A Simple Question

Lauren sat in the back of the gyms bleachers near some classmates. They laughed and giggled throughout the school assembly and she felt completely alone and ignored. Seeing some students from her early morning seminary class, she moved a few benches over and happily sat by them. They quickly said hi and went back to there previous conversations, leaving her out. Lauren quietly moved down to an area no one else was sitting within 10 feet and leaned against the wall. She was used to this. Although she had grown up in her small ward, none of the kids ever reached out to her and she was left out of all the ‘clicks. She hadn’t had friends in school since three years before when they started making poor choices and she decided to try and find new friends, but was unwelcome in every group she tried. Her family was going through some extremely hard times and she was feeling unwelcome and unloved everywhere she went.

As she leaned against the wall, she offered up a familiar prayer to her Heavenly Father. “Why am I still here? I know you care about me and love me but no one else does. I need someone here who wants to be my friend, or who at least cares for me.” Her mind traveled back to a familiar thought. Suicide seemed like the only way out. She had prayed for over a year now that the Lord would not let her wake up in the morning, but he never granted her wish. She didn’t know how much longer she could take this isolation. She began to pray again and told the lord, “if I can think of one person who cares about me on this earth, I will not do it. But if I can’t, then I will tonight.” She thought as hard as she could, about seminary teachers, church leaders, schoolmates, church friends, and her family. She could not think of one person. Lauren then decided to do it. She would do it that night, and she came up with the plan to carry it out.

She sighed and leaned against the wall, suddenly, someone tapped her shoulder. She turned around and it was James, a boy from her seminary class. “Are you ok?” he asked. Her heart leapt a thousand times in the air. She smiled and said, “Yes, I’m ok.” He asked if she was sure and if she wanted to talk about whatever was bothering her. She said not now but promised to talk to him later. He smiled and said ok, then returned to the other seminary students. Lauren’s heart felt like it was about to explode. Someone in this world cares for me. Someone wants to know that I am ok. Someone loves me, she thought. She prayed to her Heavenly Father and thanked him for letting her know that someone cared so she didn’t take her life. She had a friend.

Now a college student, Lauren loves life more than ever and is so thankful that the Lord never granted her nightly prayers of so many years ago. Most of all she is thankful for James, and that he followed the prompting to go talk to her. Life truly is a wonderful, precious gift and should be treasured every minute of every day. Follow those simple prompting to say hello to someone, you never know what effect you could have on their life.