Tonight I had the awesome opportunity of attending a Young Women's activity in the Pioneer Valley Ward. My friend is the Young Women's President in this ward and she asked me to come tonight and share some things with her Young Women. The Young Women have been having problems getting along and accepting each other. Basically, there has been a lack of unity in the group.
Tonight, they started out with highlights on each girl. This was a really neat activity because each girl was given another Young Women to call and interview. The girls then had to come back and share with the rest what they had learned about each other. It was so neat to hear them share and to feel the spirit that was in the room as they expressed their admiration for each other and how they were actually not as different as they may have thought that they were prior to the activity. I felt the Spirit really strongly and it was awesome to actually feel some of the love that Heavenly Father has for these girls.
Then, it was my turn. I shared an object lesson with the girls. I started out by asking them who liked Oreo cookies. Several of the girls raised their hands. Then, I invited three of them to come up and get an Oreo. They did and then they noticed that something was missing. I had taken out the filling of the cookies. The "most important part." I then proceeded to relate it to their lives and shared the three lessons that we can learn from an Oreo cookie.
Lesson #1: An Oreo cookie can teach us the importance of focusing on the things that matter most. Often, Satan tries to distract us by having us focus on the things that are on the outside of us. Things that do not really matter. For example, the car we drive, the clothes we wear, how our hair is, if that boy likes us or not, etc. He tries to have us compare ourselves with the people who surround us. Often times, he succeeds. He knows how to distract us. Instead, what we need to do is focus on what matters most. That is what is on the inside...things like our testimonies, our gospel knowledge, developing a relationship with Heavenly Father, reading our scriptures, praying, serving others, etc. I shared how doing the little things makes all the difference. Not just reading our scriptures but REALLY reading. Not just saying our prayers but REALLY praying. This is what my stake president just challenged our stake to do. I have taken the challenge and have noticed such a difference in my life. Focusing on what really matters is what ultimately brings us happiness. It's the stuffing of life and it is what makes life delicious!
Lesson #2: The Oreo cookie can teach us that how we look at and how we treat others really matters. Oftentimes, we might see someone that appears to "have it all together" or maybe we see someone that looks like they are a total mess. However, we may not see that they are struggling at home, that they just experienced the death of a loved one, that they are struggling with a certain temptation. What we see is their outward appearance and it is so important that we do not pass judgement. It is important that we stand by each other and that we support each other through the difficult times. We need to be a friend and help to strengthen them, not tear them down. It is also important that we do not pass gossip. Instead, we need to focus on how we can show them love and acceptance. It is so important that we do not focus on the outside appearance but that we focus on what is inside of them. If we are only focusing on the outer appearance, we are missing the whole individual. It is important that we take the time to really reach out and get to know one another. I shared an experience that some friends told me about today when I stopped by to visit them. Their grandson fell away from the church at the beginning of the year. He stopped attending seminary and in fact, he left his scriptures there at the church. Each morning that Dustin did not attend seminary, a young man would not only grab his own scriptures but Dustin's also. He marked the scriptures the teacher would give the students in both sets of scriptures. Well, a miracle has occurred and Dustin has returned to church and to seminary. He was surprised to see that his scriptures had been marked for him. This was an act of love. An act of charity. We really need to follow this example and reach out to those who need us instead of passing judgement.
Lesson #3: The Oreo Cookie can help us remember who we are and who we have always been. As Young Women stand each week, they recite the fact that, "We are daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves us and we love Him." When we recognize this, we are enjoying the satisfaction of the whole cookie, the whole picture...we know we are loved and that Heavenly Father has a plan for our lives. I shared with the girls the book, "You Are Special" by Max Lucado and I invited them to pray and ask Heavenly Father confirm who they are in their hearts. That they are truly of great worth. When we do not remember this, we feel lost and confused. However, when we remember who we are and that Heavenly Father has a plan for our lives, it all just seems to make sense. And, everything is ok regardless of whether or not our life is happening as we think or have planned for it to happen.
So, these are three lessons that an Oreo cookie can teach us. I had to write this post because honestly, I have to remember these things in my life. The Spirit was so strong tonight as I shared these things with the girls. It was awesome to testify of these things to some of the students that I see on a regular basis at school. Oh, how I wish that I could remind all of my students of who they are. I only pray that they can feel the love that Heavenly Father has for them through me....even when I cannot tell them who they are directly, I hope that they can feel it. I love teaching the gospel. I love it because as I teach these things, the Spirit teaches me and helps me to remember. It changes me and strengthens me until the next time when I get the opportunity to teach again. I had to post this tonight.... not to boast of myself but to praise and thank my God for this experience and the opportunity to REMEMBER.
