The Day the Sisters Came to Visit

Yesterday came a knock at the door that I have been waiting for for a long time.  A firm but friendly knock rang through the house and it was as if my sixth sense told me…they’re here.  I opened the door and there stood two young women with black name tags.  I knew immediately that they were from the Church of Latter-Day Saints.

I know, you’re wondering…why have you been waiting for LDS missionaries to knock on your door?  I don’t have a burning desire to join their church, however I do have a burning desire to talk to them about their experience.  I have a few friends who are members who I guess I could talk to but I want to talk to someone in the trenches.  I want to hear about their experiences while they are still fresh in their minds, not altered by time and life.

I was so excited when I realized who was at my door that I almost started jumping up and down.  Before they could even finish their can-we-just-pray-with-you schpeel I was dragging them inside.  I’m sure they either thought they had hit the jack pot or that I was a little nuts.  I tried to explain to them why I was so excited to see them and that I had been wondering when they would visit but I was caught off guard and not prepared for this surprise that I think I sounded a little crazed. 

We sat and talked for about 10 minutes.  I could tell they didn’t want to make this a lengthy visit and wanted to keep me at arms length just in case they needed to bolt.  I apologized for my enthusiasm because I began to realize that I probably looked like someone at the zoo who has just been invited to come in and pet the baby elephant.  I told them that I really admired their willingness to give up everything for two years (they are in the middle of their college career) and trudge around Oklahoma.  I told them that I have always been impressed with their devotion to what they believe in.  Imagine if every person in the US was just as devoted and passionate about the cause they believed in, be it their church, a charity, social justice, serving the disenfranchised.  Imagine what our society would be like if we could put our own selfish desires aside for two years and focus on what is really important.  I’m not talking about going around saving souls.  I’m talking about going around and saving lives.  Doing what Jesus told us to do when he said that what we do for the least of these we do for Him.

I tried to get these gals to tell me what their experience has been like so far but they kept to their script of the love of Jesus.  Yeah, yeah, yeah.  I got it.   Trust me when I say that I am well versed in the good news of the wonders of God’s love.  I grew up to the beat of the  “God is in control” drum and can blend into a hand’s-raised praise-song crowd with the best of them if I have to.  I allowed them to give me their best Jesus Loves Us routine so they could feel like they did their job but I could tell they weren’t ready to open up to me quit yet.  I think I had them so confused that they completely forgot to pray with me before they left.

They promised to come back.  Not everybody may be excited about that but I was.  Hopefully next time they will be a little more comfortable with me.  Hopefully next time I won’t act like such a crazy person.