December 6, 2024 • 26 mins
Have you ever wondered what it may have been like when the Savior was born? Common sense would make you wonder if Mary had another woman there to assist her. As I imagined that woman, a story and beautiful lesson came to life. As women we have a noble calling to help bring the Savior into the world. In the process we will find healing in our own lives. In this episode I share my testimony of the power of righteous women as well as the moving story I wrote about the handmaid who assisted Mary.
Find me on all social media platforms @amberdawnpearce
Go to www.amber.thrivelife.com and set up a delivery to get 15% off retail and free shipping on orders of $100 or more.
References:
"The Role of Righteous Women" By President Spencer W. Kimball
“And upon the Handmaids in Those Days Will I Pour Out My Spirit” By Julie B. Beck
"Turn On Your Light" By Sharon Eubank
Joel 2:28-19
00:00 The Noble Calling of Righteous Women
00:25 Introduction to the Podcast
00:30 A Life-Changing Scripture
01:00 Physical and Spiritual Preparedness
01:34 Episode Introduction: Bringing Christ into the World
01:51 The Desire to Follow Mary's Example
03:20 The Power of Joel's Prophecy
04:54 The Role of Women in God's Plan
06:00 The Unwritten Stories of Women in Scriptures
06:49 A Journey to Oberammergau
07:45 The Profound Nativity Discovery
10:04 The Handmaid's Story
12:59 The Handmaid's Divine Experience
19:54 The Savior's Birth
22:29 The Call to Women Today
23:20 Final Reflections and Testimonies
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Amber (00:00):
President Spencer W.
Kimball explained, to be arighteous woman during the
winding up scenes on this earthbefore the second coming of the
Savior is an especially noblecalling.
It will be female exemplars ofthe church who will be a
significant force in both thenumerical and the spiritual
growth of the church in the lastdays.
(00:25):
Hello, it's Amber here andwelcome back to the Hope Smiling
Brightly podcast.
There is a scripture that I readon August 30th, 2017 that
changed the trajectory of mylife.
And it's part of the reason whyI have the courage to be here on
(00:46):
a podcast, something I swore Iwould never do.
And it also plays a role in thestory I'm going to share with
you today.,, but before we getinto our spiritual feast today,
let's talk about some physicalfood.
You guys, it's just as importantto be physically prepared as it
is to be spiritually prepared.
And Thrive Life is the easiestand most delicious way to help
(01:08):
you do that.
It is food with a 25 year shelflife and all you do is set up a
delivery with a budget thatworks for you and you are slowly
able to build up a supply offood for whatever may come.
So go to amber.thrivelife.command set up a delivery to get 15
(01:29):
percent off retail and freeshipping on orders of a hundred
dollars or more.
You are listening to HopeSmiling Brightly with Amber Dawn
Pearce, episode 11, help bringChrist into the world.
(01:51):
I had just finished reading thebiography of President Thomas S.
Monson and there were some wordsthat I could not get out of my
mind because they were the verydesire of my heart.
He said, I pledge my life, allthat I may have, I will strive
(02:12):
to the best of my ability to bewhat you would want me to be.
This quote reminded me of thedesire I had always had to
follow the example of thebeautiful Mary, the mother of
our savior.
When she was presented with oneof the most daunting,
(02:34):
overwhelming tasks I couldpossibly imagine.
her answer was faithful andsimple.
Behold, the handmaid of theLord, be it unto me according to
thy word.
Can you imagine answering thatway to whatever God asks of us?
(02:55):
No matter how overwhelming orout of our comfort zones and
just trust that whatever it is.
He will help us, and we will beable to bless many.
As I continued to ponder thatdesire and ask God, what is it
you want of me?
(03:15):
What is it you would ask of methat I could answer in that way?
And as I opened the scriptures,I found myself riveted by one
verse that I had seen before,but it just felt different this
time.
Has a scripture ever stood outto you with power like that
before?, This scripture was inJoel chapter 2, verses 28 and
(03:40):
29.
And it shall come to passafterward that I will pour out
My Spirit upon all flesh, andyour sons and your daughters
shall prophesy, your old menshall dream dreams, your young
men shall see visions.
And also upon the servants andupon the handmaids in those days
(04:03):
will I pour out My Spirit.
What days was he talking of?
He was speaking of right hereand right now, the day that we
live in.
This is the same scripture thatthe angel Moroni quoted to the
prophet Joseph Smith and let himknow that this scripture had not
(04:24):
yet come to pass, but it wasabout to.
