How a Potential Blog Post Became a Relief Society Lesson

Yesterday during the sacrament I was thinking about the words in the sacrament prayer, our recent trip to Europe, the crosses that were displayed in all of the cathedrals, and the Atonement. I was thinking about how in our Mormon culture we don't focus much at all on what occurred on the cross, but talk about the suffering that Christ endured while praying his Intercessory Prayer in Gethsemane. I then began composing a blog post in my head about how seeing those crosses over and over again transformed my feelings about the Atonment and made me appreciate even more Christ's sacrifice for me. I was thinking I would write about how much I think we miss by not spending a bit more time talking about Christ's crucifixion. Because the Atonement is also about the spikes driven into His hands, wrists and feet; the crown of thorns plaited on his head; the spear thrust into his side and all of this Jesus willing endured, absent of His Father's comfort, so that we might be saved. I would share in my blog post how because of this sacrifice, I know I will never have to suffer this kind of pain and torment if I accept Christ as my Savior and Redeemer and allow His goodness to work in my life. All He asks of me is come unto Him and share His "good news" (the gospel) as I work to become a true disciple.

Then sacrament meeting ended and we moved on to Sunday school and I didn't think too much more about my developing blog post. At the conclusion of Sunday school I leaned over to the elder's quorum president and asked where we would be holding our combined meeting (yesterday was a 5th Sunday and usually the men and women meet together during the 3rd hour). He said we weren't having a combined meeting. Really? sez I because when I was texted our RS president on Tuesday to make sure it was combined she said yes it was, she had checked during ward council last Sunday. The elder's quorum president said that an e-mail went out on Wednesday and didn't the RS pres forward it to me? Nope I sez because SHE IS IN EUROPE and the bishopric knew that. Oops he sez right back to me.

So in the 10 minutes between Sunday school and RS, I played some prelude music for RS on the piano, grabbed a couple of pictures from the library, rifled through the Ensign that I had in my bag to see if there was a talk that would go with the blog post I had been composing (and yes there was. It was entitled "Redemption"), and then conducted opening exercises before turning the time over to myself to teach the lesson. Somewhere along the way I did manage to say a quick prayer that I would be able to teach by the Spirit. By the discussion generated and the feeling in the room, it seems that the Spirit was there and that the message was uplifting and drew the sisters closer to Christ.

And that is how a potential blog post became a RS lesson.