What She Knows

Yesterday we were late to church.  What's new?  From our seats in the back, we listened, kids coloring and thumbing through the hymnbook.  But it wasn't until a primary-age child got up at the pulpit to speak, that Ava looked at me in a panic.  That was the signal to her that this was not a regular Sunday, but indeed the Sunday where the opportunity is open to anyone to get up and share what they know.  Fast and Testimony meeting.

As the realization dawned in her eyes, it was followed by what appeared to be urgency, frustration, and excitement.

She has expressed her desire to share her testimony before.  She wanted us to tell her what to say.  We explained that it was something she needed to think of herself.  We've taught her the parts of a testimony,  we've reviewed possibilities for what she might share.  But she got kind of hung up on needing it to be "right" (as she does with many things) and also on being able to remember it once she got up there.

We emphasized that there was no "right," all that was necessary was she share what she know and we settled on the fact that she could write down what she wanted to say and practice as much as she wanted before hand.

But the first Sunday of July came, she had no idea, and we didn't know how serious she was about it until she looked at me with that face.

Within a few minutes she was on her way to the front with a paper in hand.

She stood in front of over 300 people and this is what she said:

I know that Jesus loves me and I love him.  I feel happy when I feel the Holy Ghost.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

When she returned to our row, there was no panic, no anxiety, no frustration, instead her eyes were lit up with excitement, pride, and joy.  And she said, "I can't wait to do that again."