Tender Hearts...

Yesterday at Church it was our monthly fasting Sunday and the message over the pulpit is time given to the congregation to come up and share their personal testimonies of Jesus Christ and His Gospel.

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There are two young men assigned to take microphones to those who would for any reason want to do this from the pew instead of walking to the pulpit. They remain vigilant and watch the crowd for anyone who would like to use the microphone and sit quietly during the testimonies as they are given and stand again to watch in between each one. They are on their toes and work the entire time during the meeting. Not much time for napping or day dreaming.

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This Sunday I listened as a women shared, it was quite a long testimony and I wasn't able to keep eye contact with her during the entire time. When she was finished and leaving the pulpit, I looked up and saw one of these young men quietly and quickly by her side as she needed help balancing and navigating the stairs all the way back to her seat. It was not a prideful act looking for praise or attention. It was so apparent from his heart!

I LOVE seeing those random acts of kindness. I was particularly impressed by this. It is not out of his character at all, but just not something I see very often with the young men of today. Especially under their own power.

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Later in the meeting, as a mother attending alone with her infant son walked up to the pulpit, he gathered her baby in his arms to hold him while she spoke. My heart was beating out of my chest!

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This young man was in our handcart family on Trek. I worried about him, I wanted to learn and know so much more about him than I did. I wanted to bond so much more than we had time for. A week just wasn't long enough, but the time we had, he touched my heart. I learned that he would give up something that was important to him to help someone else. He would give and flex in the winds like a bendable willow tree and never break. He protected his heart by pulling it back and holding it deep inside.

But would then unexpectedly put it out with all the faith in the world to share it, or give it to someone who needed it (even if it might mean it would be hurt). He was willing to take the chance over and over again.

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This young man has a kind tender heart, and I have loved getting to see it. I continue to see it in his actions and deeds. And I hope I have many more opportunities to bond with him. I was telling his mother some of my feelings last night in their home about what I had felt today and she said "when I saw him helping those women today, I thought it was exactly something that your son would have done".

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I had never seen the connection before, but she was right. They are much alike that way. Quiet, gentle giving spirits and tender kind hearts!

They are really really good boys!

And if they continue to listen to their Momma's,

will grow up to be really good men!