Isn't it glorious that we get tolive in this day, that the
spirit will be poured out uponus, and we will be able to use
our gifts to prophesy of Christand prepare this world for the
second coming.
Do you recognize the power andmagnificence of So along with
(04:46):
that charge is also a promisethat the Lord will show us
individually how we can answerthis call.
I also feel powerfully theimportance of women to rise up
and recognize the power andinfluence for good that they
have.
One of Satan's most strategicand effective plans of attack is
(05:11):
the attack on women, trying todevalue their worth, their
potential to make us believethat we can't do it, to make us
believe that we are powerless.
Because if we all truly begin tounderstand through the spirit
who we truly are, and themagnitude of our role and
(05:34):
influence, there will be nothingthat can stop the work, this
work, from moving forward.
As I continued on this journeyand sought to understand what my
own role was, sought to trulyhave it written in my heart, who
(05:55):
I was, my gifts, my worth, mypotential.
I started to see in every wordin the scriptures, the voice of
a woman.
Every person on the earth has amother.
Every prophet that ever wrotedown the words of God was taught
(06:20):
by a mother.
And so I've often stopped andpondered on the unwritten
stories in the scriptures,wondered what their wives and
mothers were like, And tried tosee their example in the
scriptures and follow it myself.
(06:43):
And this is where my nextexperience and story that I
wrote comes into play.
My husband and I had traveled toOberammergau, Germany, to watch
the historic Passion Play, aplay about the last week of the
Savior's life that has beenperformed every 10 years since
(07:04):
1634.
The town is known for theirtalent in wood carving and
especially carvings of thenativity scene.
That was one thing I knew Iwanted to get on this trip.
But there were literallyhundreds, probably thousands, of
(07:25):
beautiful nativities for me tochoose from I had to choose
quickly because the play wasabout to start.
Me and choosing quickly do notgo together.
But when I saw a particularnativity, I was immediately
drawn to it.
And I asked them to quickly wrapit up and made the purchase.
(07:45):
It wasn't until, it wasn't untilI got home a week later that I
even noticed.
I slowly unwrapped each piece ofthe nativity and put the figures
into place.
I placed Mary in her spot nextto baby Jesus.
But I was confused for a momentwhen I opened the next piece.
(08:06):
It was another woman.
Didn't I just unwrap Mary?
Then I noticed the vessel in herhand.
And the word Handmaid.
immediately came to my mind.
It was the first nativity I hadever seen that had another woman
in it.
(08:27):
I don't know why it was soprofound to me, but it brought
me near to tears.
Common sense would suggest thatthere was likely another woman
there to help Mary bring theSavior into this world.
But here it was depicted in anativity for the first time that
I had seen.
And now I see the connectionbetween this beautiful handmaid
(08:51):
and myself along with all otherwomen.
Just as that handmaid helpedbring the Savior into the world
that sacred night, we haveunique gifts connected to our
very nature that help us do thesame.
We bring the Savior into theworld every day in simple ways
(09:13):
in our homes and as we go aboutour day.
this thought was so profound tome, that even though it was
July, I left that nativity up.
And actually I have never put itaway all these years later.
But as Christmas drew closer, Istarted to ponder more and more
on if there was a handmaid.
(09:36):
What would her story have been?
What could I learn from herexample?
And as I continued to think, astory started to come together
in my mind.
And that is what I want to sharewith you today.
And through this story, I hopethis handmaid can forever be an
(09:58):
example in our lives.
So here we go.
I always wished to serve you,Lord, she softly breathed to
herself.
She did not want to let life'sanguish suffocate her believing.
She had remained immovable inher faith, even when every baby
(10:19):
to be held in her arms at birthwould not be her own.
She lovingly passed them intothe eager arms of the mothers
she expertly assisted.
Her deepest sorrow, held in thesame space as her hope, then, a
miracle.
Her own rounding belly, theunmistakable flutter of life,
(10:44):
each day filled withanticipation
and joy, the Lord had remembered her.
But when the time came, therewould be no breath in her sweet
boy's lungs.
The pain inside her so deep shewished for her own final exhale.
(11:04):
Pieces of her that she didn'tknow existed, broken.
This was not the life she prayedfor.
Cursed people spoke in whispers.
Once revered for her specialabilities as a handmaid to those
in labor, now shunned.
She no longer had the strengthto serve in bringing life to
(11:27):
this world anyway, wishing tonever hold a baby again if she
could not hold her own.
