David's Sunday Talk

This past Sunday was a very wonderful day. David gave a talk on tithing in sacrament. It had been a loooong time since he had a chance to give a talk in church and it was his first one since reactivating himself in church.

He hadn't seemed to happy the Sunday before last when he received a tiny paper with his topic. So I was a little worried. I told him he would be fine and told him I would help him in anything he needed. The week started off and Monday came, Tuesday, Wednesday went by and he couldn't find time to get the talk started. I started to worry. Then Thursday he started to do research on the topic but wasn't able to get much done. Saturday night he finally sat down to get it done. Shouldn't be surprised, he's more of a last minute type of person! I was surprised at how hard he was working at it. He doesn't like to read, yet he made sure to read plenty of talks and searched the scriptures. Then he got to typing, he would ask me for help to interpret things from english to spanish (we go to a spanish speaking ward) and to proof read. It was actually coming along very well. When he was done, he was very worried because it didn't seem long enough. It had to be about 10 minutes long but I assured him he would be fine and gave him some ideas on how he could lenghten it.

The next morning we woke up early and got ready for church. He looked very handsome! We got to church a couple of minutes early so we had time to settle in. We each went to our respective classes for the next hour and then met up for the second hour class. He looked a little nervous as the time approached for sacrament meeting. Then it was time, we walked to the sacrament room and choose our bench to sit in and settled in. He then turned to me and said he was very worried because the bishop told him he actually had more like 20 minutes to talk and he didn't know how he was going to do it. But since he was suppose to be the last speaker I told him he would be fine since usually the first speakers take up all the time. But to our surprise he was announced as going first and he was really the only speaker aside from two of our youth who were asked to give their testimonies. But I assured him he would be fine and that the spirit would guide his words to be able to talk the right amount of time.

He walked up to the pulpit and started to talk very nervously. At first he was stumbling with his words and you couldn't quite understand him. He started off explaining what tithing was. At that point Jaimito started to have a tantrum and I had to pick him up and take him to the back of the chapel. I was trying to calm Jaime down at the same time I was trying to listen to David. He then started to talk about his own experience.

Before I continue, let me tell you a little background. We have always struggle with paying our tithing, especially David. And we hadn't payed it for quite awhile, we had started too last year but not with a sincere heart, as a result we stopped again. Yet our money never seemed to be enough and we were never at peace. But this year has been such a year of growth and building our testimony through God's little miracles in our life. It's barely been about 3 weeks since David all by himself decided to pay our tithing and wonderful things have happened that testify to us the wonderful love that our Heavenly Father has for us and the reason for the law of tithing. We haven't won the lottery, and we haven't magically solved our money problems. But it's much more than that, it's greater blessings that can't compare to all the riches in the world. So you can imagine why this topic was dear to our hearts and how it was such a blessing that he received this topic for his talk.

Okay, back to his talk. As he started to share our experience as a couple with tithing his eyes started to get watery. Now I rarely seem him cry, actually I can count them on my hands the times he's cried. Yet he's a big cry baby, that's why he tries to stay away from anything that will make him cry. He then continued to share how we never really payed it and how we had then decided for me to stay home with the kids even if that meant being tight at home. He then started to share his experience of how he now decided to start paying his tithing. How he did a small sincer prayer to God and put all his trust in him. Then something wonderful happened. He started to cry, a deep uncontrollable cry. The chapel was silent (which usually doesn't happen to often, but even the babies where quite) a strong feeling was felt through out. As he tried to continue through his tears he bared his testimony of how he has learned to put his trust in God, he shared that he has had great experiences lately that testify to him the truth of the gospel. Of how he now has peace and faith in our future and knows that H.F. will help us provide for our families and our necesities as we obey his commandments and do our part. How the riches and luxuries of the world aren't as important as he use to think. His tears kept coming and a strong feeling of the spirit surrounded us all who listened to his testimony. As he finished his talk and walked off the stage the chapel continued to be silent and reverant. I could see people's faces and saw how they too had felt the spirit. As the bishop approached the pulpit he paused before he proceeded, it was just such a peaceful moment. David was still crying as he sat with me and his kids and hugged us. I knew they were tears of joy, tears that came from the knowledge that he knew this church was true and that his Heavenly Father loved him and blessed him.

He hadn't talked for the full 20 minutes but it didn't matter, his words had been enough. Afterwards so many members came up to him to thank him for his talk or to express how they too had experience similar things. They hugged him, shook his hand, and shared tears with him. I hope he realized how many people he had touched with his sincere words. Now I understand what truly talking with the spirit means. What it means to allow the spirit to guide your words.

I sat there full of emotions. I never thought I would see this day. David as the faithful priesthood holder that I knew he was capable of being. I'm amazed at the transformation that only can be possible through the atonement of Jesus Christ and the love that our Heavenly Father has for us. The power that the Holy Ghost has in testifying to each one of us the truth of all things. I'm so very grateful to Heavenly Father for touching David's spirit and allowing him to learn and grow spiritually everyday. I'm so very happy and excited to help nurture and grow our testimony as a couple and eternal family that we are. So that we can become an even stronger and faithful family. We have a lot to change and grow still but that's why we're here on earth. To grow and perfect ourselves to one day be with our eternal families in the presence of our Heavenly Father.