April 2010 Visiting Teaching Message

Go here to find the April 2010 Visiting Teaching message direct link at lds.org: http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,2044-1-5146-1,00.html   This months message is "Seeking and Receiving Personal Revelation". At the bottom of the V.T. message page are some "Notes" with references to talks by church leaders on the subject of Personal Revelation. One that caught my eye, was given by Dallin H. Oaks, entitled “Eight Reasons for Revelation,” found in the Liahona, Sep 2004, 8. As I read the first paragraph about the personal revelation of warning given to a mother for the safety of her children, I was reminded of a true story about the personal revelation given to my own daughter on behalf of her daughter, my granddaughter.

Last year, my little  Granddaughter age 4,  began feeling ill one day and complained to her mom, that she had pain in her stomach and began vomiting.  At first my daughter passed it off to her possibly catching the flu like most parents would.  As any good mother would, my daughter comforted her little girl, and did everything she could think of to treat her symptoms.  Molly, my daughter, phoned the doctor, told the her of Brinleys symptoms,  and the doctor said that it sounded like the stomach flu. My daughter prayed for her daughters protection and healing throughout the day.  When the symptoms didn't go away, she told her husband that she thought something more was really wrong.  Now, like most husbands do, he tried to reassure and calm his wife and her fears, that it wasn't anything to worry about and, that the doctor had said it was just the flu, and  that probably by the next day, she would wake up and be just fine. After a bad night, the next day came and  all the symptoms including vomiting continued, and she seemed to be as bad or worse as she was the day before.  This time, my daugher took Brinley into the doctor to be checked, and once again, the doctor said that Brinley just had a bad case of the flu.

Putting her sick little girl to bed the second night, my daughter continued to have a nagging feeling that things weren't alright but on the other hand, she didn't want to make a big deal if it was only the flu like the doctor said. Up until about 1:00am, after putting her daughter to bed that second night of sickness, with a prayer in her heart, my daughter Molly felt compelled to go to the computer and look up symptoms that her daughter was having on medical websites, and see if she could get any more answers there.   Throughout that day she had  kept having thoughts about apendicitus go through her mind, and it just didn't leave her thoughts. This just didn't seem like the flu to her, and soon she began to realized that there was something much more serious.  She had  promptings and feelings deep inside of her suggesting that she needed to get her daughter into see a doctor right away. That was about 1:00am, and it was dark and snowing outside, and the roads in Parleys Canyon were snow covered and slippery.  Telling her husband that she thought that their little girl should be taken to the doctor immediately, he once again said, to not worry so much, but something else inside her mind was telling her differently.  She new she was being prompted and she knew that she had to take action.

Molly, decided to bundle up Brinley in her warm coat and blanket and at 1:30 am, the two of them drove through the treacherous canyon roads, to get to an emergency room of a hospital in Salt Lake City. Molly recounts that she had to drive very slow, and prayed all the way through the canyon for their safety, anxious and  in fear that they might end up sliding off the road.   An hour later, they arrived at the Emergency Room of Primary Children hospital, and tests were performed on little Brinley. Results came back that there was something much worse than the flu and it was her appendix, just as she had been prompted.  Little Brinley was scheduled for surgery only hours after being brought to the hospital.  It was about 6:00 am, that next morning, when I was notified by my daughter of what had happened only hours prior.  I was so grateful that she was in tune with the Spirits promptings that told her to take action even when the doctore said otherwise.  Little Brinley's symptoms could have easily been written off to the stomach flu, but the spirit sent a warning to my daughter and she listened and acted upon this warning and I am so grateful that she did. 

As a side note, my daughters husband could barely contain himself, as he drove down the snowy canyon to the hospital after finding out about his little girls tests. His heart ached not only for his little daughter's serious condition, but because he had continued to discount his wifes feelings of just over reacting to what the doctor had said was symptoms of the  flu.   I can only imagine how grateful he was for his wife, not listening to his normally calming influence and comments, and acting upon the promptings she had received. 

Before the surgery was done, little Brinley received a priesthood blessing from her Daddy and her Grandpa. As she was being wheeled into the operating room, Brinley had been given sedation, and she looked up at her Grandpa, and said, "Hey Grandpa, you have 3 eyes and two heads."  Knowing her observations came from the drugs she had been given, she provided us with some comic relief in that stressful situation.   

All went well with the surgery, and she recovered quickly.  Brinley so enjoyed the attention and kindness she receoved in Primary Children's Hospital and asked when she could go back again to stay over night and order food off of the hospital menu. Her bright and cheerful spirit provided comfort to those of us adults who were so worried about her, yet she didn't complain or even seem to be in much pain.  Once the surgery was over, she began to thrive and after only a couple weeks of healing, was back to normal activity and to the bright and spirited little girl she had alwasy been. 

In the talk by Elder Oaks, he states, "This is not a case where a person proposes to take a particular action and the Spirit either confirms or restrains. This is a case where revelation comes when it is not being sought and impels some action not proposed. This type of revelation is obviously less common than other types, but its rarity makes it all the more significant."

When we live in tune with the spirit, we can be assured that we will receive the guidance and personal revelation we need. The Lord is watching over us and knows everything from the beginning to the end of our lives, and if we will keep ourselves in tune and receptive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, then we can not only accomplish His purposes for us here on this earth, but be receptacles to help and bless the lives of others. I know that God lives and that revelation to His children is a reality. I pray that we will be worthy and willing to partake in this wonderful blessing and gift he gives to each of us.  Sincerely, Katie G. P.S.  I have posted a handout/printable bookmark, taken from one of the quotes of this months Visiting Teaching message.  It was one by President Boyd K. Packer .  It says, "Prayer is your personal key to heaven.  The lock is on your side of the veil." You can find it at my other blog http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com While you are there, you should lookover all the  archives of great printables, ideas and things that I have posted for the past couple of years, since I began this blog.  Even though those ideas may be specific to a particular lesson or holiday, you can still use them to share on other occasions for other purposes.