As she walked down the cobbledpath to the market, she wondered
at the cruelty of it, given anexceptional gift to succor women
in childbirth, yet never beingable to hear the soft cry of her
(11:48):
own baby.
Why had she held so much hope?
Hope only magnifies pain.
Do not be foolish.
The subtle yet calculatedsuggestion to her mind had
dimmed her belief.
Until this instant ofreflection, she did not realize
(12:09):
how imperceptible the light inher had become.
She stopped to lean against themud wall and was comforted by
the warmth generously given bythe sun.
The market was crowded withlittle room to move, her senses
invaded by the sounds ofbartering and the smell of
pungent spices.
(12:31):
Though the streets wereoverflowing, there was more
space here compared to where shewas staying.
What she wished for was thesolace of her home, but
circumstances required her andmany others to travel to this
now bustling town of her birth.
She allowed her mind to rest.
(12:52):
Just as the sounds around herwere becoming a calm hum, an
unexpected feeling surged inher.
She opened her eyes and her viewwas immediately guided to a
single scene.
The busy street seemed emptyexcept for the sight of a young
woman who just as she wasleaning against the support of a
(13:13):
wall.
Her gaze turned upward.
It had been years since she hadallowed herself to lower her
eyes for more than a glimpse tosee the curve of a woman's
blessed womb.
The reminder, too painful.
But in this moment, she couldnot look away.
(13:34):
She took in every detail of theyoung, soon to be mother.
From the leather braid in herworn sandals, to the loose braid
in her dark hair that was longenough to rest at the top of her
swollen belly.
It was not a hot day, but astrand of her hair stuck to her
face from the moisture that wascoming from her forehead.
(13:58):
She watched her and could almostfeel the conflicting emotions
that displayed on her face.
Wonder.
Worry.
Excitement.
Exhaustion.
She didn't know her, but therewas something she did know
without a doubt through years ofexperience and intuition.
(14:19):
This would be her first child,and she was going to deliver
before the night was through.
Everything was so still andstunning that for a blink she
forgot her pain and rememberedsomething else.
Understanding given to her yearsago that could not be explained,
(14:40):
but no less real.
The knowing that blanketed heronce before had come again.
She tried to remove it, to tellherself it was foolish, but she
could not.
The one prophesied of.
He was coming.
(15:02):
And she knew it.
She perceived it as a young girland was reminded of it at every
birth she was requested toattend.
The one that gave breath andlight to every soul would soon
breathe the very air he created.
she used to try and imagine whatit would be like when he came.
(15:26):
What peace and healing would hebring to the world?
Movement from the laboring womanshifted her attention.
A sharp intake of breath As herhand instinctively went to her
belly.
The man who had been in urgentconversation turned to her in
concern.
She couldn't make out his words,but saw the surrender in his
(15:47):
expression as the one he spoketo turned and motioned for him
to follow.
Alarm rose in her as she guessedat the situation.
Where would this dear woman givebirth in this overflowing place?
How long had she traveled inthis condition?
Was there someone to help at thebirth?
If she had just arrived, therewould be no time to make such
(16:09):
arrangements.
Curiosity and care wouldn't lether turn away now.
But there were other questionsin her mind that she was
reluctant to acknowledge.
What child was this womancarrying?
Why was she reminded of herformer hope and knowledge as she
looked upon her fruitful womb?
(16:30):
Could this be?
Whatever the answer, she feltdrawn to help.
So she discreetly followed.
The sun was setting and thehandmaid began to notice an
increase in deliberate pauses asthe young woman tried to walk.
The birth of her child was verynear.
She observed from a distance andwas stunned as she watched them
(16:52):
being led into the last placeshe would choose for someone to
give birth.
A stable.
How she wished she could find amore suitable option, but she
knew there was little time.
If she was going to offer herservice, she needed to act
quickly.
She pulled up the edges of herworn dress, moving with such
(17:14):
determination that the man whowas now retreating from the
stable took a step back at herapproach.
She was surprised at her ownsurety as she told him she would
be assisting this young coupleand listed the items she would
need.
A look of surprise flashed inhis eyes, but her certainty must
have been enough to prevent hisquestioning.
(17:35):
He seemed to absorb her urgencyand immediately directed her to
all she asked for.
In little time, she held an oillamp in one hand, rags draped
over the same shoulder, a watervessel balanced between her
other arm and hip.
Her heart sped up, even thoughher steps had slowed.
She was about to enter thestable, and for the first time,
(17:57):
she stopped to consider what shewas doing.
A calm assurance pushed herforward, before she could
question herself again.
