"We seldom get into trouble when we speak softly. It is only when we raise our voices that the sparks fly and tiny molehills become great mountains of contention."
Gratitude for an LDS Family Rescuing a Teenager in Despair
by Jeff Lindsay
I
almost wept in gratitude after a recent phone call to an American
teenager I know who has been in our prayers almost daily for a long
time.
We
knew she was smart and had vast potential, but it was being wiped out
by drugs, horrific friends, and a lengthy list of tragic
problems. This choice young lady in a broken family had been on a
downward spiral, and it looked like there would be years of grief
ahead. Thank God for a couple of heroic Latter-day Saints who took on
the risk of rescuing her.
So
far it looks like a real miracle underway, an amazing story of
rescuing a lost soul. She was leaving home and was about to trapped
in a hopeless situation, when the LDS family with their own children
and challenges brought her into their home and gave her a chance to
find herself again.
To
my amazement, it seems to be working. She's happy, hopeful, holding
down a job, saving money, making so much progress and catching the
joy of living well. In a new environment away from the worst
influences in her life and with loving coaching, she was able to see
that she could change and regain control over her life.
The
rescue, to me, is a miracle. It is a touching example of what I like
best about the teachings of the Church, namely, the idea that each
soul is a daughter or son of God with infinite potential and the
power to change, with God's help.
The Gospel expands our
imagination. It helps us imagine that the drug addict with a criminal
record and abundant bad behavior is worth loving and helping. It
helps us dare believe that change is possible.
It
helps us take on risk to reach out to others when we might normally
want to just lock up our doors and stay away. It helps us defy the
world's logic that "everybody is doing it" or "a
little sin is perfectly OK" and strive to live better each day.
But
the results of such expanded imagination are far from imaginary.
Although disappointment is common when dealing with mortals,
sometimes, as with this young lady, the results are
miraculous.
Thanks to all of you who dare to love and serve
those in trouble in spite of the logical temptation to stay away.
Thanks to all of you who love, pray for, and reach out to those who
seem lost. They can be rescued, and whether or not they respond to
your efforts, they are infinitely worth rescuing and loving.
Thanks
especially to a brave LDS family who reached out to a lost young lady
and brought her back. It was inspiring chatting with her and also the
LDS parents.
It
was so wonderful to hear the many details of her story. More
wonderful than I imagined was possible. She'll stay in our prayers
for a long time. The deep wounds of the past don't vanish easily, and
the traps the adversary sets for us are many. But I'm so thrilled at
this chance she has been given and the results I see so far. A
miracle!
Jeff Lindsay has been defending the Church on the Internet since 1994, when he launched his
LDSFAQ website under JeffLindsay.com. He has also long been blogging about LDS matters on
the blog Mormanity (mormanity.blogspot.com). Jeff is a longtime resident of Appleton,
Wisconsin, who recently moved to Shanghai, China, with his wife, Kendra.
He works for an Asian corporation as head of intellectual property. Jeff and Kendra are the parents of 4 boys, 3 married and the the youngest on a mission.
He is a former innovation and IP consultant, a former professor, and former Corporate Patent
Strategist and Senior Research Fellow for a multinational corporation.
Jeff Lindsay, Cheryl Perkins and Mukund Karanjikar are authors of the book Conquering
Innovation Fatigue (John Wiley & Sons, 2009).
Jeff has a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Brigham Young University and is a registered US
patent agent. He has more than 100 granted US patents and is author of numerous publications.
Jeff's hobbies include photography, amateur magic, writing, and Mandarin Chinese.