting to pour out blessings upon us and is looking for opportunities to answer our prayers. 

I have taken the time the past few days to write out the hopes I have for people close to me this coming year.  I know that they have their own hopes and agency, but it has been nice to really think about what I would love to have happen for those I love.  It has taken the focus off of me and made me think about how I can help them achieve peace and happiness this year.  There were a few things that came to mind and I was stopped, thinking that what I was hoping for was too much to accomplish in a year.  Then I remembered one of Jaime’s goals for this year that I adopted as my own: to listen to the Holy Ghost when He speaks to me and follow through without question.  Nothing is impossible for God to achieve if it is his child’s best interest and if obedience warrants the bestowal of the blessing. 

I am excited for the things that will happen for “my people” this year.  I am excited that I get to be a part of their lives and witness the miracles that Heavenly Father has in store for them. 

5 comments:

Scrap Happy said...

I want to be on your "people" list.

The Hunt's said...

Please tell me on your list and please tell me it includes a substantial amount of money and losing 40 pounds.

Leslie said...

What a great idea!!! Thanks for sharing! I especially like the part about listening to the Holy Ghost and following through. Sometimes I second guess, and then wish I had acted sooner. I'll be working on that as well.

Annika said...

Katelyn, you make me laugh!

Tutz said...

Great thoughts for the new year. I hope I am on the list for 30 lbs. and extra time with grandchildren.