Gather

I'm grateful for church.  I love the Sabbath day!  The peace, the stillness, the focus, the clarity is such a blessing in my life!  Today I was particularly grateful for the chance to fast, to worship, and to gather.

As I was taking the sacrament I thought for a second about how we help each other keep covenants.  The simpleness of passing the sacrament tray to someone made me think about this.  Depending on where we're sitting we often have the chance to kindly, quietly, patiently offer and assist someone while they have a chance to renew a very important covenant each week.  This is a simple thing that we don't even think about (I hadn't), but today it made me think about the meaningful and real ways that we do and can assist others in keeping their covenants.  It made me want to be more mindful of keeping my own covenants and being more aware of chances to help others.

Relatedly, there is strength in gathering.  I felt that today - the chance to be with and share faith and friendship with others one on one and collectively is uplifting and helpful.  As one sister put it - gather round the good stuff!  ;)

We had a wonderful Sunday School lesson about gathering - physically and spiritually.  The early saints gathered to Ohio, Missouri, Nauvoo, and Utah, and now we gather to stakes across the world.  The stakes are a refuge and a protection.  We strengthen and bless each other.  I loved these verses that remind us how and why we gather - D&C 29:2; 38:24-27; 38:32-37.  We gather as a hen gathers her chickens.  We gather to be one - esteeming our brothers (all of them) as ourselves, looking after the poor and needy and administering to their relief.  Just as important, we gather spiritually as families on both sides of the veil.  I was grateful for the reminder in my singles ward that that means finding a spouse and creating a family here, but also as President Eyring taught so beautifully last week our hearts turn to our fathers and we gather our families on both sides of the veil.  These are ways we help others make and keep covenants.

Obviously this lesson's focus was the gathering of Israel (which is something that has always excited me to think about), but today it was the personal applications that seemed to be the most important.  While I am very grateful for people and relationships in my life I'm also very content to be my own, so the reminder of the importance of gathering was important for me.  He wants us to come to Him and to truly come to Him we gather and bring others, too.

I was grateful for these other thoughts, testimonies, and reminders:
* Spiritually stretch, draw on the power of Jesus Christ.
* Follow the first nudge of the Spirit.
* Trust and rely on Him (the Savior).  He will take care of us.  He can and He will.  Don't fear.
* Confess the Lord's hand in all things.  He remembers us.  We must remember Him.
* See others as Christ does.
* Be a witness of Him always.
* Tell the Father's story!
* Listen for the whisperings of the Spirit.

And any Sunday that ends with an hour of singing with the choir preparing for Easter is even better!  Hosanna!  :)