She lowered her head to enterthe small opening of the stable,
and almost stopped short.
What was this place she wasentering?
(18:19):
It felt more than just a shelterfor animals.
If she wasn't walking into astable, she wouldn't have
questioned the sudden desire toremove her shoes.
Holy ground.
She had practiced in her mindwhat she might say to the couple
as she entered, but somehow themeeting of their eyes replaced
(18:42):
any needed conversation.
A grateful smile was given byboth the man and woman, and the
handmaid didn't have to think asshe fell into a familiar rhythm.
Loving reassurance.
A gentle touch.
Guidance to breathe.
She moved as if she hadwitnessed this very moment in a
(19:02):
past time.
Everything familiar.
The sweet smell of clean straw.
Silence aside from the laboringbreath.
The light of a single lampcasting a golden glow around the
mother.
A presence of serene strengthuncommon in a woman giving birth
for the first time.
(19:23):
How was it possible to havememories of something she had
never experienced before?
She matched the mother's deepinhale with her own, aware that
when the exhaled exertion wasdone, there would only be one
more inhale before the baby washere.
In those divine seconds, theknowing came again.
(19:46):
Vivid light of pure heavenlycommunication overwhelmed her
and tears were her onlyresponse.
She lifted the baby boy, ensuredhis first breath, and waited for
the small cry.
Time paid no heed to movingforward.
(20:06):
The night stood still.
He had come and she knew it.
Alpha and Omega, Eternity to allEternity, King of Kings.
Here he was, power without end,yet small enough to catch in her
(20:28):
hands, hands that would neverfeel empty again.
In her mind the words, He came.
He came for me.
A simple handmaid, the first tohold the one who before had so
(20:50):
tenderly held me.
The healing and peace she onceimagined for the entire world at
his coming was, in this smallmoment, just for her.
He knew her.
In his birth, his very firstbreath, his first miracle was
(21:12):
given in mercy.
He was only in her hands forseconds, but she was restored
for an eternity.
The handmaid looked at themother, whose tears matched her
own, then softly placed him inher waiting arms.
She eagerly pulled him in,whispered his glorious name, and
(21:35):
kissed his forehead.
She watched and wondered, allthe broken pieces within her
healed by him in one inhale.
How could a little baby holdsuch power?
She now understood the purposein every gift, in every trial of
(21:57):
her life.
It was for this time.
If she had never felt that pain,she would have never experienced
this wholeness.
She helped bring the savior ofthe world into the world.
In that action, she was madecomplete.
(22:17):
Her immediate desire was thatthis gift could be given to
everyone.
It seemed unfair that she wasthe only one chosen for this
purpose.
Then understanding came to hermind.
Are we all not like handmaids,sometimes broken and forgotten,
yet chosen for this time, giventhe great responsibility and
(22:39):
honor to help bring the Saviorinto the world every day through
our words and deeds, in sodoing, finding and giving hope
and healing.
You've heard it in your mind,stirred in your soul, the call
to assist in this labor, you, ahandmaid to the Lord, steadfast
(22:59):
and immovable, trusting thatupon the servants and upon the
handmaids in these days, will hepour out his spirit, seeking
inspiration that you might knowhow to bring the Savior into the
world today, given special giftsto help prepare the world for
his coming.
(23:20):
This is just a little story frommy imagination, but I hope you
have felt a message in it foryou.
These words by Julie B.
Beck wrap this message upperfectly.
She said, A revelation in thebook of Joel states that in the
last days, sons and daughters ofGod will prophesy and the Lord
(23:45):
will pour out his spirit uponhis servants and handmaids.
President Spencer W.
Kimball echoed this prophecywhen he said, Much of the major
growth that is coming to theChurch in the last days will
come because many of the goodwomen of the world, in whom
there is often such an innersense of spirituality, will be
(24:06):
drawn to the Church in largenumbers.
This will happen to the degreethat the women of the church
reflect righteousness andarticulateness in their lives,
and to the degree that the womenof the church are seen as
distinct and different in happyways from the women of the
world.
Thus it will be that femaleexemplars of the church will be
(24:28):
a significant force in both thenumerical and spiritual growth
of the church in the last days.
The Lord depends on hisdaughters to do their part to
strengthen the homes of Zion andbuilt his kingdom on the earth
as they seek and qualify forpersonal revelation.
The Lord will pour out hisspirit upon his handmaids in
(24:51):
these latter days.
Close quote.
I also echo Sister Eubank whenshe said, The prophets are
calling on us, my sisters.
