I have a wonderful group of friends from the years we lived in Philadelphia. We lived in the same congregation while their husbands attended Temple Dental school. We were about the same age, and all had small children. We met together weekly for an epic “Mom and Tot’s” group; held monthly chocolate-laced book club; and regular ‘girls nights out.” We were a tight-knit group.
About the time we moved out of the Philadelphia area, these girls were moving too. We are now scattered all over the USA, and our families continue to grow. Thanks to the internet and Facebook, we have kept in touch. And as we lamented online that we were not spending time together, one of my wonderful friends suggested we all meet up in Las Vegas for a Girls’ Weekend.
We all agreed, and a date was chosen that was over a year away. I was really looking forward to seeing everyone again, but this sick feeling in my stomach would not let me feel right about going.
I was bewildered, but the feeling only got stronger with time. I asked the Lord why I shouldn’t go, and just felt like I needed to be home during that time. I had no other impressions, but having ignored similar feelings in the past —with disastrous results — I decided I better listen and stay home. So I bowed out.
Fast forward a year or so, and my world was shaken with a one-two punch. And I didn’t need to wonder about my gut feeling any longer. First our friend was shot in the line of duty. We worried for his family, and his passing shocked the whole city. I thought this was the reason I shouldn’t go, and I was grateful I would be around to support my family, friends, and neighborhood during this heartbreak.
But the morning of my friend’s funeral (4 days before Vegas) I woke up in terrible pain. A trip to the ER told me I had gallstones, and needed surgery. I went home, assuring my doctor that I would seek out a surgeon. But that evening I was in agony. The pain would not go away even with narcotics from the hospital. So back to the ER we went, and I ended up having surgery that day. I was released from the hospital two days before I would have been boarding a plane.
It’s not often that I can so directly connect the dots between an impression and an emergency surgery, thank Heaven. But this moment in time has strengthened my resolve to follow my feelings more closely in the future. Trying to navigate the airport on narcotics would have been a mess. And walking for miles with stitches would have proved miserable. The Lord was watching out for me by urging me to skip the planned gathering.
At first I thought I would be staying behind because I was needed. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be because I would be the weak one in need of support. But that support was there. People I love appeared out of the woodwork and brought meals to feed my family. They kindly gave of their time to show their love. My Dad was my driver and constant companion. My Mom spent days with my child, and tidied my messy house. And my brother and his wife were kind enough to bring me chocolate in the hospital. My husband was out of town on a business trip through the whole
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thing, which made all the support that much more vital for my survival.
Often when we talk about following spiritual impressions, it’s usually in the service of others. But great blessings come each time we follow an impression. Each one is God communicating with us, and His motives are always pure. He wants us to succeed, and He is watching out for us. So next time I get an impression — even if it confuses me — I’m going to be faster to listen. And one day I will get this “listening” thing down.
About Patty Sampson
Patty thrives on all things creative. You’ll often find her in the garden pretending she is a suburban farmer. She loves meeting new people, and is devoted to her friends and family. In her heart she is a Midwesterner even though life has moved her all over the country. She believes in “blooming where you’re planted” and has found purpose in every place she has been. She has a deep and abiding love for the Savior and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And she loves editing LDS Blogs because it is a constant spiritual uplift. Not many people can say their job builds their witness of the Savior.
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