As many of you know, I work as a supervisor at Your Local Inspirational Bookstore and I, for the most part, love it. Sometimes, usually when I most need the pick up, someone comes in that says exactly what I need to hear at that moment. Today's was special. Here's a story that goes along with it.
I was helping this elderly woman to find a few books she was looking for when she asked me if we had a book about Sister Hinckley's life. I said we did and directed her to Glimpses, the story of her life. It's a sweet book and we talked about it for awhile. She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "I wish I was as wise as Sister Hinckley." I stood quiet for a moment and with tears in my own eyes told her that I knew she was wise and beautiful. She smiled and put her hand on my shoulder and we stood for a moment. She told me something that she liked about Sister Hinckley and then I countered. I relayed the following quote and then walked her to the register to check out. She really is a sweet, wise, woman and I hope I get to see her again soon.
"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car wearing beautifully tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to Scout Camp. I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenk's lawn. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping weed someone's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and I really lived." ~ Marjorie Pay Hinckley
Isn't that beautiful? I want to live my life in the same way. Thank you Sister Hinckley for being such an inspiration, and thank you to my wise and beautiful customer that helped me remember the kind of person I want to be.
