Written By: Kim Charlesworth
Planning BBY is a lot of sitting at a computer, making decisions over the theme, the t-shirts, the backpacks and all the other things each participant sees and gets at BBY. It is a lot of fun putting everything together. My first year of planning BBY I was amazed at how important BBY is to Heavenly Father and how much He loves each of his daughters. But last year, I came to understand how deep that love really is by a simple and sweet experience at the expense of my laptop.
The housing is hard to do. There are lots of puzzles to put together. I make sure all roommate requests are honored and all the special circumstances are taken care of. It takes almost 25 hours to place every girl in a group. Last year, I started very early on the housing. It was practically completed a week before camp. I would make minor adjustments as needed. I was relieved to have one of the most stressful parts done. The Saturday before camp, I decided to take a bath to relax before the craziness of BBY that was about to start on Sunday. I had my laptop and placed it on a stool that was somewhat close to the tub and it flipped in the water. I walked out of the bathroom and when I came back less then a minute later, my laptop was enjoying a bath for itself!
My first thought was “the housing is all wrong.” I don’t think I could have ever remained so calm in such an unfortunate circumstance if the spirit didn’t confirm that the housing needed to be fixed. I know I would have freaked out and most definitely would have cried.
It was 8:00pm Saturday night and I needed to redo all the housing and no computer to do it. Luckily, there was an extra laptop in the BBY office I could use. I drove to the office and got the laptop. As I sat down to redo the housing, I said a prayer. I said “Heavenly Father, I’ll redo the housing, but I need you to do a couple of things: One tell me where to place the girls, guide my hand and my mind... and two please show me why this happened during the week of camp. I need to know I am not doing this for nothing. I spent the next 4 hours redoing the housing, which was the fastest housing has ever been done. I felt my hand being guided I as placed each girl in a group.
BBY started and each night when I walked the hallways of the Spring Hill Suites, my heart was touched.
I saw counselors opening scriptures with a girl and giving counsel.
I saw girls laughing, creating lasting memories and friendships.
I saw so many things that made my heart so happy.
During those nightly hallway walks, I knew the housing was right and the loss of my laptop housing was for a reason. Each girl was exactly where they needed to be. Especially when it came to group 25. I came to realize and truly know that this group needed each other, their counselor needed them and I needed them. I needed that miracle. I needed all the miracles.
So next time you are feeling broken sad or not loved, remember that Heavenly Father loves his daughters and He loves you.
I am reminded when Christ blessed the children one by one in 3 Nephi- It says
"And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them. And when he had done this he wept again."
I have felt Heavenly Father's love for you. I felt it when I was redoing housing. I felt it walking through the hallways of Spring Hill Suits. And I feel it now. Heavenly Father and Jesus know you and they bless you, one by one. They love you so much.
That love is so great, so immense there is no other way to express it but through tears. President Hinckley said “You occupy a high and sacred place in the eternal plan of God, our Father in Heaven. You are His daughters, precious to Him, loved by Him, and very important to Him. His grand design cannot succeed without you.”
GOD IS IN THE DETAILS!
GROUP 25!
All of the housing keys - matched up perfectly...
