TJ Hirst

“Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?”

A new year begins in a matter of hours. Today I met a woman, a recovering alcoholic, who is visiting with the missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She welcomed us into her apartment decorated with a charming style and a visiting baby grandson. In the conversation, they challenged her to write down two small, positive and attainable actions that she is not already doing.

She wrote pray and drink water in her spiral-bound notebook, and she committed to begin these tomorrow. New Year’s Day seemed like an appropriate new beginning. Then, they gave this challenge: when she accomplishes these tomorrow, and each day thereafter, she will add one more simple action to her list for the next day. In this way, they promised, “by small and simple things, are great things brought to pass.”

At this moment, her year-old grandson, climbed next to her on the couch and buried his cheeks into her side. She looked into his innocent eyes and said, “What can be a better motivator than a grandchild?” Did she see the reminder of newness of life in him? Her face reflected hope that she, too, could start new, again. A new morning and a new year awaits.

“Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?”

I am not a naturally patient person. I like schedules and routines and plans that goes as planned. Today some old friends were visiting from a town several hours away. This couple came to church with us, and we planned to eat dinner right afterwards at our home. We weren’t going to wait for my husband so they could eat and get on the road home. You see, my husband is the bishop at our church, which is like the pastor, and he is often kept after with meetings or interviews, especially at the end of the year. Well, the man decided he would stay at church and wait for my husband, thinking it would only be an extra hour.

Well, my children, my friend and I waited at my home. At first we made the meal. Then we put it back in the oven to stay warm. Then we sat down and waited. We didn’t eat because we expected them at any moment.

It had been nearly two hours, and I was growing fidgety from the Sudafed I was taking for my cold, the restless, hungry children, and the change of plans. Now, at this point, I might typically grow more irritated and stressed. I might become cranky with the kids or silent trying not to be. But something different happened.

I looked at all of us, sitting there around the fire and just went and got a bowl of pretzels and drinks. That simple gesture, while not abnormal, became the catalyst for a silly memory and new resolve. Within just a few moments with a bowl of pretzels and a child’s imagination, they were skewering pretzels on long-forgotten summer BBQ tools, roasting them by the fire, and offering them to us.

My gaze had shifted from me so I could more easily see and meet my children’s simple need. And their child-like curiosity filled their hunger and their boredom. A subtle change of expectation restored our waiting moments with patience.

My new year begins in September when my three children go back to school. I get an impulse to buy new notebooks, read new books and start new writing projects. This “new year” I set a goal that was not only completely self-directed but also highly self-involved; I began writing my autobiography. I have written 50,000+ words and am just finishing high school (in my book, not real life). Yet, now, as I approach the real new year of 2008, I am considering (by thinking out loud) my desires, purposes, and audiences for writing. I am influenced by these words by Elder M. Russell Ballard, a leader in my church:

“Words create conversations, and conversations create understanding. There is truth in the old adage that ‘the pen is mightier than the sword.’ . . . May I ask that you join the conversation by participating on the Internet. . . . Talk honestly and sincerely about the impact the gospel has had in your life, how it has it helped you overcome weaknesses or challenges, and helped define your values. . . . the power of words is incredible. “

Elder M. Russell Ballard
speech given at
Brigham Young University-Hawaii’s
graduation ceremony on 15 December 2007

Words are deep and powerful, and I seek that in my writing. For that reason, up until now, I have hesitated to use this medium as fully as I could. Thanks to my husband’s generous Christmas gift of a domain name, his technical skills to set up this site, and his abundance of encouragement, I am beginning tjhirst.com. As my introductory tagline reads, “Not the usual stuff, (but I’m still figuring it out).” For now, my site will include answers to The Question, biographies of everyday people, and media reviews. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and while my spirituality influences my content, my site is applicable to a broader audience and not geared specifically toward other members of my church.

Just as good writing gives ordinary words “incredible” power, a new perspective uplifts the seemingly mundane. Writing is my discovery process, and I invite you to discover with me.