Español al final...
English
I moved to Gilbert just at the right moment, just on time for many great events, but, even if all these events were really exciting, there was not event for which I was looking forward to with so much enthusiasm as the Gilbert temple dedication. I had many good experiences and deep thoughts as I was preparing for that great event, and it would take more than a single blog post to share all I experienced with it, but one of the greatest blessings I received as part of that temple dedication was to be volunteer at the temple, and I want to share why...
Yes, by being volunteer, it meant that I would be able to attend the dedication not at a stake center, as the majority of members in our temple district, but INSIDE the temple! Yes, by being volunteer, it meant that I would probably be able to see president Eyring and president Monson, and who knows, maybe to shake their hands. And yes, those three things happened: I was inside the temple for the first session of the dedication, I saw president Eyring coming in, and yes, I saw president Monson, and I also shook his hand! I felt really happy about it!
Those were three great blessings, indeed! But, for me, the greatest blessing was to put shoe covers on the feet of those who were attending the dedication inside the temple. Yes, I believe that it was a great blessing. It might seem something really simple and worthless (specially when we compare it to shaking the hand of the prophet), but as I was getting ready to do that, I thought about the example of my Savior, and this picture came to my mind:
I invite you to read and study about this humbling and powerful moment from the Savior's life in John 13, when, as he was preparing for the greatest and hardest event of his life, "He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples'feet, and to wipe them with the tower wherewith he was girded." (verses 4-5)
Then the Lord says in verses 14-15:
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
When I ponder about this event and these word from the Savior, I feel the desire to be more humble and willing to serve my brothers and sisters, as He did. We are all children of God, equal, and if the one who was the greatest washed the feet of his disciple, why won`t we do the same with our brothers and sister?
Now, why does shoe covers reminded me of this episode of the Savior's life? Well, I wasn't washing feet that Sunday morning before the temple dedication, but because of my little service, I was helping those who entered that place that was to be dedicated to the Lord to enter with "clean feet"... or shoes. The temple is all white and clean, and I am sure that many would had left some marks on the carpets inside if they hadn't been covered (specially after the pouring rain that we got the previous night). In a certain way, I was helping those persons to be "clean" to enter inside the temple.
I had a wonderful time putting those shoe covers on those who came. What I liked the most was when I was putting them on young children or teens. I was doing this for those who were attending the dedication in the celestial room, so these children and teens were going to witness that event in the same room where the prophet and general authorities as the temple presidency would be. It was a great privilege for them. So, during the about 20 seconds while I was putting shoe covers on their shoes, I was trying to converse with them and to invite them to enjoy that marvelous spiritual experience, to be receptive to the Spirit and to write and remember always the feelings they would have during this sacred event. As I was doing this, I remembered the words of the Savior: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me"
I don't pretend to have the authority to "clean" someone just because putting shoe covers was for me a similar experience to the Savior washing the feet of his apostles. I know that the only person who can decide if someone is clean or not to enter the temple, is those who represent the Savior, as bishops or stake presidents. But, as the Savior invited us to do in John 13:14-15, he asks us to follow His example and to help people to be clean. This experience with the shoe covers made me ponder about how I could help my brothers and sisters to be clean and worthy to enter the temple and to keep the temple Holy, as I had helped those who went for the dedication had their shoes "clean" to enter this sacred building and to keep that place clean. It made me ponder about how our youth and children need good examples and leaders to teach them how to be clean and worthy of the temple blessings. But how can we do this? These are some ideas I got (feel free to comment and add other ideas. Some ideas are found in this talk from last Relief Society general conference):
- By attending the temple regularly and testifying of the blessings from it.
- By writing in my journal (and also on this blog) about the importance that the temple has for me and how I keep myself clean and worthy to enter the House of the Lord regularly, to leave that legacy to my future children and to the youth with whom I love to work (this was actually a feeling that I had at the last Relief Society general conference last September, as our leaders talked about keeping our covenants and of the importance of the temple, and that feeling was enhanced at the temple dedication).
- By living everyday as a covenant keeper woman of the church, striving to be an example for others as I live the commandments, and showing the joy that I feel as I keep my covenants.
- By dressing modest to show the respect that I have for my body, which is a temple, and to help the brethren as they strive to keep clean thoughts, and the sisters to know how to dress properly.
- By giving my love and support to those who are struggling to be clean enough to enter the House of the Lord. Many of our brothers and sisters need help in these latter-days where the enemy is fighting to make us fail in our efforts to live virtuous principles, and we have to reach out those who had failed and give them our support. That can make all the difference in their lives. A great joy fills our hearts when we witness someone entering to the temple after many months or years struggling with their unworthiness to enter the House of the Lord, and when we know that, at some point of their lives, we did something that helped them to do the necessary efforts and see their gratitude, it's a great feeling of peace and gratitude for being an instrument in the hand of God to help and bless our brothers and sisters. They need our support! We need the support from each other.
- By encouraging those who already are temple worthy to keep going to the temple and to remember their covenants. Not because someone is temple worthy means that keeping their covenants is easy for them, and if we show them our support for the efforts they make, it can give them the motivation to keep doing those efforts.
I am grateful for this experience. It has helped me to understand better how I can be more like my Savior and how I can serve better my brothers and sisters in this great work of Salvation.
That is a reason why I love president Monson, because he had always been someone who loves people, who seeks for the guidance of the Spirit to know how to reach out to others, and who never delays a prompting from the Spirit. He serves others, and I believe that, on this earth, he is one of the greatest. So, when he shook my hand, I had a feeling of gratitude because I was having so close to me a man who is a great example of showing the pure love to Christ to others, and because before he shook my hand, that same hand had been following his example, and the example of Christ, of serving others and helping them to enter the temple with clean shoes, so my "hand" was "worthy" to touch his sweet hand who had done so much good in the world everyday.
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| I didn't took pictures of it that day but this is what I was doing... |
