Sunday, November 11, 2007

Words To Live By

My friend read this in church today and I fell in love with the words. I think this poem is my new mission statement for life. I just had to share it with everyone!

I Really Lived
By Sister Marjorie Pay Hinckley


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 to 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 that I really lived.

6 comments:

Brooklyn said...

Jeni! I loved this too! It was a wonderful talk, even though after you saw me huffing out with my non-reverant 4 year old!

Court said...

Great poem! Did you get ahold of Michelle to get a new blog background yet? If you didn't she has a new blog page specificaly for her templates. www.shabbycreations.blogspot.com

AudyCamp said...

love that quote too! there's just something about a mom reading that quote out loud that makes me cry!

AudyCamp said...

oh & love the new layout!

Melissa Braegger said...

Love the new look of your blog-Sorry we never actually got in touch with one another. Hope everything is going well. I have never heard that quote before, I love it's message.

♥ Natalie said...

This is one of my favorite quotes - Sister Hinckley will always be one of my favorite women of all time. Have you read any of her books? If you haven't, you should - they are so enriching! I always feel so peaceful and full of life when I read even one page. She is such a positive person. Thanks for posting it! Also, I love your new layout. It's fabulous.