Will you be righteous?
Will you articulate your faith?
Can you bear being distinct anddifferent?
Will your happiness, in spite ofyour trials, draw others who are
good and noble and who need yourfriendship?
(25:13):
Will you turn on your light?
I testify the Lord Jesus Christwill go before us and be in our
midst.
Close quote.
So perhaps a question you mightponder and ask of God in your
studies this week, how can Ihelp bring the Savior into the
world?
What is beautiful is that as weask that question and act upon
(25:38):
the answers, the things left inour hearts, our souls that feel
broken will miraculously heal.
It is the turning outward inlove, in service, that we come
to know the Savior and come toknow his healing.
Christ.
(25:59):
Is coming again.
Christ is hope.
Smiling Brightly.
President Spencer W.
Kimball explained, to be arighteous woman during the
winding up scenes on this earthbefore the second coming of the
Savior is an especially noblecalling.
It will be female exemplars ofthe church who will be a
significant force in both thenumerical and the spiritual
growth of the church in the lastdays.
(00:25):
Hello, it's Amber here andwelcome back to the Hope Smiling
Brightly podcast.
There is a scripture that I readon August 30th, 2017 that
changed the trajectory of mylife.
And it's part of the reason whyI have the courage to be here on
(00:46):
a podcast, something I swore Iwould never do.
And it also plays a role in thestory I'm going to share with
you today.,, but before we getinto our spiritual feast today,
let's talk about some physicalfood.
You guys, it's just as importantto be physically prepared as it
is to be spiritually prepared.
And Thrive Life is the easiestand most delicious way to help
(01:08):
you do that.
It is food with a 25 year shelflife and all you do is set up a
delivery with a budget thatworks for you and you are slowly
able to build up a supply offood for whatever may come.
So go to amber.thrivelife.command set up a delivery to get 15
(01:29):
percent off retail and freeshipping on orders of a hundred
dollars or more.
You are listening to HopeSmiling Brightly with Amber Dawn
Pearce, episode 11, help bringChrist into the world.
(01:51):
I had just finished reading thebiography of President Thomas S.
Monson and there were some wordsthat I could not get out of my
mind because they were the verydesire of my heart.
He said, I pledge my life, allthat I may have, I will strive
(02:12):
to the best of my ability to bewhat you would want me to be.
This quote reminded me of thedesire I had always had to
follow the example of thebeautiful Mary, the mother of
our savior.
When she was presented with oneof the most daunting,
(02:34):
overwhelming tasks I couldpossibly imagine.
her answer was faithful andsimple.
Behold, the handmaid of theLord, be it unto me according to
thy word.
Can you imagine answering thatway to whatever God asks of us?
(02:55):
No matter how overwhelming orout of our comfort zones and
just trust that whatever it is.
He will help us, and we will beable to bless many.
As I continued to ponder thatdesire and ask God, what is it
you want of me?
(03:15):
What is it you would ask of methat I could answer in that way?
And as I opened the scriptures,I found myself riveted by one
verse that I had seen before,but it just felt different this
time.
Has a scripture ever stood outto you with power like that
before?, This scripture was inJoel chapter 2, verses 28 and
(03:40):
29.
And it shall come to passafterward that I will pour out
My Spirit upon all flesh, andyour sons and your daughters
shall prophesy, your old menshall dream dreams, your young
men shall see visions.
And also upon the servants andupon the handmaids in those days
(04:03):
will I pour out My Spirit.
What days was he talking of?
He was speaking of right hereand right now, the day that we
live in.
This is the same scripture thatthe angel Moroni quoted to the
prophet Joseph Smith and let himknow that this scripture had not
(04:24):
yet come to pass, but it wasabout to.
Isn't it glorious that we get tolive in this day, that the
spirit will be poured out uponus, and we will be able to use
our gifts to prophesy of Christand prepare this world for the
second coming.
Do you recognize the power andmagnificence of So along with
(04:46):
that charge is also a promisethat the Lord will show us
individually how we can answerthis call.
I also feel powerfully theimportance of women to rise up
and recognize the power andinfluence for good that they
have.
One of Satan's most strategicand effective plans of attack is
(05:11):
the attack on women, trying todevalue their worth, their
potential to make us believethat we can't do it, to make us
believe that we are powerless.
Because if we all truly begin tounderstand through the spirit
who we truly are, and themagnitude of our role and
(05:34):
influence, there will be nothingthat can stop the work, this
work, from moving forward.
