Something old~something new~almost lost

For the last few months I have been wanting a nceklace because the arthritis in my fingers makes wearing rings uncomfortable.

Around Christmas time Lloyd and I went looking at the Fred Meyer jewelry store at Tanasbourne where a member of our stake, Mark Taylor, is the manager. I selected a few pendants and tried them on. Mark would not let me see the prices-just Lloyd. I am sure that we would probably eventually received discounts on the price but on the way home Lloyd divulged the retail prices. They were all in the hundreds of dollars. So, in our'thinking it over' time I was cleaning out a jewelry box and found the pendant (originally with a chain) that Lloyd sent to me from his mission. I had thrown the chain away because it was always getting kinks in it. My cheap mind hatched the plan to just buy a chain and pull the pendant out of obscurity.

Lloyd didn't like the idea at first because I had wanted a new necklace and this did not fill the bill.

After a little while, he was OK with it and I put the pendant in a tiny ziploc , put it in the pocket of my purse where I keep my glasses and off we went to the jewelry store at Tanasbourne with a planned stop at REI in between to return Lloyd's hiking boots that had fallen apart in 6 months.

We made it to REI and went to the front desk to plead our case and they were very helpful~gave us a credit~and we set off downstairs to get new boots when I realized that I did not see the pendant in my pocket of the purse. I searched thru my purse, went to the car and searched and found nothing. I was then hoping that it had fallen out at home and we went downstairs, selected new boots and I was tempted to just pay for them at the lower desk but something told me to go upstairs and pay where they had help us so we would be recognized. I pulled out my debit card to pay and, at the base of the computer register saw my little ziploc!!. I reached over without asking and snatched it up and thanked the clerk profusely. She said that a gentleman had just turned it in. He had found it under one of the clothing racks. Off we went to the jewelry store to purchase a chain and have the pendant cleaned and it is beautiful!

This may seem like stretching it a bit but it reminded me of our lives. We can fall in obscurity due to neglect, apathy ,bad choices or whatever. It takes someone like our Heavenly Father to remember our great worth-pull us out of our hiding places and, with the help of a Savior and the gift of repentance restore us to a beautiful lustre.

I was released today from a calling that I thought would never come to me-especially after all our children had left our home. I have served for the past 5 1/2 years as the first counselor in the Stake Young Women's Presidency. There is not room in this venue to tell of all the wonderful blessings that have come to me because of my service there. The opportunity was most appreciated and has changed my life in many ways. I wore my necklace today because it represents to me the wonderful worth of each soul to our Savior. I wish more of the world could know this.