Today I had an "Aha" moment. It may sound silly to you, but it made me stop and think. I was walking around the Tanger Mall enjoying the sunshine and beautiful weather, while listening to the soft music that was playing in the background, when I looked up and saw a beautiful Monarch butterfly scooping and soaring in the clear, blue sky above. I stopped to watch, when immediately the thought came to me, "I wonder what Mother Osmond thinks and feels about everything that is going on in the world today and in her family right now." Then a thought of wisdom came.
"We aren't judged by what happens to us when it is beyond our control, only HOW WE RESPOND to what happens."
I've known that information ever since I can remember, but at that "Aha" moment, the thought was embedded upon my soul and I felt a calm peace with a reassurance that everything was fine.
Mother Osmond always loved butterflies and decided that I would collect butterflies after she saw three butterfly magnates on our refrigerator that Merrill and Mary had given us for Christmas. She had been trying for a long time to get me to decide on something to collect, since she was collecting "owls," Suzanne "frogs," Mary "bears," and Marie "elephants."
Please share an "Aha" moment that you have had by commenting.
I'm really looking forward to reading them.
11 comments:
I think my biggest "aha" moment came when my mom passed away. I was in Texas and she was in Iowa. BUT I KNOW I WAS THERE WITH HER IN SPIRIT when she passed. As a young child I remember thinking and telling someone...."See I told you this wasn't so bad, I have a mom and dad and brothers that love me." Three years later our family broke apart and I went on a journey to try and figure out life. I had heard talk of "eternal families" but that bothered me because we were not even a family anymore. But when I was with my mom in this dream, we were finally able to tell each other we loved one another....we couldn't do that on earth. It was at that point I heard Satan say, "I Hate you I just hate you" I then realized the impact Satan has on our lives, and I was here for my family to gather them and bring them home. Most people don't understand and think I am off my rocker. That is okay. I have seen how one by one my family is being gathered. It is pretty amazing to see it happen....it was at that point in my life I knew I could never deny the Gospel or the Savior's Love. I had been allowed to cross the veil for only a few moments and to understand a life that was so cruel and now so precious. Okay I am babbling...but hope you can make some sense out of that.
Hi Kathy
I have an Aunt Lily who gave me some words of wisdom that have stuck with me and that I have offered to others when struggling with their problems. It is similar to your thought of wisdom. YOU CAN'T CONTROL HOW ANYONE ACTS, BUT YOU CAN CONTROL HOW YOU REACT.
Mary Modesitt
I've had a number of them over the years, but one that had a HUGE impact on me was this. My then, husband to be, and I were newly engaged and I was reading through scripture trying to find something for the message given at our ceremony. I had always been fascinated with the idea of love, sounds stupid I know, but the way I grew up I didn't really know what it was. So as I was looking through scripture I thought, what better place to look for stuff on love, I Corinthians 13 - known to me as the "Love chapter" of the Bible. So I start reading and I get to the part, now mind you I am 18 and fairly new to really searching out scripture, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self -seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrong. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." I thought WOW! what a wonderful way for a husband to treat his wife. I had been surrounded by divorce and the effects of it all my life, and none of my people in my family had much good to say about love, except that it was hard to find. My AHA! moment came when I was praying about this verse for our wedding and God said to me "Yes this is a very good way for a husband to treat a wife, that's the way I intended it to be - however - It is also a very good way for a wife to treat a husband. My child this verse is talking to YOU!!!" That may seem dumb, but it really it hit me hard. I didn't have any examples of a good marriage in my family that I could see, so this was news to me. I had heard alot of how "he didn't treat me right" or "she left me" or whatever BUT for the first time I saw what God had to say. That was 32 years ago and I still remember it like it was yesterday.
Hi Kathy - I am a new follower ... this will be fun! I am sad I just missed seeing the brothers in Pigeon Forge! I have two daughters that were part of the Tennessee Shindig show that was right across the street from the Smith Family theater. They were there for a whole year, but their contract ended and they came home in April. I was so disappointed the timing didn't work out! Shoot!
An AHA moment for me was after my divorce. I was in a relationship with a man who made my heart sing. I was SO crazy in love with him and thought we would be together forever. He became my everything but after two and a half years, he felt that blending our families (13 kids between us) would be too difficult ... he walked away and took most of my heart with him.
I tried so hard to think of a lesson that I was supposed to have learned from that relationship because it had been the biggest heartache of my life. What I had felt in that relationship was something I hadn't had in my marriage: loved and valued and respected. The lesson I finally "got" was that how a person makes you FEEL matters the most in any relationship, whether it be husband/wife, sibling, friend, etc.
I decided (that day) that I was going to let my children know that I adored them, had confidence in them, supported them, loved them unconditionally, would always be there for them ... I am less critical, less judgmental, more complimentary all because of the way that special man made ME feel. I decided that I wanted the people I loved the most to FEEL my love, not just know of my love because I express it to them.
That lesson has literally changed the dynamic of my relationship with each and every one of my children and for that, I am eternally grateful. Just the other day, one of my daughters (who is 22) said to a friend, "My mom has five favorite children." It made my heart smile.
I loved laura comment. I didnt get to my mom in time also when she passed away. Flgiht was booked but she left too soon. Im in slc, she was in england. The morning she passed away tho she must have had a dream as she told my dad that myself and my family had visited with her all night. Im glad she thought we was even tho we didnt make it in time. When i was told the news tho i felt like a huge warm blanket wrap around me and i know she was there comforting me.
I remember Mother Osmond loving butterflys. What a wonderful lady she was. That year i got to know them in england while they were on there mission is a year ive never forget. They are the reason i have the wonderful life i have now and ive always be grateful for them and the love they shown everyone around them. They will always be greatly missed.
