Do I know the Lord?

Week Fifty-one!

This week we had a beautiful meeting on Sunday. One story that was shared really hit me.

At the gate of death there was an angel asking all of the beings one question.  The first man approached and the angel asked, "Do you know the Lord?" and he responded "no, I didn’t really want to, I lived a bad life and no, I’m not really interested" The angel said pass through there is a place for you and people waiting. The next man came up and the angel asked "Do you know the Lord?" The man thought a minute "Yeah, I think so, I was a good man, I went to church I served a mission, yeah, I think so" And the angel said, "pass, there is a place for you and people waiting". A third man approached and the angel asked "Do you know the Lord?" The third man fell to his knees and began to weep and said "yes Lord, I know you"

This story really touched me this week, because I was thinking about how do we "know" people, a lot of the time. I know my family, I know my friends, and I know the people in my wards. But do I really know them?

This week I was thinking about some of the people that I have really grown to love in my life, and the people that had the greatest influence in my life.  And there are some people that are obvious, my parents, every bishop I have ever had, and my young women’s leaders.  But there were a couple names that came up.  Some that were a little weird, but that I feel truly had an influence on my life.

One is a man named Bamboo. I met Bamboo for the first time when I was in 6th grade and I didn’t really think about it, but you know, a few years later I went back to outdoor school as a counselor, and for 5 years, we hung out in the forest.  And maybe we didn’t spend every moment together like I did with some of the kids my age, but we shared stories and moments, and really tried to help each other improve in an uplifting way.  And my last time at Outdoor School, was also his last time because as a 40 year old man he was finally going back to school to finish his teaching degree, and yes we broke the rules and gave each other a giant bear hug because he was like another dad to me, and he said I was like a daughter to him.  And I think Bamboo is someone I really got to know in this life, maybe I don’t know his last name, and maybe I will never have the chance to see him again, but he really helped me to be a good teacher, some things that have helped me in my mission. 

And there were others who I have thought about in this time but all lead back to one point, we don’t have to be around someone all the time, or live with them, or know their life story to really know someone.  And it’s the same with Jesus Christ. We don’t need to see or meet Him to really know Him.  The most important is that we can apply his everlasting Atonement in our lives.  Because when we understand his Atonement we understand His love for us and that He knows us.  That we can have the comfort and peace and love in our lives constantly from Him and our Father.  The Atonement was suffered for YOU and me and for every person who has existed.

So strive to be like the 3rd man, who in the moment knew the love and voice of his Savior. 

I love you Guys,

Hermana Peters