As I continued on this journeyand sought to understand what my
own role was, sought to trulyhave it written in my heart, who
(05:55):
I was, my gifts, my worth, mypotential.
I started to see in every wordin the scriptures, the voice of
a woman.
Every person on the earth has amother.
Every prophet that ever wrotedown the words of God was taught
(06:20):
by a mother.
And so I've often stopped andpondered on the unwritten
stories in the scriptures,wondered what their wives and
mothers were like, And tried tosee their example in the
scriptures and follow it myself.
(06:43):
And this is where my nextexperience and story that I
wrote comes into play.
My husband and I had traveled toOberammergau, Germany, to watch
the historic Passion Play, aplay about the last week of the
Savior's life that has beenperformed every 10 years since
(07:04):
1634.
The town is known for theirtalent in wood carving and
especially carvings of thenativity scene.
That was one thing I knew Iwanted to get on this trip.
But there were literallyhundreds, probably thousands, of
(07:25):
beautiful nativities for me tochoose from I had to choose
quickly because the play wasabout to start.
Me and choosing quickly do notgo together.
But when I saw a particularnativity, I was immediately
drawn to it.
And I asked them to quickly wrapit up and made the purchase.
(07:45):
It wasn't until, it wasn't untilI got home a week later that I
even noticed.
I slowly unwrapped each piece ofthe nativity and put the figures
into place.
I placed Mary in her spot nextto baby Jesus.
But I was confused for a momentwhen I opened the next piece.
(08:06):
It was another woman.
Didn't I just unwrap Mary?
Then I noticed the vessel in herhand.
And the word Handmaid.
immediately came to my mind.
It was the first nativity I hadever seen that had another woman
in it.
(08:27):
I don't know why it was soprofound to me, but it brought
me near to tears.
Common sense would suggest thatthere was likely another woman
there to help Mary bring theSavior into this world.
But here it was depicted in anativity for the first time that
I had seen.
And now I see the connectionbetween this beautiful handmaid
(08:51):
and myself along with all otherwomen.
Just as that handmaid helpedbring the Savior into the world
that sacred night, we haveunique gifts connected to our
very nature that help us do thesame.
We bring the Savior into theworld every day in simple ways
(09:13):
in our homes and as we go aboutour day.
this thought was so profound tome, that even though it was
July, I left that nativity up.
And actually I have never put itaway all these years later.
But as Christmas drew closer, Istarted to ponder more and more
on if there was a handmaid.
(09:36):
What would her story have been?
What could I learn from herexample?
And as I continued to think, astory started to come together
in my mind.
And that is what I want to sharewith you today.
And through this story, I hopethis handmaid can forever be an
(09:58):
example in our lives.
So here we go.
I always wished to serve you,Lord, she softly breathed to
herself.
She did not want to let life'sanguish suffocate her believing.
She had remained immovable inher faith, even when every baby
(10:19):
to be held in her arms at birthwould not be her own.
She lovingly passed them intothe eager arms of the mothers
she expertly assisted.
Her deepest sorrow, held in thesame space as her hope, then, a
miracle.
Her own rounding belly, theunmistakable flutter of life,
(10:44):
each day filled withanticipation
and joy, the Lord had remembered her.
But when the time came, therewould be no breath in her sweet
boy's lungs.
The pain inside her so deep shewished for her own final exhale.
(11:04):
Pieces of her that she didn'tknow existed, broken.
This was not the life she prayedfor.
Cursed people spoke in whispers.
Once revered for her specialabilities as a handmaid to those
in labor, now shunned.
She no longer had the strengthto serve in bringing life to
(11:27):
this world anyway, wishing tonever hold a baby again if she
could not hold her own.
As she walked down the cobbledpath to the market, she wondered
at the cruelty of it, given anexceptional gift to succor women
in childbirth, yet never beingable to hear the soft cry of her
(11:48):
own baby.
Why had she held so much hope?
Hope only magnifies pain.
Do not be foolish.
The subtle yet calculatedsuggestion to her mind had
dimmed her belief.
Until this instant ofreflection, she did not realize
(12:09):
how imperceptible the light inher had become.
She stopped to lean against themud wall and was comforted by
the warmth generously given bythe sun.
The market was crowded withlittle room to move, her senses
invaded by the sounds ofbartering and the smell of
pungent spices.
(12:31):
Though the streets wereoverflowing, there was more
space here compared to where shewas staying.
What she wished for was thesolace of her home, but
circumstances required her andmany others to travel to this
now bustling town of her birth.
