You can read Part 1, here!
Time passed and nothing had really changed. I was still set on not going on a mission. Come November 2012, I was on the verge of dating someone else, which reinforced my decision not to go even more. Interesting experiences kept on happening though that were telling me:
"GO ON A MISSION."
But my mindset was "No. I don't want to. It's not for me." You know those people that claim they don't like certain foods but have never even tried them? Not only that, but they REFUSE to try them because they already "know" they won't like them...Basically never giving themselves the option of potentially enjoying a specific food. Going on a mission was the medaphorical sushi of my life. Sushi contains raw seafood and is wrapped in SEAWEED--two things I had tried previously in my life and did not like. Of course I wouldn't like sushi. So I was never going to try it and would forever be grossed out whenever it was mentioned.
Some of the experiences (as mentioned below), started to chip at my "I don't like it, I won't try it" attitude..which eventually motivated a change in my heart.
EXPERIENCE 1, November 2012:
I have a great friend of mine who is Christian but is not LDS. He's a great person and has been a friend to me in many times of need! We actually bonded with each other expressing how we each found God in our lives and how it changed the way we did things. One sunday he went to his church, and I went to mine. I asked him to tell me about the church he went to because I enjoy learing about different religions and religious services. He told me more about the religious service he attended. He told me I would have to come with him sometime, which I agreed to, but only if he were to come to church with me sometime! He agreed and I was SO EXCITED. I enthusiastically told my dad that I had a non-member friend that was going to come to church with me. Which, sure, maybe inviting someone to church isn't a big deal, but that was the first time I had ever experienced that in my life. My dad responded to me by saying, "If you were to go on a mission you could feel like this all the time." This some-what frustrated me and I thought, obviously my parents want me to go on a mission. I still don't want to. But at the same time, I knew he was right. That friend never ended up coming to church with me, and I never ended up going with him. We do, however, have a high respect for one another because of our mutual love for our Savior, Jesus Christ, and the knowledge that we have a loving Heavenly Father. While I feel as though there are some principles that could greatly benefit his life if he were to choose to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the spirit has prompted me to be patient and to merely set an example of those principles, rather than constantly try and declare them to him.
EXPERIENCE 2, December 2013:
Tithing settlement had come and I was set to meet with my bishop at 6:15PM one sunday evening regarding it. At 6:10 I got in my car and was driving to the church. I arrived in the church parking lot and noticed I was getting a call from my Bishop. The call went something like this:
Bishop: Hey Megan, I had noticed you were scheduled to come in for tithing settlement about right now..
Megan: Yea I am!
Bishop: We were just curious if we could reschedule your appointment for next week? There's a fireside at 6:30PM tonight for those who are planning on going on a mission, and have been asked to cancel the appointments for the night to allow everyone who desires to go. Since you won't have tithing settlement we encourage you to go!
Megan: Oh yea, no problem about rescheduling! Next week is fine. Haha, and we'll see about the mission thing!
Bishop: Thanks Megan! Have a good night.
Not going to lie, I was a little bothered. Not only did I feel like my parents were trying to urge me to go on a mission, but now my Bishop as well! I didn't end up going to the fireside, even though I felt like I should. Inside my heart though, this "coincidence" stuck with me. I knew I had something to learn from it. I looked at this experience as a coincidence back then, but have now realized that "coincidences" do not exist. Every moment in life, which at times are mere building blocks or stepping stones, has meaning. Things do not just happen by accident.
EXPERIENCE 3: February 2013:
I have the opportunity to work with the special needs institute up here at Utah State University. Every Tuesday night, I get to work with a particular down-syndrome student, named Allie*, to help her better understand the gospel. This opportunity has proven to be almost sacred to me in the ways it has reformed my soul when I have needed it. Because of Allie's disability, she oftentimes cannot understand the content of the class, so I will paraphrase in her ear in simpler terms what the teacher is trying to convey. Oftentimes, Allie will look at me and respond positively to the things I have told her. Some of my favorite responses from her have been "That's good news! (this is her favorite phrase to say)", "Ohhh, I like that." and "That makes sense!" Everytime she understood what I was explaining, my heart felt joy. Not just excitement, or a thrill, but absolute joy. Nothing feels better to my heart than to share the gospel with someone and have them express their understanding or liking of it--especially when if was something they couldn't completely understand before. When I figured this out I had the thought, I wonder if this is what a mission feels like. My stubbornness pushed away the thought, but I was reminded of it everytime I participated in my institue class.
*Name has been changed to maintain confidentiality of the student.
Each of these experiences, while small, have been truly significant buliding blocks towards my decision to serve a mission...Oh and by the way, I've tried sushi now. I surprisingly like it.
To Be Continued...
