"Today Is The Only Day We Have"

It has taken me a little while, but I have finally gotten used to complete strangers looking at my Missionary Black Name Tag, then looking at me with a question in their eyes ---- at first, I felt conspicuous, but now I wait and look for an opportunity to start a conversation.

About two weeks ago, there was a new receptionist at

my chiropractor's office. She looked at my Name Tag, asked some questions, and we started to talk. I could tell from the things that she was saying, she was a religious person, so I commented to her that I felt that she was spiritual also .... she replied yes, she was, or she would never have been able to deal with the challenges  that she had in her  life,

 I invited her to tell me more,  and she said that they had a 26 year old daughter who had been diagnosed ten years ago with a rare and terminal illness, for which there is no cure.

Today, the daughter is completely confined to a wheelchair, and they do not know how much longer she will be with them.

Their family motto is , "Today is the only day we have!"  They have decided that they will never again  let a day pass without acting on and doing the good things that they feel they would like to do together, for there may be no tomorrow. "We will have no regrets", she added.

I was very taken with her comments and felt to share with her my experience of feeling my grandmother close by me recently, the entire day,  when a loved one was going through surgery and I could not be there for them.

I shared with her my testimony that I knew that there was more to this life than just now, that there was a life after death, when we could be together with our loved ones. I also told her that I believed that our loved ones continue to be aware of us and interested in us --- she looked at me and smiled and said, "Yes, I believe that is true!"

It was not a long discussion we had, but it was an important one  --- I am grateful for the promptings of the Spirit to ask "inspired questions", to share true doctrine and to  bear my testimony, all because someone read my Name Tag and asked questions.

In Doctrine and Covenants 64:33, we read "Wherefore, be not weary in well doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great."

PS.....Since writing this post yesterday, I had another remarkable conversation from a stranger reading my Name Tag. I was paying for my purchases at a local store and the teller read my Missionary Tag. Right out of the blue he said,  "I am also religious!". I said that was great, and  asked him where he was from and he replied that he was from India!

I told him my parents had gone on a mission to India, many years

ago, and had made some dear friends there. Then he asked if I really believed that story about the man who made the waters part in two and the people walked through --- and he looked at me with skeptiscim. I  told him that I knew it was incredible, and hard to understand how that could really happen! BUT, I said to him, I know that God can do miracles and He can also  do miracles in our life ----- 

As the words came to my mind and then out of my mouth, I was myself a bit surprised, but I knew that was the message that God wanted that man to hear in those few minutes that our paths crossed. The look in his eyes shifted slightly and I could see he was thinking ----I gave him a pass along card, invited him to look at the video using the link on the card and to also look up the movie, "Meet The Mormons."

You know, I struggled two weeks ago to mentally and emotionally stay here on my mission --- so close to the end, and things at home I wanted to be there for. And now I feel that God has given me so many missionary opportunities, of which these are only two, that have been little miracles to me, to see how God can work through us to send a message of love and caring to complete strangers. It brings tears to my eyes, it really does!

In the spirit of "Today is the only day we have

 we picked up some "Rasberry Cordial", from PEI and took it into staff meeting --- hopefully we don't look like a bunch of drunks here ----

We also went canoeing down the Shubenacadie Canal on P-day, and had a relaxing and fun day. We know that the idea of  today being the only day we have, comes from the heart of two parents determined to live life to the fullest with their daughter --- we also know that there are many, many days ahead, and we all need to find balance in our days.

May we blessed to use our time that God has given us, to love each other better and to serve the Lord