Only His Signature is Appropriate – Step 12

Last Summer my husband and I attended the Church’s Addiction Recovery Mission Conference. It was held in Salt Lake City at the Conference Center. He and I spent the morning before the Mission Conference with a friend of ours from who had come to attend the conference from Boston. He is a fellow missionary, recovering alcoholic, and someone I have worked a great deal with in the development of materials for the Church’s recovery program. The three of us spent the afternoon before the conference enjoying a few of the opportunities available near the Conference site. We had lunch at the Lion House and took a tour of the Beehive House and then we took him to see the movie about Joseph Smith at the Legacy Theater. The film was powerful, closing with the stirring words, “Shall we not go on in so great a cause?”

As the three of us exited the theater my husband became involved in a discussion about our mission with the sister missionaries. My attention was completely captured by a breathtaking statue I had never seen before. It is a relatively new sculpture of the First Vision. I stood, taking it in and wondering whose work it was. I started walking around the statue looking for a signature. Seeing no name, I glanced up and there was our friend coming around the other side, in search of the same information. He said: “I’m trying to see who the artist is.” “Me too!” I responded.

A sister missionary overheard our conversation and immediately came to offer not only what she knew about the creators of this work but with what I feel was a message from The Creator, to my friend and to me – maybe to all of us.

“Are you trying to find the name of the sculpture?”

“Yes, we can’t find it!” we said in unison.

“The other day one of the artists of this piece came through. He told me that those who participated in this particular work felt their experience was extremely sacred and together they decided that they would not – could not put their names on it.”

We gave each other a knowing smile and my friend replied, “We understand that kind of situation.” The Lord’s message came to us just hours before the opening the 2007 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Addiction Recovery Program Conference. This is a program so many nameless folks have given their days and years and even their lives to develop.

Jesus works in the shadows. As I write this I am struck with the willingness of our Lord to labor anonymously in this work of recovery for such a long time. For years He has been willing to be know only as “a power greater than ourselves.” What an understatement!

Sometimes we are called to individually stand up and plainly state our name and share our own story and our personal witness of His power to save, for we have experienced it! At other times our witness, in the spirit of anonymity, is the thing that’s required. Perhaps it’s so that all the light can be directed to Him, as we strive to bring Him out of His Higher Power obscurity.

In the spirit of those wondering, awe-struck, nameless shepherds who were the first witnesses of His coming, I thank my Heavenly Father for the blessing of being part of one of the most timely, far reaching, Christ directed efforts of this dispensation. I want to be continually willing to be bold, ready to stand and state my name and give a reason for my hope when it is called for, but I also want to be genuinely willing to stand for Him in the spirit of anonymity.

When I do sign my name to His creation it is as one who has been a witness of Him, of His love, His ability, His creativity, His skill and greatness and glory. He is the owner who at times allows each of us to participate with Him in creation. In actuality, all things bear His name. When it comes to the work of the Lord, Only His Signature is Appropriate.

By Nannette W.
Posted Monday, September 8, 2008

Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
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