Dear Elder Willie and Sister Judy,
I trust that all is going well for you--and for your family back home.
A wonderful feeling came to me as I reviewed what happened to me
yesterday. My eldest daughter and her husband took me to Rexburg,
Idaho to attend an open house for my cousin who had just celebrated
his 100th birthday anniversary! After giving him a big hug and
visiting briefly, I moved on to see other family members. There were
cousins galore, several with a look of expectancy, eager to receive a
greeting themselves. I remembered most of those who came into view,
but before our "greeting line" was exhausted, one cousin came to greet
me that I did not recognize. She began a conversation by expressing
appreciation for the enthusiasm I had shown in years past for
gathering family records. Then she made a statement that surprised
me. She promised that she would finish the family records on which
she was working and would send me a copy. I was especially excited
because my son Blaine has been assigned to gather the records of my
great-grandfather's descendants. Every contribution of information
will help him.
One after another cousin came on the scene and gave me such a warm
greeting that I felt as if I were in heaven at the end of our stay.
After we returned home, I reflected on the joyful experience with
those wonderful relatives. The thought came to me, that I had just
tasted what it would be like in the next world when we greet all our
family and dear friends who have preceded us thru the veil. I have
NEVER before felt such a heavenly influence. I never expect to have a
more wonderful experience till my "graduation" day arrives. Don't we
all live on hope?
I would also like to share a beautiful experience that I read this
week. A young man in Salt Lake City who had a late evening job was
allowed to use his brother's car after the brother left on a mission.
The job was in an are that I can visualize well. One night as the
young man got off work, he decided to take in a late-night movie, so
he headed eastward until he came to a main thoroughfare that would
take him to the move theater. Suddenly he looked at his watch. 12:07
A.M. The thought came to him that he had school the next morning and
he did not want to see a movie after all. So he turned the vehicle
around, drove back home and climbed into bed.
Next morning when he came from his room to have some breakfast that
his mother had prepared, she handed him the paper and asked him to
look on the first page of Section C. When he turned that section, he
saw a picture of a horrible car wreck that had occurred because of
reckless driving. He scanned the story that accompanied the photo and
observed that the catastrophe had occurred right by the theater
where he planned to go. Then he noticed the time of the wreck. That
time struck him like a brick. That evening after work he drove to the
same boulevard where he had changed his mind the previous night.
Again he looked at his watch and turned to go to the theater. Looking
at his watch, he made the heart-wrenching discovery that had he
continued on to the theater the previous night, he would have arrived
at precisely the same time as the terrible wreck had occurred. He
realized that someone was surely watching out for him and warning him
in just the right way to avoid a catastrophe of his own. Coincidence?
Hardly. I just imagine that the experience would certainly cause him
to accept a mission call himself and give the Lord the best that he
could to show appreciation for a warning at just the right time.
I sincerely pray that we can all live worthy of promptings by the
Spirit for whatever our particular need might be.
My love and best wishes for YOUR daily direction by that Spirit.,
"Grandpa" Taylor |
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