Description
A Rose and a Rosebud
For me, I experience more frustration trying to determine how and what and when I’ve received a revelation, than I do when I just follow the simple ideas that come into my mind and heart that feel good.
To paraphrase the prophet Joseph Smith: “Revelation is a sudden flow of good ideas.”
Let me demonstrate.
One Sunday morning, more than 50 years ago, Sharon was busily engaged in getting her two little children, Susie and Rusty, ready for church.
As most mothers can attest to, there are never enough minutes on a Sunday morning. Between feeding everyone, getting dad out the door on time for an early meeting, getting the little ones dressed for church, including trying to fix hair and looking for lost shoes. We’ve all been there, we know what this is like. And then, of all things, getting to church on time, that’s the kicker.
And this morning was likely no exception. But on this particular morning, Sharon tells of an unexpected gift.
She wrote:
“Finding time to pick flowers for teachers on a busy Sunday morning was not something that I had previously added to my busy morning schedule, despite numerous requests from my children, but this day was evidently meant to be an exception.
“We were finally all in the car, ready to drive out the driveway, and as I looked out our front car window at my fledgling, Rose Garden, my heart was softened, and this time I responded to Susie’s plea. I made a mad dash and cut some flowers for Susie and Rusty to take to their two teachers, a mother-daughter team who taught the youngest class in Sunday School. So, I headed back inside the house to get a pair of scissors and a piece of tinfoil to wrap around the flowers. I didn’t have much of a choice to pick from, and wound up with only a rose and a rose bud. The gift looked pretty simple, but it would have to do.
“And off to church we went. When we arrived at church, the children happily presented their teachers with the roses.”
And I just have to tell you that words cannot express how delighted those two teachers were to receive their gift. Prior to this, these two conscientious teachers later told me, they’d been really upset. Why? Because their lesson that day in primary called for a rose and a rose bud, and they knew they didn’t have time to drive the half hour back home (from our Centinela Ward in Hawthorne, California to El Segundo) to get the rose and rose bud that they had forgotten.
As you can imagine, those two grateful teachers were absolutely amazed, even ecstatic when Susie and Rusty handed them their gift, a rose and a rose bud, truly enriching the teachers’ lesson for that day. Inspiration is a beautiful thing to experience. It can come at such unexpected times, and it can pertain to things both small and large, great and simple. Increasing our faith in the tender mercies from our Heavenly Father.
I hope, especially now, that we may all be aware and record the sweet and simple gifts of inspiration and revelation we receive in our lives as requested by the Prophet. And may we be quick to act upon those promptings we are given.
Source:
experience of Sharon Hyde
