As a girl in this big, wide world it's easy to feel inadequate. Seriously, everywhere we are there are messages being sent to us of who we should be--the clothes that we should wear, the group of friends that we should have, the special diets we should incorporate....the list goes on and on. Sheesh, I'm getting overwhelmed just thinking about it.
In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord speaks to Emma Smith and calls her an "elect lady."
In this world today, it's easy to equate being "elect" to meeting the world's standards--I literally do it every darn day.
Lately, my eyes have been opened to a different kind of "elect lady"-- I like to assume that this is the kind that the Lord was referring to when He spoke to His daughter, Emma.
As the years go on, I come to appreciate this elect lady (my mom) more and more.
Let me tell you more about this remarkable lady--
She has been my rock since day one. The days that filled her pregnancy with me were hard ones for her, she was dealing with more than most people ever have to. Yet she remained devoted to me, and understood her role as a mother and worked to build a beautiful life for me to be born into. When I was born, she was my instant best friend.
She has taught me the importance of education and hard work, of good books and of music. I literally can't think of a piano recital, violin or cello recital (even though it was sometimes screechy), dance recital or soccer game (even when I ran away from the ball) when she wasn't there. I always knew my mom would be there to support me in anything and everything. The majority of her afternoons were spent driving me and my siblings to our various activities--she sacrificed so much of her time to make sure I was partaking of every opportunity I could.
She is a silent, selfless server. Never once has she made a production of the kind things she does for people, but she does them everyday. She doesn't ever look for what she can get, but rather, seeks to look for what she can give. She isn't about all of the social stuff--she sees people as individuals and as children of God, and she genuinely loves them.
She teaches me that family comes first. My favorite days are the days when I can be at home with my family--my mom makes it so fun. She puts forth every effort to make every family time special and to make our family become closer.
She understands when I'm hurting, and she reminds me of where I can turn. She has had her fair share of hard, hard times, and she constantly reminds me of what Jesus has done for her, and what He can do for me. As I have watched her pray, read the scriptures and consistently hold family home evening, my own testimony has grown. She reminds me of what it means to be a disciple of Christ.
She doesn't receive recognition from the world; to the world, she actually might seem ordinary.
But, to me, my mother is the opposite of ordinary--she is the epitome of elect. Each day, she has shown me the kind of woman that I want to become.
.JPG)
