Sunday, May 9, 2010

Rocks or Jewels

The teacher in Sunday School today asked us what reminders we have in our house that remind us of the covenants we have made and the people we want to be. People replied with 'pictures of Jesus' and 'pictures of the temple'. The teacher talked about how we decorate our house can bring the spirit of the Lord into our lives and give us little reminders to do our best and be our best.

My thoughts turned to a reminder I had by my bedside for years, I saw it every night when I went to bed and every morning when I woke up. Two small sandwich bags tied together with a ribbon and with a thought. One bag had a bunch of ugly brown rocks. The other bag was filled with jelly beans. The tag said, "Are you choosing Rocks or Jewels?"

It was a little hand out from the most memorable Young Woman lesson I ever had. However, the lesson was not taught by a young woman leader. It was taught by one of the other Laurel girls in my class who had gone inactive and I had not seen for a few months.

She talked about the little decisions she made of which friends to hang out with which led to skipping school. Each bad decision led to more bad choices leading her farther and farther away from church and the good jewels of life she wanted.

Tearfully she told us that she was pregnant. The father wanted nothing to do with the child and she was going to give her baby up for adoption. We all cried with her. It was a heart felt lesson in which no eye stayed dry. I can still remember the feelings of love from that day.

What are we choosing to do with our lives? Are we choosing rocks or jewels? Do we choose to do things which lead us away from our Savior or are we choosing the better part and coming unto Him?

Many years have passed and I don't know what happened to this friend. She has no idea how much her lesson has touched my life and how long those bags of rocks and jewels sat by my bed reminding me to choose the jewels in life each day.