I guess one of the biggest events so far this school year was my birthday. It wasn't just a birthday. I had my first interview for my mission papers, which I think was monumental to say the least. My birthday was fun and everything. Lots of friends came by for cake and to catch up. But....
That night, I got appendicitis. Best birthday present ever. The surgery wasn't life changing. I'm short an appendix now, but that doesn't really affect me. It was the events surrounding the surgery and my recovery that forever changed me.
I had felt some pain the afternoon before, but that night, I woke up in the most intense pain I have ever experienced. (Funny moment though: the pain was so harsh that while I was asleep, it was part of my dream. And in my dream, I was in so much pain because the church authorities couldn't figure out where to send me on my mission!) Anyway, I finally woke up, found the strength to get out of my bed, and crawled out to the couch. Fortunately, one of my roommates heard me moaning and she got two of my other roommates, one of whom called my home teachers. It was 2:30 in the morning, but they came over dressed in white shirts and ties, and they gave me a simple yet powerful blessing of healing. 2:30 in the morning and they were willing to get out of bed and come help ME. I'm so grateful for the priesthood.
Afterwards, my roommate Tessa helped me out to her car, and she and another of my roommates drove me to the ER. They sat with me all night. The next morning, as I was waking up from surgery, I saw someone running down the hallway. I couldn't tell who it was at first because I didn't have my glasses on, but then the person doubled back and came into my room. It was my Relief Society president. We barely knew each other, but she had come to stay with me. She read to me, talked with me, helped me order some food, and emailed my mom about how I was doing. She didn't leave until another one of my friends came to visit. I will never forget the love that she demonstrated for me. In that moment, I realized a fraction of the love the Savior has for each one of His children.
That day, so many people visited me. Some of my old friends from last year came. My old roommates visited, and one of them came back that night to bring me Jamba Juice. My Spanish professor dropped by to give me a "get well" card! So many people who took time out of their day to serve ME, someone they had absolutely no obligation to.
Later that night, Megan, my Relief Society president, came back with a few others. She had brought the Elders Quorum President, and he and one of his friends gave me another blessing. Then, they asked me if I was hungry. I had ordered food from the hospital kitchen, but it was gross, so I didn't eat it. And I was very hungry, but I said no. Because I just hate admitting when I need things or that I'm a human being who has weaknesses, like an existing metabolism, but they wouldn't listen to me and brought me Wendy's. Which was absolutely amazing.
Later that night, my FHE family visited and brought me a card they had all signed. In the whole time I was at the hospital, not a single member of my family visited me. I'm not bitter about it or anything. In fact, I don't even mind. People have lives, and my brother didn't have ride. The point is, my FHE family came. It wasn't Monday night and most of them barely knew me, yet they took time out of their school day to make a card for me. (I later heard that they had called it the "giant card of doom". So awesome.) During the few minutes they were with me, I felt truly loved. I know that they didn't know me very well. Besides those with my roommates, none of my friendships with any of my FHE brothers or sisters blossomed into anything especially noteworthy, but during that visit, they felt like my family. That is the purpose of having FHE families for young single adults living away from their families: to have a group in which they belong for the purpose of supporting one another. In a way, FHE families are meant to fill the role of the family when the family cannot because of circumstances. During my time at the hospital, my FHE family did just that, and I'm so grateful for them.
I'm so grateful for the kindness and compassion so many showed me when I needed it. There is so much more others did for me during that time that I didn't mention, but I have not forgotten a single act of kindness that was shown to me. (I'm not just saying that. I made a list in my journal.) I was completely undeserving, yet because these people chose to demonstrate Christ-like love, whether they thought of it that way or not, I was cared for.
Mosiah 2:17 "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."
P.S. When I first came to BYU as a stupid little freshman, I had this fantasy that one day I would be really sick. My roommates would call my conveniently gorgeous home teachers if they could come and give me a blessing. It would be a romantic moment in which they would be my saviors. Yeah. I got my fantasy. And it was a load of crap. My home teachers were fine, but I was so sick it was kind of scary, not to mention I looked awful. Fantasies are not at all what they're cracked up to be. And there is my shallow finale.
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