by Phyllis Bourque
Many years ago, as a new 28-year-old
convert, and the mother of a newborn and a toddler of 18 months, it was
no small challenge to get ready for church. My mate was not being
called as I was, and so Sabbath preparations rested entirely on me. One
particular Sabbath, the children were fussy, I was tired, and it was
raining…all good reasons to stay home, or so my still somewhat
“Protestant mind” thought. Missing church that day didn’t seem as
big to me as the hassle of getting everything ready to go. So, I stayed
home.
The next week when I went to church, many of the ladies
flocked around me, very interested in my well-being and the children,
as was their custom. They mentioned how they had missed us the last
Sabbath and wondered if any of us had been sick. I explained that such
was not the case, but that the challenge of getting the children ready
to go out on a rainy day was a bit more than I could handle. And then I
said, “….but God understands.”
An elder’s wife among the group
quickly spoke up and said, “Oh, He understands, alright. He understands
where your heart is.” Her words were well-chosen and very
powerful, and they echo in my mind to this day. I came to realize
then how my actions were related to my conviction.
In the ensuing
years, I have been faced with diverse trials–trials that I never could
have predicted, nor would I have chosen had I known the details ahead
of time. But through those trials, God has given me ample opportunities
to learn much-needed lessons in order to grow in my conversion, showing
Him where my heart was and is, as I go through those trials. I
certainly cannot claim perfection in this area, but I keep trying, and
those very powerful words from a friend have been helpful along the way.
Yes,
God does understand where our heart is. Every day we show Him
where it is, in what we think, in what we say, and, most of all, in
what we do.