Polly's comment reminded me of a story a neighbor told me. I think they had 8 or 9 children. One boy and all the rest girls. One day she was visiting an old high school classmate and he was telling her about this lady he knew with several children. She would always tell the girls how beautiful they were, and sons how handsome they were, how smart they were, talented, etc. Whatever it was they were focusing on that day, she would encourage them with the small reminders of being talented etc. He said it always impressed him about this mother because her children adored her, stayed close to the Gospel, and went on to have very successful lives. My friend (Beth) said, "Oh I would love to meet her!! Will you introduce me to her?" He looked at her and said, "It is you. I wanted to say thank you for the example you set." This has always stuck with me when she told me.
I also loved Franki's comment!! Thank you for sharing that Franki!!! LOVED IT!!!
I too love butterflies & enjoy watching them from my bedroom window. So beautiful, graceful & the way they come into this world is absolutely a miracle. I love that when Mother Osmond thought of you, she thought of a butterfly! So fitting!
I truly believe that each & every person that comes into our lives leaves an imprint on our mind & heart. They are able to teach us things & share a part of themselves with us, that we will carry with us forever. We just need to slow down & make sure we take the time to allow them to come through. Especially during times when we need them the most.
Just because they have passed on to the other side, does not mean that they are gone from us forever. They have just finished their life here & have work to do on the other side. I am so happy that you had this special time to take in and absorb so many things. It seems to me that you feel more at peace and in tuned with all that is going on in your life. That's great! I am so happy for you!
I have had some pretty special "AHA" moments in my life, some too sacred to share. Many are quite spiritual and involve scriptures I have found that finally hit home to me and have helped me accept my illness for the last 21 years. One day I will share a very special one with all of you. For now I would like to share a special event that happened in my life about a loved one who has also passed on.
I will never forget one Sunday when I was feeling lonely & was too ill to go to church. I was thinking about Darren's grandmother & how much I missed her. She & I were very close & I could tell her ANYTHING! She loved me unconditionally & never judged me. I wanted to talk to her so bad & just share with her what I was feeling. When she passed away I inherited her jewelry box, that was also a music box. It had a ballerina that twirled when you opened the top. It also played the song "Fur Elise." When it was shipped here from Utah, it was dropped & broken. I was told it was not fixable. I still tried every once in awhile to make sure it didn't work. I would wind it up & just hope it would play, but nothing.
Well, that Sunday, exactly 8 years to the day she passed away, when I was missing her & lying in bed crying, all of a sudden I heard music. At first I thought I was hallucinating. But, I recognized the sound & the song. It was that jewelry box. To make sure I got out of bed & went over to my dresser. The music was coming from it & when I opened it the ballerina was twirling.
Normally, the lid had to be open before it would play. But for some reason, not that day. I looked at the back & the key to wind it was turning also. The song played through twice & stopped. I tried to wind it again, but nothing.
I called Darren's mother & told her about it. She was surprised because she & dad knew that it was not fixable. It never worked after that, but I knew that day Grandma Peterson was still with me & knew what was
going on with her loved ones. She wanted me to know that she could still
hear me & that I was not alone.
The veil is thin & Heavenly Father loves each & every one of us. We HAVE to slow down & take time to listen to God & all that he has blessed us with. When we do that, we will be more in tune with ourselves & the world around us. We will find our place in this otherwise fast paced crazy world we live in. Most important, we will be able to feel the love Heavenly Father has for each & every one of us & be aware of the role so many others have in our lives. Life here on earth is so short, we need to take the time to enjoy & appreciate why we are here & what blessings we have been given as a result.
I am taking a course on counseling at our church and we have to back up our answers with scripture. I don't know why I thought about posting this like almost immediately but I did. I had another AHA! moment just now.
In our walk or journey with the Lord I believe there is always going to be a sort of "change" that takes place in us as we are becoming more like Him. God's spirit works on us, bringing to the surface of our minds things that need to be dealt with. In my class I had to talk about this and provide scripture to back it up, as I said before. Well, as I have been making this journey I have had to deal with things, sometimes more than once. I believe that is because God is always wanting to take us deeper in our relationship with Him. I was thinking of where in scripture I could find something to address that and I was lead to Mark 8:22-25. "Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees, walking." Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly." My AHA! moment is this, some things that are in our lives that shouldn't be can be taken care of easily and gotten rid of. Other things that are in our lives may run deeper and need a "second touch" by the Lord. I may not be interpreting that totally correct but that is what hit me this morning as I read it.
When the Lord touches an area a second time in our lives, it is only because He loves us and desires the best for us.
Beautiful story about Mother Osmond Kathlyn. My sister in law just lost his father. She told me that the day of his death a seagull landed on the window of the hospital room when her father left. A few days after his brother saw a gull in his garden: he thought "it's dad who just said he is there and all is well!"
Love
Cathy
I am behind posting and reading. Went to South Dakota last week with Rhonda, we just go home late Monday night.
This is my AHA moment.
I was very close to my Mom, she passed away on Feb 29, 1996, (leap year.) As we were leaving the cemetary, it was a very cold day as this was the 3rd day of March, and not a cloud in the sky. There was a beautiful rainbow in the sky, I felt a such a relief go over my body. I am certain God was telling me everything is going to be okay now. Then as we were driving down the road I looked up and there was a cross as plain as day in the sky. I know this was my Mom's way of saying to me do not worry I am with God now. As I sat here typing this I have tears in my eyes. There is not a day goes by I do not think about my mom.
I loved your story and I can certainly relate to that. My son was killed a few years ago and his daughter Dailyn, has seen butterflies at the cemetery and in the backyard. She always says that means that her Daddy is okay. Even when she was smaller, she would always tell me that they were her Daddy's butterflies. So everytime I see one, I always think of him and know that we are okay as well.
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