The Spirit Finds a Way
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 2:02 pm
Yesterday in sacrament meeting, after the second speaker had finished her talk, a surprising thing happened.
A young man in his 20's stood up at the front of the chapel and began to speak about his father. He was wearing a t-shirt with "Arkansas" across the front.
This young man has Down's syndrome, but spoke loudly and clearly enough for all to hear. I believe he is a member of the church who shows up only now and then for brief periods.
Through intermittent tears, he spoke of his father, and how his father had run out on him and his mother when he just a boy.
He said he didn't know where his father was now, but that he had forgiven his father.
He said he wanted to wish his father a Happy Father's Day.
The bishopric was obviously becoming agitated, and after about five-minutes, the counselor conducting stood up and went to the lectern to say something, but right at that instant, the young man finished and walked up the aisle and out of the chapel.
The meeting then proceeded on schedule with the Primary children getting up to sing some songs about how wonderful their fathers are.
_________________________
After the meeting was over, I approached the bishopric member who had been conducting the meeting. He is a good guy. I told him that I was impressed with what the young man had said, and he agreed.
I told him the experience reminded me of Jurassic Park. He asked how. I said that in Jurassic Park, there was an island full of dinosaurs that had been genetically engineered with frog DNA to not be able to reproduce . . . and yet they had reproduced. Malcolm commented, "Nature finds a way."
I said that in the LDS Church we schedule our sacrament meetings so completely as to keep the Spirit from manifesting, but in spite of our best efforts, "The Spirit finds a way."
It was the most worthwhile sacrament meeting I have been to in years.
All the Best!
--Consiglieri
A young man in his 20's stood up at the front of the chapel and began to speak about his father. He was wearing a t-shirt with "Arkansas" across the front.
This young man has Down's syndrome, but spoke loudly and clearly enough for all to hear. I believe he is a member of the church who shows up only now and then for brief periods.
Through intermittent tears, he spoke of his father, and how his father had run out on him and his mother when he just a boy.
He said he didn't know where his father was now, but that he had forgiven his father.
He said he wanted to wish his father a Happy Father's Day.
The bishopric was obviously becoming agitated, and after about five-minutes, the counselor conducting stood up and went to the lectern to say something, but right at that instant, the young man finished and walked up the aisle and out of the chapel.
The meeting then proceeded on schedule with the Primary children getting up to sing some songs about how wonderful their fathers are.
_________________________
After the meeting was over, I approached the bishopric member who had been conducting the meeting. He is a good guy. I told him that I was impressed with what the young man had said, and he agreed.
I told him the experience reminded me of Jurassic Park. He asked how. I said that in Jurassic Park, there was an island full of dinosaurs that had been genetically engineered with frog DNA to not be able to reproduce . . . and yet they had reproduced. Malcolm commented, "Nature finds a way."
I said that in the LDS Church we schedule our sacrament meetings so completely as to keep the Spirit from manifesting, but in spite of our best efforts, "The Spirit finds a way."
It was the most worthwhile sacrament meeting I have been to in years.
All the Best!
--Consiglieri