What are you carrying in your purse?

The above is a video that happens to be one of my personal favorites. Think about it! You can tell a lot about a woman by what is in her purse. Kind of like how you can tell a lot about a person by the way he or she dresses! It is an outward statement of in inner commitment. It amazes me how they could tell so much about the young woman just by what she carried with her every day.

When I was in high school I always carried around a pocket sized Book of Mormon. I carried it for several reasons. It was the first copy I had ever finished cover to cover, and it was marked beyond belief. I felt comfort having it with me. It had certain messages marked that were there to comfort me in times of need. It sure came in handy in seminary when the boy next to me would always claim, "I forgot my scriptures!"

One day I was in my chemistry class, preparing for a test later in the week. For a brief moment I felt I needed to pull out my little pocket sized Book of Mormon and read a little. I sat at the very front of the classroom and really didn't want to make a scene. Carefully, I reached in my bag and pulled it out slowly. Then, like an expert teen at hiding a cellphone sized book, I opened it to a random page and began to read. Then I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see a young man. I knew who he was. Everyone did. He was a football player. Large in stature and very cute. He had never talked to me before. Bottom line - he was "cool" and I was "not." And what happened next surprised me even more.

"Hey," he said "Um... Is that scripture?" He motioned to my precious book. I nodded.
"Can I see it?" I nodded again. I handed him my book. What would he do with it? What would he want with it? I watched carefully as he gently flipped through the pages I had so tenderly marked. Each one had touched my heart, and I was afraid he would do something to it.

After a few minutes of looking and reading, he looked up at me. I will never forget what words came out of his mouth next.
"Can I keep this?" I stared, unsure if I had heard right. KEEP it? He WANTED my old, worn, five dollar copy of the Book of Mormon? My thoughts began to race. This could turn into something awesome! Something out of the New Era! But as I stared at my precious copy that I had come to love so much, I felt a conflict arise. I had promised that kid next to me in seminary that he could use it. So I quickly came up with a plan.
"Actually, I am going to need it," I said "but I can get you your own copy if you would like."
"Really... My very own? A new one?"
"Of course."
"No, you don't have to do that."
"It's no trouble. I know just where to get them and they aren't expensive."
"Sure." He handed back my copy and then started throwing paper wads at the girl sitting behind him.

After school I called my dad. I loved that I could call him for things like this. I told him what had happened and he was on his way to Deseret Industries before I was finished. The next day we were in class, I was shaking. Terrified. What if the boy had changed his mind? Was I too late? Had I made a mistake in not giving him my copy? After all, I could always get another. My heart began to sink. I wanted to cry. I had failed. All through the class I held the new copy in my trembling fingers, trying to decide what to do. Finally, on my way out of class I had a burst of courage. Better get it over with! I chased him into the halls calling his name. He turned and looked at me, confusion in his eyes. My heart sank again. I was too late. But I already had his attention.
"I... Um... I... Got this for you." I held out the new copy. He took it and stared at it for a few moments. I held my breath. Would he reject it? I prayed for forgiveness for not giving him my copy when he asked. How selfish!!!
"Thanks, Avery. I didn't think you'd really get me one. Thank you." He smiled and walked away. Well! That went better than I thought. A few weeks later school ended and I was caught up in my usual summertime activities and had completely forgotten about the whole thing.

About a year later I was on Facebook when I came across a picture of a girl I knew from school. She was smiling and had her arm around a boy. He was smiling too. He was dressed in a white baptism gown with a picture of Christ being baptized on the wall behind them. It was the boy from my Chemistry class. The picture was titled, "So proud of you, Chris!!!"

You never know when the things you carry might come in handy. It's an outward statement of an inner commitment. What do you carry in your purse? Or better yet, what are you carrying in your spiritual purse? Would they be the same? Are you carrying your testimony? Your light of Christ?

Remember to smile, because you are a child of God.