Visitors....A Stroke of Love Painted Into the Walls of My Home and I am a Better Person Because of their Visits!

As long as I can remember, I have always said unspoken prayers. You know the ones I am talking about? The ones you say in your mind that are said and felt right in your heart. No one around you hears them. Well, at least not out loud anyways. I KNOW Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers. I know he listens even to ones that are never spoken out loud. I said one of those very prayers after we moved here.  I longed to see familiar faces and have familiar conversations. Those longings turned into unspoken prayers.

I felt a bit homesick for my life in Vegas. I missed my daily routine that seemed to click for my family! I missed deep friendships that took years to develop. Having deep friendships to me is like having a piece of aged cheese that gets better the longer it sits. Once you bite into it, you realize just how delicious it is and recognize it was so worth the wait!  That's how  friendships are! They take years to develop and one day, you realize JUST how incredible they are! Once the newness of moving wore off, I longed for my dear friends.  Well, all my unspoken prayers started to yield visitors...from near and far!


I love visitors.  I love entertaining and talking and giggling.  I love playing games and listening to stories about their lives.  I love serving them and providing an atmosphere where they enjoy themselves and hopefully they want to return. I cry with them and support them through challenges and rejoice with them over accomplishments and milestones.   I love trying new recipes or making  ones that I know will be a hit!  I love the way I feel when they are here.  Each time they leave, I feel like a better person.  It's like they left a part of their wonderful self  imprinted in my home.  It's like my walls are newly painted with their love! 

Have you ever warned your children to be on their best behavior when visitors come?  I do!  I go through the ritual of making sure I remind my children how we treat one another.  I remind them to step up their kindness and stretch themselves with service.  I remind them to keep their rooms a bit tidier.  I remind them to savor each visitor and learn from them and enjoy being surrounded by those who love them. Is that such a bad thing?  I don't think so!  I think it's important for children to learn what their best behavior is and to have opportunities to show it off.  Hopefully,  their best behavior will become the norm.

First was a visit from my parents.  They surprised us with a visit.  One day, the doorbell rang and there they were!  We laughed and talked and cried.  I realized where I got my joy of service from as I watched my mother jump right in and help.  She has served others her whole life.  How blessed I am to enjoy the same love she does.  I learned about events my dad had been participating in with his job and watched the bond between my husband and my father deepen.  As they left, a stroke of their love was painted into the walls of my home and I was a better person because of their visit.

Next we were visited by some dear friends from Las Vegas.  Having my girlfriend here visiting with some of her children was a sheer delight!  We chatted for hours and had yummy food from a local Mexican Restaurant.  We caught up on the lives of our wonderful friends and acquaintances in Las Vegas.  We laughed and watched our children play!  I begged her to stay longer.  I enjoyed her company and learned how tender hearted she is and how much she cares about others.  I want to be more like her.  As she left, a stroke of her love was painted into the walls of my home and I was a better person because of her visit.

In between visits from far distant friends and family, we were blessed with many weekly visits from cousins who we were getting reacquainted with.  I loved to watch my children learn about their cousins and find similarities amongst each other.  I loved visiting with my sister in-laws and talking about everything and anything.  We were also visited by grandmas and grandpas who live just 30 minutes away.  I loved to watch my children hug them and tell them about their summer activities and their dreams and plans for the future.  As each of these visitors left, a stroke of their love was painted into the walls of my home and I was a better person because of their visit.

Then we had more wonderful Vegas friends come.  They were passing through on their way to Washington.  We didn't always have the opportunity to spend  much time with them in Vegas together, but now that we lived out of state, it felt different.  We sat and talked about her school and how AMAZING she looked.  She was working so hard to be healthy.  I learned that with determination and dedication we can accomplish anything.  Her personality easily attracts others and she puts you at ease.  She makes you feel important. Our daughters relationships picked right up where they had left off.  I was in awe at how tall her children had become.  We cried as we talked about families and friends.  We had picked up right where we had left off as if no time had hardly passed at all.  I knew we would get another visit from them again as they passed back through Idaho on their way home. And still, when they left, a stroke of their love was painted into the walls of my home and I was a better person because of their visit. 

