Just a coincidence?

I've never been to a YSA temple night.

Last night was the first time I'd actually decided to participate in something like that. It was a Tri-Stake night (Bonneville, Holladay, and Pioneer) and there were a lot of people. Janiece picked me up and we headed down to the SL Temple shortly after six. It was quite the eventful drive as we kept seeing flashing lights for fire trucks and ambulances, but we finally made it.

As we stepped onto the elevator, my dear friend Barb (who I call my Mormon Mom) was in the elevator with her husband. It was great to see them, especially because I'd been thinking about them recently.

Anyway, I had the chance to do sealings (an ordinance I'd never done before), and I kept being asked to be proxy for daughters who were being sealed to their parents. It was so interesting to kneel at the altar and take part in the process of helping a deceased family become an eternal family. There were a lot of names, and we got to one in particular that assured me that I was where I was supposed to be.

Let me backtrack.

16 years ago, today, at about 9:45am, I was baptized into the Mormon church. I was almost nine years old, and I had a pair of sister missionaries whom I adored. My favorite was Sister Emily Wiscombe. She was tall, had short blonde curly hair, and always wore long skirts. She was my hero! There was something about her that was just so special, and looking back I'm pretty sure I know what it was that I was drawn to.

She had a light about her, the same kind that people have said I have. We were kindred.

She was transferred a week before my baptism, and I was heartbroken that I wouldn't be able to share my special day with her. But the show went on and I kept going, of course, and I was able to share my day with many other special people in my life.

How does this make for a coincidence you ask? The name for one of the ceilings was the same name as hers. I wonder if it was one of her relatives from waaaaayyyyyyyyy back in the day. And I couldn't help but think about how we really are all connected together. One big family.

Coincidence? Perhaps.

As we left the temple that night, I explained the significance to Janiece, and realized that my baptism anniversary was the next day.

Coincidence? I think not.