Standing in my living room all by myself, I rose my hand in the air to shout Hosanna. It was a very uplifting and inspiring moment in my life. Though I was standing alone, I felt completely unified with the entire church. A quiet calm filled the room and my spirits were lifted. Contrasting that moment with so many others of recent days really put into perspective the joy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
One by One, by Walter Rane
We live in such interesting times. Many of our daily routines are altered and changed. The tasks we are called to complete may be more or less enjoyable than our typical day to day. We may even have moments when we feel alone or disconnected. Amid all the changes, we do have one consistent thing upon which to rely: we have the Savior Jesus Christ and His gospel.
What does it mean to have the Savior Jesus Christ? To me it means that we have an all-knowing, completely relatable and understanding best friend. We have someone to talk to no matter the time of day or night. We have a companion to laugh and cry with. We have someone to surprise us with good blessings. In short, it means we aren’t really alone in our isolation.
Christ Himself had many moments alone. These were times when his circle of friends grew smaller. Surely there were moments when He looked around, like many of us, and found no one there. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland explained:
“Thus, of divine necessity, the supporting circle around Jesus gets smaller and smaller and smaller, giving significance to Matthew’s words: ‘All the disciples [left] him, and fled.’ Peter stayed near enough to be recognized and confronted. John stood at the foot of the cross with Jesus’s mother. Especially and always the blessed women in the Savior’s life stayed as close to Him as they could. But essentially His lonely journey back to His Father continued without comfort or companionship” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “None Were With Him,” April 2009).
Many of us are missing those who stand by us the most. We are missing the comfort of consistency. Jesus felt that as well. We read in Isaiah 63:5:
And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.
If you are thinking no one understands, I believe Christ really does get it! He has truly experienced all that we will ever feel or endure. He can be our rock to keep us free from fear during the storms of life. Even more amazing is that He experienced everything first so that we would know how to do it too. He also gave us the gospel path.
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What does it mean to have His gospel to rely on? To me it means that we have a map of how to proceed in life even when all of the road signs and markers are unclear. It means knowing what God expects of me. It means knowing how and where to serve. This knowledge means I have a purpose and focus for my life at all times even in uncertain times.
Hosanna has a duel meaning. On the one had, it expressed praise and adoration. On the other, it acted as a cry for the Lord to save us and to do so now. Isn’t it so applicable that the Hosanna shout was given at a time when we need the Savior the most? We praise and we plead for guidance and love from our Savior Jesus Christ.
Ashley Dewey is extremely talented at being single. Hobbies include awkward conversations with members of the opposite sex, repelling third dates, talking to boys about their girl problems and to girls about their boy problems. In her spare time she also has a very fulfilling school life, work life, and social life.
Besides being a professional single, Ashley is also a BYU graduate with a degree in linguistics (Aka word nerd). She enjoys studying other languages, particularly American Sign Language, and finds most all of them fascinating. She is currently pursuing a masters degree in Teaching English as a Second Language.
Ashley works most of the time and has often been accused of being a workaholic. Currently she works full time as a merchandiser and supervisor in a retail store, and part time doing social media work. On her day off she works (really it doesn't feel like work) in the Provo LDS temple. The only kind of work she finds difficulty focusing on is house work.
Her favorite activities in her free time are reading, writing, creating social experiments, and spending time with great friends and family. Specific activities with those family and friends include: going to concerts, plays, dance recitals, BYU basketball and football games, and watching sports on television.
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