So this last Saturday I was asked to play the piano for Sacrament Meeting, and in our ward the pianist chooses the hymns. It actually works really well, this way whatever they've chosen they're comfortable with playing.
I was trying to find a sacrament hymn, and every one I looked at just kind of felt "meh". When I choose hymns I try to choose ones that really speak to me; since I can't sing and play at the same time very well, I like playing hymns I know well so I still know what words are going with the music I'm playing, which in turn lets me still contemplate the message the hymn is trying to convey. Well this time, none of them were standing out until I turned to hymn #187, "God Loved Us, So He Sent His Son". I saw it, thought "maybe", then turned to the next hymn. Right when I turned the page, I felt something distinctly telling me I needed to go back and play that hymn. It was a weird prompting, but I just shrugged and thought, "why not?" and jotted it down.
In Sacrament Meeting the next day, while playing I tried to look around. I watched to see if it was a hymn someone in specific needed that day, but it was just like every other sacrament meeting: most people singing, a few people on their phones, and Jasmine being cute and staring at all the new faces. The hymn came and went, and nothing seemed different. I was very confused. Why did I feel so prompted to choose that specific hymn? What am I missing?
While the sacrament was being passed, I decided to read through all the words to see if there was something I didn't hear while I was playing, and sure enough, there it was in the third verse:
"Oh, love effulgent, love divine!
What debt of gratitude is mine,
That in his off'ring, I have part
And hold a place within his heart "
At that moment, I realized that the person who needed that hymn was me. Lately I've been wondering if I'm doing everything I should be doing, if I'm really doing all that Heavenly Father wants me to be doing. I'll be honest, I've been feeling like a slacker and a bum for a while. But there in that verse was the reassurance I needed! It doesn't say that we need to pay our debt of deeds or diligence or perfectness. The only thing we're missing is our gratitude. That's it. To hold a place within our Savior's heart, all he asks is gratitude.
Now don't misinterpret me - gratitude doesn't just mean saying "Thank you" and we're saved. Showing gratitude means we acknowledge His hand in our lives, and we live to show that we are appreciative of what he's done for us. We live to the best we can live, show our gratitude in the way we know how, and we have a part in his offering and a place in his heart. We don't have to be the perfect mother or wife or student or friend- we just have to try and allow God to lift us higher.
I don't know if this is making sense to anyone but myself, but it was such a tender mercy for me. The Lord loves us and invites us into His fold. God loved, and loves us. He sent His Son as the perfect sacrifice and can't wait for us to take advantage of it.
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