'You're Worth It'

“I thought to myself, I wonder if I know someone who would sacrifice like that for me if I were in a time of need someone who would come to help me under any circumstance because I was worth it, because they saw the potential within me…”

I Can Say I Do

I am sure by now you can see I am a big fan of Emily Freeman, as I read this today I thought of each of you, for each of you have echoed such kindness unto me, how Blessed am I to call you my dear friends.

Thank you.   Thank you, Thank you, Thank you

Love Susan

You’re Worth It

By Emily Freeman

Isaiah 49:7 – Isaiah 55:1

Many years ago I had an experience I will never forget.  I was serving as a visiting teacher.  My assignment was to a woman who was struggling with a trial that had the potential to destroy her life.  I had visit taught this woman for four years.  She was one of my dearest friends.

On this particular night things were not going well.  At 9:30 that evening we ended up at the Bishop’s office over at the Church.  We counseled together with the Bishop for a time, and then, in an attempt to try to find some solutions we called a private counselor this woman had been working with to see if he could help us.  He happened to be driving home from a party with his wife and agreed to come to the church.

He left his wife in the car with a book and spent an hour and a half counseling with this woman, the Bishop and I.  At eleven o’clock that evening we finally came up with a solution.  The course we settled upon would include changes that had the potential to affect the rest of her life for good.

It would require courage.

It would require strength.

It would require great sacrifice.

She had chosen to make the decision that we had all been praying about for weeks.  I was so proud of her, and I found myself humbled by the magnitude of the journey that lay ahead of her, and grateful for the encouragement of a good Bishop and a kind counselor who had helped her reach that decision.  As we prepared to go home, my friend walked over to the counselor, took him by the hand and said, “Thank you for coming.”

I thought of the sacrifice he had made to be there that night.  It wasn’t regular office hours.  His wife had been sitting in the car in a dark parking lot in the middle of winter for an hour and a half.  He had dropped everything to come.  In the quiet recess of my heart I echoed her gratitude, Yes, thank you for coming.

I will never forget his reply.

Most people would have said, “You’re welcome.”

But that wasn’t his response.

My friend said, “Thank you for coming,” and the counselor replied, “You’re worth it.”

He taught a powerful sermon in three simple words.

He knew the potential she had.  In his eyes, she was worth the sacrifice.

As I drove home from that experience I thought to myself, I wonder if I know someone who would sacrifice like that for me if I were in a time of need someone who would come to help me under any circumstance because I was worth it, because he saw the potential within me…

Immediately my mind was filled with one of my favorite paintings of the Savior.  He is dressed in white, His arms are outstretched, and as clear as if the painting was right in front of me I could see the prints of the nails in His hands.

Instantly I remembered the scripture found in Isaiah 49:16,

“I will not forget thee.

Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.”

He will not forget us because we are worth it to Him.

Perhaps as we learn to recognize Him in the daily course of our lives we will find our hearts overflowing with gratitude and in moments of quiet prayer we will say, just as my friend did, “Thank you for coming.”

I can already hear His gentle reply,

“You’re worth it.”