She allowed her mind to rest.
(12:52):
Just as the sounds around herwere becoming a calm hum, an
unexpected feeling surged inher.
She opened her eyes and her viewwas immediately guided to a
single scene.
The busy street seemed emptyexcept for the sight of a young
woman who just as she wasleaning against the support of a
(13:13):
wall.
Her gaze turned upward.
It had been years since she hadallowed herself to lower her
eyes for more than a glimpse tosee the curve of a woman's
blessed womb.
The reminder, too painful.
But in this moment, she couldnot look away.
(13:34):
She took in every detail of theyoung, soon to be mother.
From the leather braid in herworn sandals, to the loose braid
in her dark hair that was longenough to rest at the top of her
swollen belly.
It was not a hot day, but astrand of her hair stuck to her
face from the moisture that wascoming from her forehead.
(13:58):
She watched her and could almostfeel the conflicting emotions
that displayed on her face.
Wonder.
Worry.
Excitement.
Exhaustion.
She didn't know her, but therewas something she did know
without a doubt through years ofexperience and intuition.
(14:19):
This would be her first child,and she was going to deliver
before the night was through.
Everything was so still andstunning that for a blink she
forgot her pain and rememberedsomething else.
Understanding given to her yearsago that could not be explained,
(14:40):
but no less real.
The knowing that blanketed heronce before had come again.
She tried to remove it, to tellherself it was foolish, but she
could not.
The one prophesied of.
He was coming.
(15:02):
And she knew it.
She perceived it as a young girland was reminded of it at every
birth she was requested toattend.
The one that gave breath andlight to every soul would soon
breathe the very air he created.
she used to try and imagine whatit would be like when he came.
(15:26):
What peace and healing would hebring to the world?
Movement from the laboring womanshifted her attention.
A sharp intake of breath As herhand instinctively went to her
belly.
The man who had been in urgentconversation turned to her in
concern.
She couldn't make out his words,but saw the surrender in his
(15:47):
expression as the one he spoketo turned and motioned for him
to follow.
Alarm rose in her as she guessedat the situation.
Where would this dear woman givebirth in this overflowing place?
How long had she traveled inthis condition?
Was there someone to help at thebirth?
If she had just arrived, therewould be no time to make such
(16:09):
arrangements.
Curiosity and care wouldn't lether turn away now.
But there were other questionsin her mind that she was
reluctant to acknowledge.
What child was this womancarrying?
Why was she reminded of herformer hope and knowledge as she
looked upon her fruitful womb?
(16:30):
Could this be?
Whatever the answer, she feltdrawn to help.
So she discreetly followed.
The sun was setting and thehandmaid began to notice an
increase in deliberate pauses asthe young woman tried to walk.
The birth of her child was verynear.
She observed from a distance andwas stunned as she watched them
(16:52):
being led into the last placeshe would choose for someone to
give birth.
A stable.
How she wished she could find amore suitable option, but she
knew there was little time.
If she was going to offer herservice, she needed to act
quickly.
She pulled up the edges of herworn dress, moving with such
(17:14):
determination that the man whowas now retreating from the
stable took a step back at herapproach.
She was surprised at her ownsurety as she told him she would
be assisting this young coupleand listed the items she would
need.
A look of surprise flashed inhis eyes, but her certainty must
have been enough to prevent hisquestioning.
(17:35):
He seemed to absorb her urgencyand immediately directed her to
all she asked for.
In little time, she held an oillamp in one hand, rags draped
over the same shoulder, a watervessel balanced between her
other arm and hip.
Her heart sped up, even thoughher steps had slowed.
She was about to enter thestable, and for the first time,
(17:57):
she stopped to consider what shewas doing.
A calm assurance pushed herforward, before she could
question herself again.
She lowered her head to enterthe small opening of the stable,
and almost stopped short.
What was this place she wasentering?
(18:19):
It felt more than just a shelterfor animals.
If she wasn't walking into astable, she wouldn't have
questioned the sudden desire toremove her shoes.
Holy ground.
She had practiced in her mindwhat she might say to the couple
as she entered, but somehow themeeting of their eyes replaced
(18:42):
any needed conversation.
A grateful smile was given byboth the man and woman, and the
handmaid didn't have to think asshe fell into a familiar rhythm.
Loving reassurance.
A gentle touch.
Guidance to breathe.
She moved as if she hadwitnessed this very moment in a
(19:02):
past time.
Everything familiar.
The sweet smell of clean straw.
Silence aside from the laboringbreath.
