No Empty Nesting in My Slider Puzzle

My life, or at least my house, is in a bit of upheaval.

Miriam went with Ruth and family to visit Sariah for a week over the 4th of July.  She did not participate in a lot of their activities - a hike, a day a the zoo.  She took it somewhat easy.  They got back Tuesday.  Miriam had dinner at Ruth's, went home, and didn't get out of bed except to use the bathroom until she called Ruth Thursday asking for help.  Ruth called me.  Miriam and her landlady that she rents a room from she would say are friends.  But they didn’t pay any attention at all to the other's comings and goings and Miriam could expect any help from her. Like knowing if she was sick in bed, bringing ice for her swollen legs,or helping her if she could not go downstairs for food.  Ruth brought her home and  mother henned Miriam a little, for almost a month. thank goodness! 

I had suspected that this time would come, but these things almost always come sooner than expected. I told Miriam long ago that she didn't have to struggle to be on her own, that she would have a home here.  The plan pretty much would be for her to live/home base here and visit her siblings when she needs to get away.

However before Miriam could move,  I needed to do some serious de-junking and shuffling, so we would have a room for her. I had thought that after Benjamin got married and moved out, that I would start working on the house. But we began to realize an urgency.  I took a family sick day one Friday early to get started.  David and Teresa came over to help the next day.  We worked at it a bit on evenings and more on Saturdays.

The plan was to clean out the "office/craft room/stow it/cat room" and paint it.  Move Joseph and Andrew in there, me and the office/craft room into the "master" bedroom which the three guys occupied, and give Miriam the corner bedroom I was.  It's a room she shared with Sariah long ago and has a door handle easier for her to use.  I feel a little guilty taking the biggest room and not giving it to her - but I do have the office and craft stuff.  And David and Teresa are pretty sure that she would feel too much of a imposition if she had the master room.

Getting things out took much longer than I figured. I am so disorganized and have so much junk that this was a major undertaking. We had to postpone plans to paint the guys' room - which would have been so much fun!  We plan to paint it camouflage and I imaged a bit of a wild painting party.  Some sorting and dejunking happened, but in reality, I have probably months of sorting to do - if I am diligent.

Benjamin and Bethany are wed and on their honeymoon, but do not have an apartment.  It took a lot of doing, but they have completed all the paperwork for one.  Last I heard, the previous tenant who was supposed to be out weeks ago, wasn't.  Hopefully the apartment will be available when they get back.  If not, what do do?  Options are:  Stay in Bethany's old room.  Nobody seems to like the idea. and it's far from anywhere or from public transportation. 2.  stay in a hotel/motel for a few days.  Hopefully a few days.  OR 3.  stay in my family room. Not much privacy, but they are welcome.

Until they get a place, Benjamin's stuff is stacked about in the front room.

Despite my boss to  the 3rd power  decreeing that no one in Accounting may have vacation in June, July, or August, I took a week of family sick leave to dig out Miriam's room. We got the room pretty nice, but the rest of the house remains a shambles.  It will take me quite awhile to attain order.  I come home from work too tired to do much of anything so it will be slow going.

Also, Miriam needs to do the same thing with the room she has been renting.  Sort, pack, and move things from a not really big, but bigger room and garage storage area to her new room.  And we need to help her, of course. She is not feeling well and needs to stay off her feet because of sores. Naturally there is a time limit.  We don't want her to have to pay rent after this month. I think we can do it. 

You may recall that I was recently released as Primary President.  I was sad about it at the time.  Now I see that the Lord knew my plate was going to be pretty full and He gave me one less set of responsibilities to worry about.  And sent a friend to do the wedding brunch as a gift to Benjamin and I.  What a blessing!  The wedding was at the end of move-in week and I simply could not have done it as I had thought before I knew Miriam needed to come home (even with the help of darling daughters).  AND He inspired another friend to call and volunteer use of his trailer to help move Miriam's furniture later this month.  We had not thought to ask these friends.  We did not know that they could help.  But the Lord knew and they listened to His promptings.  Tender Mercies!

Why did the Lord bless Saul with the converting vision?

     Saul went about persecuting the early Christians, sending them to prison and to death. 

Acts 9: 3 "And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

 4 And he^afell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do."

      Saul, now blind, was taken to Damascus.  After 3 days of fasting, he was visited by a disciple whom the Lord sent to restore his sight.  Saul was baptized and became as fervent a follower and preacher of Christ as he had previously been a persecuter of Christ's followers.

      Why was a man who sought to destroy the church given a vision and brought to the Lord?  Why did he get special attention and special treatment?  Why isn't everyone given a vision to bring them to the Lord?   Wouldn't anyone be converted if they had an experience like Saul's?

      No, others have had heavenly manifestations and not been converted.  I think of Laman and Lemuel in the Book of Mormon. They had been taught by their father and by their brother but they chose not to believe. An angel rebuked them for beating their brother and not doing the errand their father had been commanded to set them.  No sooner had the angel left, then they started complaining that they could not do the task.   Many times they were shaken or shocked by the power of God when they tried to harm their brother, Nephi.  Each time they seemed quite impressed but quickly forgot and were never truly converted to following the commandments.  So, one can have heavenly manifestations and still reject the Lord.

     I think the difference was that Saul was sincere in his actions and intent.  He was true to the light as he understood it.  He rigorously defended what he thought was true religion.  He acted zealously out of love for God, but was misguided.  Once the Lord pointed out his error, he did a complete turn around and just as rigorously sought to live and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

     Secondly, Saul was causing havoc amongst the followers of Christ.  His conversion brought peace to the church making it easier for the gospel to spread.  But I think the main thing is that Saul's intent was always to serve God which made him convert-able, although maybe a little hard of hearing so he got the big show. 

     Do we need a major heavenly manifestation to believe?  The Lord whispers to us constantly, but do we listen?  We have the scriptures, the testimonies of others, and even the evidence of the wonders of the earth and the universe. 

Alma 30: 44 "But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator."

     If we learn to listen, we can be converted as thoroughly as Saul.