Joy with 23andMe
Joy with 23andMe
Joy with 23andMe is one of those experiences that came real close to not happening. That’s because she called me at 8 o’clock this morning to confirm her junk removal pick up at 9 AM. I had overlooked it and was planning to go somewhere else. I told her we weren’t going to make it, then I thought about it as I got into my truck. It just wasn’t right to leave her hanging, so I called her back and told her I’d be there about 9:30.
I’m glad I did.
A Normal Conversation
In the course of removing her sofa, full size mattress and box spring, and bedframe we just started talking about life. I noticed when she called this morning she had a Michigan phone number so I brought that up.
She talked about being from East Lansing, home of Michigan State University. She also talked about how cold it gets there: sometimes 25° to 50° below zero. In addition, she laughed when she talked about people in Washington DC who think it’s really cold when it’s 25° above zero.
The Utah Connection
I told her I’m a Utah kid originally and I’ve seen lots of different kind of weather. However, I’ve NEVER seen 25 to 50° below zero.
That’s when she mentioned her father visited Utah one time to do some genealogical research. I commented how that’s one of the things our church is known for. Also, I mentioned the Family Search app that’s available on our phones.
She asked me if the app is free and I told her it was for church members but I didn’t know other than that. That’s when she mentioned “23andMe.”
23andMe
23andMe is a product you buy for about $50. You basically send in a saliva sample and the chemistry wizards trace your DNA back to Adam or something like that. She showed me the kit and said she was very excited to find out more about her roots.
Use Humor
I joked that if she sent in the saliva sample and the experts said she had ancestors from Ann Arbor, Michigan she was in trouble. Ann Arbor is home to the University of Michigan, Michigan State’s arch rival. She laughed at that comment and knew exactly what I was referring to.
Enter the Spirit
That’s when the Spirit prompted me that she would probably appreciate an Articles of Faith card. After getting her furniture loaded in the truck I grabbed a few cards from my dashboard. One was a business card which I gave her first. The second was a GetUpside app card which allows her to get cash back when she buys gas and she appreciated that. Finally I gave her an Articles of Faith card explaining that that’s what Mormons believe so she would have that information.
She appreciated all of the cards but particularly lit up when she saw the Articles of Faith card with Jesus’ picture. He was holding a child on the front of it.
Nothing could be more natural than this type of interaction. This is the way it always works: naturally, with inspiration, and while I’m busy doing something else.
It’s an amazing process!
23andMe, Ann Arbor, articles of faith card, East Lansing, follow the spirit, hastening the work, joy, Michigan State, University of Michigan
