You are His Child

     Last night I accompanied several of the young women to a hospital in Plano to sing to the eldest priesthood member in our ward. Brother Johnson has been sick for a long time, and soon it will be his joy to join our Father in Heaven once more. As we came in to say hello and sing, Brother Johnson's grandson was there with his wife, and they were visiting him and checking up on him. We came in and asked whether it was okay to sing a few songs, and being the delightful man that he appeared to be, said yes. We sang simply "I am a Child of God". How beautiful such simple words are in times like these. He teared up, and so did I. One of my dear friends beside me, whom I have never known to cry, teared up as well and it brought me such joy that she was touched by the spirit. We sang several other hymns and primary songs, and lastly as we sang "God be with You Till we Meet Again", he sang with us. Silent tears accompanied the music, along with a spirit stronger than I've felt in a very long time. He bore his sweet testimony to us, and said, "I want you to know that this church is true. I know it."
    After we sang to him a woman asked us to sing to her friend's mother. In the room were four women, who did not (to me) appear to be christian. One in bed, very sick. Her daughter, a younger woman, stood by her bedside, stroking her hair and holding her hand. The two other women were friends. We gathered around and began to sing. I was not overwhelmed by the spirit until we sang "A Child's Prayer." These words especially brought tears to my eyes as I watched the woman in the bed.
"Pray, He is there. Speak, He is listening.
You are His child, His love now surrounds you"
I realized then, with this strong overwhelming feeling, how much our Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us. I could feel His love for this woman. I felt it. "You are His child, His love now surrounds you." I could feel how happy He was that she was coming home. Oh, how much our Father must miss us while we are here, away from Him: Sinning, Learning, Hurting, Laughing, Trying, Becoming.
   It made me realize that because he loves His children so much, He wants them to live with Him again and we are the disciples. We do His work. Missionary work is so very important. Not only missionary work, but family history work. I have come to realize that they go hand in hand. When you save a soul, you gave generations. You allow them to be woven together in the gospel. The families that are blessed in this present earth life, the families that will be blessed in the generations hereafter, and the families that came before, who did not have the opportunity to know the truth that their descendants now know. We have the power and potential to save thousands of souls, and to allow them to have what we may have, so long as we are righteous: Exaltation. Eternal life with our Heavenly Father and our brother Jesus Christ. That alone should be motivation enough for anything.