Letter From The Highlands
March, 2004
By Anne Perry

It has been an extraordinary month since I last wrote.  The weather has been full of extremes, from cloudless sun, absolute stillness, seas like polished silk all the way to horizontal blizzards with wind screaming in the eaves like lost souls in torment.  Snow has covered everything until people could not even get out of their own houses to go to work!  And then a couple of days later such heat behind the glass of windows that we have sweltered!

The garden is sheeted in snowdrops, blazing purple and gold crocuses, yellow winter aconite, primroses and purple irises.  (I hope I have pictures of these enclosed)  Sunsets and twilight have been so exquisitely beautiful they knot you up inside with the glory of them, all peach and gold and fire, melting into indigo, and the sea every shade of silver and blue, even turquoise.

Nights are almost like daylight with the full moon over the snow.  Then everything is green again, and the air is as soft as summer.  Mad as a March Hare!  But wonderful.  You really know you are alive.  I have taken half an hour’s brisk walk at lunchtime as far as the sea on the other side of the peninsula – only just over half a mile away.  Clears the cobwebs, settles the lunch, and has to be good for me!

And we have had some marvellous Sundays at church.  I don’t know what has happened to us, but we are on a roll!  So many good talks, and superb lessons in both Sunday school and Relief Society.  We are small enough that everyone can participate, and we have had real fun as well as some deeply spiritual insights.  I love it when lessons are not exclusive, for one group or another, this or that status, leaving out anyone who does not fit.

For example, the Sunday just gone, the Relief Society lesson, the first of the month, was on how to deal with burdens, adversity etc.  Now there is certainly no one left out of that!  But if there were, pray for them!  If they have no challenges, then they have no chance for growth.  They are at a standstill, and none of us has time to waste on that.  And another thought – if the adversary does not know your name – then maybe God does not either!!  The answers offered in the class were universal, no matter what the cause of the pain.

To sum it up, it was a matter of doing all we can ourselves, then praying earnestly, without too many words, simply speaking as a child to a father, saying what hurts and why, and asking for help to solve it.  If it can’t be solved, then we ask for help to know how to put up with it, bear it well, without being bitter, angry or despairing.

We all said we had felt better for doing that; stronger to continue, calmer inside.  It did not matter whether the problem was physical pain or disability, loneliness, grief, fear, guilt or whatever else hurts and frightens!  The faith to do that, and let go, at least for a little while, made us calmer and stronger when we had to pick it up again, and always the weight of the burden was greatly lessened.

No situation or circumstance excludes anyone at all from this.  I LOVE those lessons!

Charity

The week before we had fine talks in Sacrament.  One by a sister was on the importance of charity, or if you like, kindness, above all else.  She quoted St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, put in contrast with other powerful and very simple stories of her own, so it had an amazing strength of honesty.  And because we all know her, and that she means what she says, it was most uplifting.  Truly, all the obedience in the world is a dead thing without that life and warmth of caring.  If you don’t actually like people, the rest is dead.  If you don’t wish them well, only obey the commandment to give practical help, it will give to them only half of what it would have with love, and it will give you nothing at all.

Maybe that spark is what lit us all so well for this week?  All the testimonies were excellent.  Every one was truly about belief in God, in the joy, the uniqueness, the value of the Gospel.  No one at all stood up to brag about their families, or how much they were loved, blessed, special or superior!  I get so tired of those.  It doesn’t uplift anyone to hear how ‘I’ve got the best mother – father – husband – wife etc. in the world’ – i.e. better than yours!

How many people have I seen leave a testimony meeting feeling alone and inadequate because everyone else seems to have the perfect family, and they don’t understand why they themselves have difficulties, shortcomings etc.  Actually we all do!  We all have days when things go wrong, misunderstandings now and then, things in which we fail.  If you succeed at everything, maybe you are only doing the easy things?  Perhaps you should try something that stretches you a bit?

