The touch of the Masters hand

The day started out late for me today....I cannot believe that I slept until nearly 11 a.m. which is completely out of the ordinary for me. I believe that the Lord was letting me get some badly needed sleep, even though I've been sleeping good, my mental exhaustion was reaching its toll. Between the math quiz and then the math test as well as two history tests, my poor brain was becoming like academic oatmeal.

What has helped me to survive over the past couple of weeks has been the strength of the word of the Lord and the beautiful blessing I received while being set-apart for my new calling in Church. I cannot recall all the words spoken during my setting-apart, but I do remember the spirit that was felt in the room. Even the Bishop commented on it when he was through saying that the words of the Lord were strongly felt as he was pronouncing the blessing. I'm truly excited about being the New Family Search History Consultant and what is even more amazing is that I knew about 10 days before the calling was offered, that I was going to get it. When I went in to speak to the Bishop that night, he said to me: "Sister Tompkins, I know you know what the calling is before I even ask you if you will accept it, you always know about the same time that the Lord has revealed it to me and as we as the Bishopric have prayed about it individually and collectively." He's right, the Lord has blessed me with the fore-knowledge of a new calling and WHY He does that I will never know, unless it is to prepare me spiritually for the change. He (the Lord) knows I will never turn down a calling because I know that it is He that is calling me to the job, not the Bishop, not his counselors, but the Lord and who am I to turn down the Lord.

There have been times that I've been at the Temple going through for my kindred dead, where their spirit was present and then walking through the veil was so joyous I know that there was great celebration on the other side of the heavenly veil. The Masters hand is most definitely in all of this work that we are doing for our families. What I am especially excited about with all of this work that I am going to be doing as the consultant for this Ward is the fact that I will be helping not only my family, but others with their families and the joy that will be felt by many on both sides of the veil.

I am blessed by God in so many ways, life on earth being one of the greatest, but second only to having Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and having His restored gospel as my guideline, my road map if you will, take me to where I know I am safe. I have felt the touch of the Masters hand many times in my life and I don't ever want to lose that. I am blessed by the Grace of my Savior and His love and I'm not willing to sacrifice that for anything else.