Visitors continued to come.  This time it was because a special friend so willingly accepted  the call of duty.  Girls camp was approaching.  This very special friend did the Lifeline activity in Las Vegas for our girls camp there.  Now, as I am Young Women's President in Blackfoot, I wanted the girls here to have the same wonderful experience I did in Las Vegas.  My special friend took time from her very busy "Especially For Youth" schedule to come and spend a couple days with our girls camp in Idaho.  She came and stayed in my home the first night before we left for camp.  We talked for hours about her family and her mother.  I learned how strong of a woman she is and how she deeply desires for people to really know WHO they are and WHERE they came from!  Her spiritual strength runs very deep and I enjoyed our conversations.  When we were at girls camp, her message to the Young Women changed many lives.  In fact, I bet changed the course that many YW will choose to go because of her strength and testimony of the Lifeline.  I felt so blessed to call her my friend.  When she left a stroke of her love was painted into the walls of my home and I was a better person because of her visit.

At the same time my special friend was visiting, we also had a mutual friend and her family here too.  I have known this family for many wonderful years.  She is bold and strong, and straight as an arrow!  I love these qualities about her and her girls too!  They love deeply and serve unconditionally.  I watched her at girls camp (because she came to help with the Lifeline) as she payed close attention to the details of our camp.  That is her personality.  She pays close attention to the details in life.  She remembers conversations and things that you say and blesses your life when she remembers your birthday or gives you something because she heard you say it along time ago.  Having her here helped me to pay closer attention to my family.  To listen closer to the details of their day.  I loved spending time with her. Her family brought laughter and excitement.  When they left, a stroke of their love was painted into the walls of my home and I was a better person because of their visit.

Soon after, my brother and his family visited us for the weekend.  I love having his family here.  His wife is a breath of fresh air.  Her boys are so lovable and I find myself wanting to hug and kiss them even when they don't want me to.  Her youngest son has the curliest locks of hair and I found myself asking him if I could twirl his curls just to hear him speak.  His way of saying thank you was "shanks"!  My sister in law and I would sit up at night having long conversations about kids and marriage and life.  I will always treasure those conversations.  She helped me see my family differently.  She pointed out personalities in each of my family members and helped me connect with them even more than before.  My brother has a gift of gab too!  He loves to talk and share and their visit was delightful.  When they left, a stroke of their love was painted into the walls of my home and I was a better person because of their visit.

Recently, I was contacted by a friend in Las Vegas through Facebook.  I know her daughter from when I was a Youth Camp Leader at girls camp in Las Vegas.  She is now a Sophomore at BYU-Idaho.  I haven't spoken to either of them in years.  She asked if she could come and attend church with us as they were passing through to take their daughter back to college.  We met them at our church and enjoyed warm embraces of our reunion.  Their grandmother was also with them and grew up here in Blackfoot.  What a treat it was to see them and feel of their warm spirit!  Afterward, they came over for a delicious lunch and we chatted for hours.  I learned what is was like growing up on a farm as the grandmother told story after story of what it was like living here and owning a busy farm.  Before I knew it, they had to leave.  When they left, a stroke of their love was painted into the walls of my home and I was a better person because of their visit.

Over this past week, my husband's aunt and uncle have been staying with us.  They have enjoyed attending the state fair and spoiled my children rotten with their love and attention.  I love it and I love them.  I love everything about them.  They are kind and gentle and patient.  I love spending time with our aunt.  She naturally radiates peace.  She has a calming effect on everyone.  I will cherish our long talks.  We played games and decorated for the Autumn season.  She helped me understand what is really important in life.  She treasures every moment.  And our uncle..he is no different.  He loves children.  He loves hearing the chatter and watching the hustle and bustle of our busy family.  I cried when they left.  They are wonderful people.  The kind you think everyone should meet.  When they left, a stroke of their love was painted into the walls of my home and I was a better person because of their visit.

This past week as the Eastern Idaho State Fair has been here and Blackfoot has been visited with thousands upon thousands of visitors.  Blackfoot has played host and fed and entertained all them with carnival rides, delicious food, wonderful music, animals, beautiful quilts, housing and so much more.  I learned that this tiny and quaint town has so much to offer.  I learned that amongst all the old buildings and homes that as each visitor has come and gone,  their love has been painted into the walls of our town and we are better people because of their visit.

Now....as all our visitors have left,  the walls of my home are newly painted with love.  Each visitor brought something different to share.  They left a special piece of their hearts here in our home and we are better people because of their visits.

The Lord truly heard and answered my unspoken prayers in more ways than one.  He helped me see the goodness of others and the goodness of our town.  So, next time you have the opportunity to have a visitor,  take them up on it!  Savor each moment and remember how much your cup runneth over with blessings and love!