For a moment...

Okay, so this isn't a Sunday reflection, it's a Thursday night reflection.  But with how busy things get around here, I'll take the quite reflective moments whenever I can get them.

We had the missionaries from our church over for dinner last night.  Two young men in the early twenties, far from their homes.  We had a nice casual dinner, chicken alfredo and salad.  The conversation was generally casual also.  We hadn't met either of them before, so it was just nice to be able to sit and get to know them a little better.

One, however, made a few comments that made me pause.  I thought at one point, "did he really just say that?"  I started thinking about the people they were probably teaching and wondering if he just felt really comfortable around us or if this was the way he acted toward everyone he came in contact with.  It happened...I had started to judge him.  I didn't realize it at the time, but I had.  I had started taking notice of very minimal things in a critical way.

After dinner though, something miraculous happened.  These two elders had a little lesson to share with our family.  As they spoke about Christ, the spirit filled the room.  There was some interaction between our family and the missionaries, the kids answered questions, the missionaries spoke, and I was completely overcome by the peace that had filled the room. 

I then found myself looking over at this young man whom I had become a little critical of.  I no longer saw someone who had made comments I felt the need to question.  What I saw was a boy, scared to death to leave his home, trying with all his might to make himself comfortable in other people's homes.  I saw a young man who had a strong enough testimony of his Savior, Jesus Christ, that he didn't care if he was out of his comfort zone, because he knew what he was doing right now was more important that anything else he could be doing at this time.  I saw a beloved child of God.

I then realized what I had done over dinner, and was so grateful I had the opportunity to "have my eyes opened" and to see things as they really were and not as I thought they had been. For a moment, a great and wonderful moment...I could see clearly.