This dream occurred right before I was called to
serve as YW President.
Years ago, I woke from a good night’s sleep with a dream
lingering vividly in my mind. Most of my dreams make little sense, but this one
stayed with me with clarity. As I replayed the scenes that had unfolded in my
mind, I felt strongly that there was a message in it, something the Lord wanted
me to understand.
The dream began with a car that had driven off a nearby
cliff and plunged into a lake below the towering landscape. Deep in the cold
water was a young woman who had escaped the car and was desperately in need of
help.
I stood on the bank wanting to jump in and rescue her, but I
knew that doing so would put both of us in danger. If I tried to reach her
myself, neither of us might survive. So, I stayed on the shore, helpless in one
way but determined to help in any way I could.
I shouted for her to swim toward me, but she couldn’t hear
my voice. I could see her and hear her, but she was too far away to hear me.
Desperate to guide her out of the freezing water, I waved my arms and jumped up
and down so she could see me. It worked. She began moving in my direction.
I kept signaling, bigger movements and more urgency,
anything to keep her attention until she was close enough to hear my voice.
Finally, she reached a point where she could hear me calling out encouragement,
urging her not to give up. Slowly, she made her way to the bank, and I was able
to take her into my arms. She was tired, cold, and injured from the fall, but
she was alive and grateful to have survived.
At one point she was too far away to hear my words, but my
actions still helped her move in the right direction.
This dream reminded me that sometimes our actions reach
people long before our words ever can. There are moments when someone is too
overwhelmed, too hurt, or too far away spiritually or emotionally to hear what
we are trying to say. In those moments, the way we live, the way we show up,
and the way we quietly keep pointing toward safety can speak louder than
anything we could shout across the water.
Our example can become the signal that helps someone move in
the right direction. Long before they can hear our voice, they can see our
faith. Long before they can understand our counsel, they can feel our love. And
when they finally draw close enough to hear the words, they already know the
way because our actions have been leading them there all along.
Sometimes the most powerful guidance we offer is not
spoken. It is live.
There is always someone who cares. It may
not be the person we expect, but someone is there.
We all need people who care. And we all need to be that
person for someone else.
Whether we are the one reaching out or the one being
rescued, the message is the same:
We need each other.
We Can’t Do It Alone and
We’re Not Meant To!
“Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail
thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.” (D&C 121:9)
Robert D. Hales taught: “It is also God’s plan that
we cannot return to his presence alone, without the help of someone else.
We each have a mission in this life of which cannot be embarked upon
successfully without the help of others. Birth requires earthly parents. Our blessing
as a child, our baptism, our receiving the laying on of hands for the gift of
the Holy Ghost, our receiving membership in his church, ordination to the
priesthood, going on a mission, being married, having children of our own,
blessings during illness and times of need—all require the help of others. And
all these are acts of love and service which require the help of others and the
giving of help to others.” (Robert D. Hales, “We Can’t Do It
Alone,” Ensign, Nov. 1975, 90)
