Trash To Treasure

        It all started one Sabbath afternoon in my summer Singles Ward during Sacrament meeting... Let me give you some background to my story- When I was in the singles ward for the first time it was an adventure (by adventure I mean culture shock). If you already think church is the longest three hours of your life, wait until you have Relief Society first and Sacrament last, then you may you say church is the longest 3 hours of your life. Anyways.. I made it through the first two hours (don't get me wrong I love church and look forward to it every week, but 3 hours is a long time in a skirt) and finally came the best part of the day SACRAMENT MEETING. I was pumped! But this wasn't your typical Sacrament meeting... No screaming baby's, no siblings fighting, no mom's telling their children to sit still, in fact STILL is the exact word to describe this meeting. It was so quiet you could here yourself think and even better you could here the Spirit. It was incredible. Then the Sacrament came... After the prayer was over I lifted my head... THIS IS NOT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE DID! I looked around and mostly everyone's heads were still bowed! I used my best judgement and assumed that they were each saying their own prayer. WHAT A GREAT IDEA! So I took this first day to heart and I now do it in every meeting.- Now you have the background let's get to the REAL story.

        One particular Sunday afternoon in Sacrament I was saying my personal prayer and I was praying to focus on one specific thing throughout the coming week, I asked Heavenly Father "Please help me recognize The Hand of The Lord in my life each day."  and of course as some (most) people do I went throughout the rest of my day almost forgetting some of the prayers I sent God's way UNTIL later that night. 

         I was on a walk with a boy I used to date just around my neighborhood and this boy like picking up trash. As we walked he looked down an saw a small piece of trash and when he picked it up he told me with surprise in his voice "Look Court! It is half of a Passalong card!" (A passalong card, if you don't know, if a small index card that the missionaries usually hand out and it typically has a picture of Christ.) He handed it to me and I began to giggle to myself... It was a recognizable card and just like he said it was only part of the card left but what made me giggle was that it was literally THE LORD'S HAND and JUST his Hand. Heavenly Father is funny and He knows it! I looked heavenward and I sent a thought God's way "I like your answer. You are funny!" 

       Unlike most pieces of trash, I kept this one. I keep it with my in the back of my phone case to remind me to look for The Lord's Hand in my life EVERYDAY and it helps because when great things happen I pull it out and explain to whoever is with me at that time that GOOD THINGS HAPPEN WHEN THE LORD'S HAND IS IN YOUR LIFE. 

        Since that particular Sabbath day I have been able to recognize when The Lord is blessing me because of a simple prayer, God's humor, and a piece of trash that is now my Treasure.