The light of a single lampcasting a golden glow around the
mother.
A presence of serene strengthuncommon in a woman giving birth
for the first time.
(19:23):
How was it possible to havememories of something she had
never experienced before?
She matched the mother's deepinhale with her own, aware that
when the exhaled exertion wasdone, there would only be one
more inhale before the baby washere.
In those divine seconds, theknowing came again.
(19:46):
Vivid light of pure heavenlycommunication overwhelmed her
and tears were her onlyresponse.
She lifted the baby boy, ensuredhis first breath, and waited for
the small cry.
Time paid no heed to movingforward.
(20:06):
The night stood still.
He had come and she knew it.
Alpha and Omega, Eternity to allEternity, King of Kings.
Here he was, power without end,yet small enough to catch in her
(20:28):
hands, hands that would neverfeel empty again.
In her mind the words, He came.
He came for me.
A simple handmaid, the first tohold the one who before had so
(20:50):
tenderly held me.
The healing and peace she onceimagined for the entire world at
his coming was, in this smallmoment, just for her.
He knew her.
In his birth, his very firstbreath, his first miracle was
(21:12):
given in mercy.
He was only in her hands forseconds, but she was restored
for an eternity.
The handmaid looked at themother, whose tears matched her
own, then softly placed him inher waiting arms.
She eagerly pulled him in,whispered his glorious name, and
(21:35):
kissed his forehead.
She watched and wondered, allthe broken pieces within her
healed by him in one inhale.
How could a little baby holdsuch power?
She now understood the purposein every gift, in every trial of
(21:57):
her life.
It was for this time.
If she had never felt that pain,she would have never experienced
this wholeness.
She helped bring the savior ofthe world into the world.
In that action, she was madecomplete.
(22:17):
Her immediate desire was thatthis gift could be given to
everyone.
It seemed unfair that she wasthe only one chosen for this
purpose.
Then understanding came to hermind.
Are we all not like handmaids,sometimes broken and forgotten,
yet chosen for this time, giventhe great responsibility and
(22:39):
honor to help bring the Saviorinto the world every day through
our words and deeds, in sodoing, finding and giving hope
and healing.
You've heard it in your mind,stirred in your soul, the call
to assist in this labor, you, ahandmaid to the Lord, steadfast
(22:59):
and immovable, trusting thatupon the servants and upon the
handmaids in these days, will hepour out his spirit, seeking
inspiration that you might knowhow to bring the Savior into the
world today, given special giftsto help prepare the world for
his coming.
(23:20):
This is just a little story frommy imagination, but I hope you
have felt a message in it foryou.
These words by Julie B.
Beck wrap this message upperfectly.
She said, A revelation in thebook of Joel states that in the
last days, sons and daughters ofGod will prophesy and the Lord
(23:45):
will pour out his spirit uponhis servants and handmaids.
President Spencer W.
Kimball echoed this prophecywhen he said, Much of the major
growth that is coming to theChurch in the last days will
come because many of the goodwomen of the world, in whom
there is often such an innersense of spirituality, will be
(24:06):
drawn to the Church in largenumbers.
This will happen to the degreethat the women of the church
reflect righteousness andarticulateness in their lives,
and to the degree that the womenof the church are seen as
distinct and different in happyways from the women of the
world.
Thus it will be that femaleexemplars of the church will be
(24:28):
a significant force in both thenumerical and spiritual growth
of the church in the last days.
The Lord depends on hisdaughters to do their part to
strengthen the homes of Zion andbuilt his kingdom on the earth
as they seek and qualify forpersonal revelation.
The Lord will pour out hisspirit upon his handmaids in
(24:51):
these latter days.
Close quote.
I also echo Sister Eubank whenshe said, The prophets are
calling on us, my sisters.
Will you be righteous?
Will you articulate your faith?
Can you bear being distinct anddifferent?
Will your happiness, in spite ofyour trials, draw others who are
good and noble and who need yourfriendship?
(25:13):
Will you turn on your light?
I testify the Lord Jesus Christwill go before us and be in our
midst.
Close quote.
So perhaps a question you mightponder and ask of God in your
studies this week, how can Ihelp bring the Savior into the
world?
What is beautiful is that as weask that question and act upon
(25:38):
the answers, the things left inour hearts, our souls that feel
broken will miraculously heal.
It is the turning outward inlove, in service, that we come
to know the Savior and come toknow his healing.
Christ.
(25:59):
Is coming again.
Christ is hope.
Smiling Brightly.
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