...Earlier, I was feeling grumpy. My day started at 4:45am nursing the baby and a lot of blah during the day and trying to end at 8:20pm to put the baby to sleep for the night. When...my phone rang and missed a call from my visiting teaching partner. We'd missed our appointment.
I looked around; the boys had showered, but were only half dressed in pajamas, and my visiting teaching partner was again texting me she was too ill to go herself and so we deliberated. We agreed to call all our sisters in the morning to make appointments in July for earlier in the month.
But I couldn't shake the feeling that I should show this sister that we loved her. I thought the appointment was at 8pm. And figured if she'd planned on an hour to visit, it being 8:30pm I could probably still catch her awake. So I took the chance...I left the shoes under the stairs and told the kids to put something on and booked it to the car...we were shoeless and I didn't care, I just wanted to see this sister before she could think ill of us.
My children and I got to the sister's home and there were tons of cars. At the door with the three kiddos and knocked lightly in a pathetic effort to not wake anyone or seem too weird for being at their door. She opened with a smile and I found out the appointment was at 7pm, oops! It was now 8:40pm and they were just sitting down to dinner and she was warm and inviting, but I knew we shouldn't stay long.
I stood at her doorstep chatting and noticed we were all barefoot (including her). I handed over a peace offering and chatted for only a few minutes. My boys did more talking, I think. But I began to feel better despite slight embarrassment about the time mix-up, being barefooted and all my worries seemed to fade with her slightly tired and sympathetic looking smile.
Photo by Deann Barrera, http://deannbphotography.com/
It was the last day of the month. It was also late at night. But I knew I wasn't visiting to get my numbers, I was following the Spirit. I could not deny it. I was visiting a sister whom I desperately appreciated for holding my baby during Primary so I could teach a lesson. I was visiting a sister who I loved for helping me do Temple work and showing me through the steps of the Genealogy Center. I was visiting a sister who had asked for help with her son's wedding and I showed up. I was visiting a sister who smiled at me in the hall at Church and I wanted to prove she could count on us. We might forget appointment times, but we didn't forget her or the wonderful things she does for the Ward sisters. She is worth the effort. She was worth visiting barefoot.
***
To Emma Smith on April 4, 1839, from the jail in Liberty, Missouri: “My dear Emma, I think of you and the children continually. … I want to see little Frederick, Joseph, Julia, and Alexander, Johanna [an orphan who was living with the Smiths], and old Major [the family dog]. And as to yourself, if you want to know how much I want to see you, examine your feelings, how much you want to see me, and judge for yourself. I would gladly walk from here to you barefoot and bareheaded and half-naked to see you and think it great pleasure, and never count it toil. … I bear with fortitude all my oppression; so do those that are with me. Not one of us has flinched yet.”--Prophet Joseph Smith
"We know where we want to go! Do we have the resolution, even the faithfulness, to get there? President N. Eldon Tanner answered this question in his own mind when he declared: “I would rather walk barefoot from here to the celestial kingdom … than to let the things of this world keep me out....I return to the Prophet Joseph’s words: “Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God.” Let us walk these clearly defined paths. To help us do so we can follow the shortest sermon in the world. It is found on a common traffic sign. It says, “Keep right.'" --Prophet Thomas S Monson
***
Our hearts were in the right place this whole month of June--we love our dear sisters. And I love you. The Lord loves you more though!
Rest assured, our feet will be catching up next month; barefoot or not. We will fulfill our duty with a heart full of song and make those visits bringing joy to show faith in every footstep.
