He Knows Your Heart

I had a good, long phone conversation with a friend yesterday.  It was good to catch up with her.


Something she said, though, got me to thinking - got me to think about how I talk to others, especially within the framework of the church and gospel.


By her own admission, this friend was a spiritual child, one who knew of God and had tasted of his goodness from a very early age.  Her parents broke up and divorced when she was in elementary school, and her mom kept physical custody of her.  She saw her dad on Tuesdays and Sundays, the only days available to spend time with him.


When she was twelve, a member of her bishopric asked why she hadn't been going to church on Sunday and primary on Tuesdays (this was in the 1970s, before the three hour block schedule we now have).  She told him that those were the only days she could spend time with her dad.  He then asked, well-meaning, I'm sure, what was more important - to spend time with her dad or go to church.


What would your answer be?


Her answer was that she felt it more important to spend time with her father.  He, the member of the bishopric, told her that the right answer should have been church.


Since that time, my friend has not returned to church, now doubts her testimony and has since engaged in some pretty self-destructive behavior.


It's this situation, and others like it I've both learned about and experienced for myself, that leads me to wonder what we inadvertently do to each other when we interact with others.  Because he made my friend, only twelve at the time, make a decision between family and church, he poisoned her thinking about what the gospel is supposed to be about.  Well meaning as he was, the damage was done.


Now, I'm a firm believer that, as we age and grow and mature, we must take ownership of our own decisions when we can (there are a host of situations the Lord is aware of where we may not be able to do that - our past, addictions, decisions and hurts forced upon us by others) - but you can see how easy it would be for a child, faced with the choices my friend was given, to grow up doubting the tender mercies of the Lord through His servants.


So, yeah, this got me thinking a lot.  It's helped me to see that I really need to be careful in how I talk to others, especially in the framework of the gospel.  We're all different.  We've all had different trials and family situations. Not one of us is exactly alike.


Therefore, I will try my best to see others as Heavenly Father sees them. I will try to refrain from unrighteous judgement and remember that He, God alone, knows their hearts.


And, in the meantime, I will pray for mercy to be with all of us, no matter our background, our upbringing or our situation now.


I hope you have a good Sabbath, full of His peace, love and grace.




Bro H.