Meet Heather Swartzell:
(I stole this from her facebook!)
Isn't she just beautiful!? She seriously is an amazing woman and I feel privileged to know her.
Here is her story:
I grew up attending a Baptist church… I didn’t love it, but knew I needed to go to church and learn about it. It never felt quite right to me, so I was up and down with attending church.
I don’t come from a religious family. My mom only started going to church after I did. It was nice that she went with us (my best friend and her mom started taking me when I was in second or third grade). I don’t even know what my dad believed in, if anything. I’d never heard my Grandma talk about God. All I knew was that I was supposed to love God and that I needed to do certain things to get to heaven.
I never really knew much about the Bible, honestly the only scripture I ever memorized was John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” This is what I have held on to through all of my ups and downs of church going and my used to be ever changing faith. I had some really hard times with my faith…I didn’t understand how if God loved me, why he would take my father from me so early, why my life would have been the struggle it was. I lost faith in any kind of possibility there was a God for awhile….That was a very hard time for me…
I did things I am not proud of… that to this day are hard for me to forgive myself for. I drank too much, I lived like most youth do these days, “yolo” was my theme for the time being…Drinking, partying, lying, all around just wrong. I look back on it and, yes, I had fun, yes I miss the nights when I didn’t have a care in the world. But I realize I didn’t have a care in the world only because I was too drunk to think. All I had on my mind were the friends I was surrounded by and the drink in my hand. I thought that as long as I have them around me I have nothing to worry about. Boy was I wrong.
I had become an alcoholic. Luckily I lived with a loving LDS couple who wouldn’t really let us keep alcohol in the house because they didn’t want any unnecessary temptations. Good thing! I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for bringing them and the many other strong LDS members I have met into my life!! I don’t know where I would be without them. Anyway, I would drink two nights (or more) each week. I would stay out late and do stupid and dangerous things. Like I said, I am not proud of many things……..
At this point I was hurting. I was unhealthy in all aspects…I was physically sick for weeks. I was pushing loved ones away and not allowing anyone in. I had myself convinced that I didn’t deserve to be loved. That no one would ever love me because I was broken. I even tried to push away the person who I now call my “Hero”. I am so thankful he didn’t give up on me. The love of my life, my rock, Taylor.
I slowed down my drinking, because I was so sick. I had a clear head, let people back in, and let Taylor take me on a date. Oh what fun that was! I didn’t have one drop to drink and had no cares in the world!! How could this be? How is it possible to have fun without alcohol?? I don’t think I stopped laughing that night. I realized that I had loved him for quite some time. He was and still is, my best friend. There was something about him that I didn’t understand. He wasn’t a very active member of the church but still had the beliefs, still proudly a member. He is the kind of man that any woman would be lucky to have!
I met his family and instantly fell in love with whatever it was that kept them so close! That made a family so loving and helpful of each other. They aren’t perfect. They have their own problems, just as any family. But they loved each other so unconditionally it was beautiful. I had never seen this before. I longed for this kind of family for as long as I could remember…I didn’t know it was possible!
I struggled still with the idea of “converting” (I kind of hate that word….sounds so scientific!) For the next year I just allowed myself to still drink and didn’t go to church, didn’t care much to change my life. Then one day I just couldn’t take it…I just didn’t feel like I was living my life the way I should. I went to church and met the sister missionaries there and started taking the lessons. Sister Chudleigh and Sister Gale, oh how I love them! They taught me so much! I couldn’t get enough of it! I wanted to talk to them every night! I wanted to learn more and more. Almost overnight, my outlook changed! I was happier, I was more optimistic. I knew that my Heavenly Father loved me. That even though I had made many mistakes that he still loved me! This feeling is one I could never ever explain. The more I learned and the more I started living his commandments I felt happier. I know that as I live the life that God has commanded of us I am happier.
“YOLO” You Only Live Once. What word those are…How sad it is that we allow ourselves to be so promiscuous because we are too selfish. We don’t listen to the words of our Heavenly Father, because we don’t want to have to say no to things that our friends are doing. We don’t want to be looked at as “party poopers” or “lame”. We don’t want to live by strict “rules” (or any for that matter). I can tell you that becoming a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is one of the easiest decisions I have made, but also the hardest….I knew that I would lose “friends” and be judged for changing my life. I understand why I have lost these people, change it hard. But, I have also gained some amazing friends!
I wish that everyone could feel this feeling! The love and happiness that I feel. The pure joy of knowing that families don’t end at death, and that we have so much to look forward to! The love I have for my Heavenly Father is unwavering. It may be a hard transition into living his commandments, but so worth it. The blessings I have experienced since my baptism are small but so amazingly beautiful.
I know that this church is true. I know that our Heavenly Father loves me. And I cannot wait to learn more and be able to teach others of the beauty of this church! And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Isn't she just amazing?
Heather, thank you for letting me share this wonderful story on my blog, I am so very grateful to know you and have taught you more about the gospel. I love you!!
(This is the only picture I have of us together, but isn't she lovely?!)
Happy Wednesday!!
She's my visiting teaching partner now :)
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