Trust in the Lord

Shortly before we moved, our stake President asked me to spontaneously share my testimony in stake conference. I had a few minutes to gather my thoughts together before it was my turn to speak.

What should I share with the people I loved so much in Stockton? These people were my family. I had lived among them for 25 years. They had helped raise my children as they taught them in Primary, Sunday School, Young Women, and Seminary. They are my friends--they will ALWAYS be my friends. Now, our family was commencing a new chapter in our lives and I was being asked to share a parting message.

The thought that came to me is found in Proverbs: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him; and He shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

As I shared that scripture with the large congregation, I announced to the stake what most people did not know--that our family was moving in a couple of months. They were gasps of shock. No one expected us to move--including ourselves. We thought we would stay in Stockton for the rest of our lives.

This scripture has been my guideline for most of my married life. I remember living in Texas soon after Ron graduated from BYU. After a year of living there, Ron and I were moving back to California because the construction project he was supervising was coming to an end. Even though I was excited about being close to family again, I was puzzled why we came to Texas in the first place. One day, as I was visiting teaching a mature, wonderful woman and her elderly mother I expressed my thoughts. With tears in my eyes I asked, "Why is this happening to us?"

This good sister paused a couple of minutes before answering my question. Perhaps she was praying and asking for guidance.

"Loralee," she said, "I don't know exactly why you came to Texas for such a short time nor do I know why you are going back to California now. But this I do know, you will look back on this time in your life and see that you have learned some important lessons that will help you in your next chapter in life."

Her words brought me comfort.

Ron, Emily, and I have lived in our new home for six months. It is still hard at times living here. I miss my friends and Stockton home greatly. But, I am learning lessons that hopefully are making me stronger and a better person. I see the great good that Ron is doing as ward mission leader. He has helped touch the hearts of several people in our ward and they are coming back to church. I see how Emily has become a more diligent student as a result of this move and developing greater self-confidence. I am relishing living closer to my mother, brothers and their wives, and nieces and nephews and developing a more tight-knit relationship with them.

I pray that I may know what other lessons we are supposed to learn. I am trusting in the Lord that this will be a rich experience and that when I look back I will see the hand of the Lord in our lives. I know that He does indeed direct our paths.