This Sunday we started off well and just went on getting better.  Every testimony was about faith, particular points of the Gospel that were beautiful, wise, exciting and overwhelmingly true.  We found ourselves rejoicing in its fairness, the opportunities for absolutely everyone:  the help in times of trouble or fear, grief or pain; on gratitude for those who had given so much in order that we might have all that we do; on responsibilities to share the wealth we have been given of understanding, opportunity and knowledge.

I think we all left on a wave of good feeling, of liking each other more, and belief that we could make a difference for good.

The week before a twelve-year-old boy told a lovely story about prayer.  There were two men shipwrecked on an island.  They divided the island into two portions, and agreed to live separately, each relying on prayer, and to see whose prayers were heard.

To cut a long story down, the one on the north end prayed for, and received first food, then water, then shelter, then a wife, and finally a ship to rescue them.

The one on the south end received none of these things.

The rescued man was asked if the ship should pick us his friend as well.  He said ‘No – he must be wicked.  None of his prayers were answered.  Leave him there’.

Perhaps you have guessed already?

All his prayers were answered!  How could that be?  Because he did not pray for himself – he prayed for the man on the north end!  And of course he received all he wished for.

Makes you think, doesn’t it?

I have received a new calling – Compassionate Service Leader.  I am delighted.  I think there is great opportunity for all of us to grow closer to each other.  My plan is that we may be able to do things in such a way that one person helping another may benefit both.  Some people need to receive a little help – others need to give it, and find a great sense of belonging in doing so.  I have often discovered that if I feel low, doing something for someone else, even a very small thing, makes me feel better.  It may be as simple as giving flowers from the garden, or a compliment, or simply a smile.

I met with our Relief Society President, and we spoke of every sister in the Branch, thinking what each might most wish to receive, and be most able to give.  In absolutely every case, highest on the list were the simple gifts of friendship, a listening ear, a kind word, understanding, and encouragement, someone who sees our virtues and believes in us.  With belief we can accomplish almost anything, without it even the least achievement seems all but impossible.

Of course there is the odd occasion for practical help, mostly for those who don’t have cars, but that is only about one tenth of what does the deepest good.  We are back to kindness – without that, there really isn’t a lot else that matters.  The other solutions are cold and will help only for a short while.

Sunday Through Sunday

I have been asked to speak next week, just before our visiting Stake Authority.  But I think I can say what I need to in ten or twelve minutes!  Long ago I heard a really great sermon in the Church of England.  Not an experience I have had many times!  This was at least thirty-five years ago, and I still remember it!  That speaks for itself, doesn’t it?

Palm Sunday.  The crowds are in the streets of Jerusalem.  Everyone is shouting ‘Hosanna!’ and throwing palms in the path of the Saviour as He rides in.  We all want to be there!  We want to be part of it.

One week later in the garden on Easter Sunday when the risen Christ speaks to Mary Magdalene, and she is the first mortal to see a resurrected person, and know the joy, the glory and the hope of eternal life!  We all want to be there!  More than anything on earth – we want to be there!  We want Him to speak our names, as He spoke hers, and we want to recognize Him as who He is.

Thursday – another garden – Gethsemane.

Friday – Christ is mocked, scourged, crowned with thorns.  We are asked ‘Aren’t you with Him?’  Do we say ‘No!  I don’t know Him!’  Like Peter?

Then Golgotha – the crucifixion – more agony, and death.  Are we there?

News flash.  There is no way between Sunday and Sunday, except through Friday!  It just can’t happen.  If you bail out on Thursday night, or some time on Friday, come the second Sunday you are not there!  And I think that might be pretty final.

We were all there in the Pre-existence shouting ‘Hosanna!’ and throwing palms at His feet.

We all want to be there in the Celestial Kingdom and have Him call us by name – and be there for ever.

We’d better hang in there through the week – be there the best we can possibly manage through Thursday and Friday!  We can make it!  We CAN – let us help each other and pray with all passion and honesty of heart that we DO!

Until next month. 
                   

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