This song taught us a lot about personal revelation!
Written by Valerie Gibson Anderson
Kenz will tell you that a lot of the time when a song comes to her, it's like a direct download from Heavenly Father, she just holds the pen. That was exactly the case Called to Stay. The first verse took her ten minutes. She played and sang for me at the piano and we both knew immediately that we had to record it, but that it wasn't done yet. I went to bed and Kenz went in the other room and "cooked!" An hour later and she had the full song.
Tears fell freely when she played and sang it to me the next morning. The Mary verse felt like a gift straight from Heaven that every missionary momma needed to hear. And "pick up your blue book and put on your tags" felt like an anthem rallying missionaries everywhere to forget themselves and go teach the whole world that our Savior LOVES THEM!
WE KNEW WE HAD TO RECORD IT PROFESSIONALLY!
So 3 days later we were already recording in the studio with Matt Cropper at Dynamic Sound Lab! Kenzington's friend Lilly took Kenzington's chords and turned them into the GORGEOUS melody you hear on the recording. When God tells you to do something you do it! And when God tells you the exact people who need to help you, you listen!
But more personal revelation was coming. This song was such a gift to Kenzington and to me in sooooooo many ways. It led to Kenzington changing her major at school to music production. It also led to the creation of this online store, which will hopefully help each of our customers to be reminded often of our Savior's love and of their calls to serve or stay, while also helping Kenzington pay for the recordings she felt called to have done. But most importantly, this song underlined again to both Kenzington and I that each of our unique talents have been given to us to help gather Israel and to point always to our Savior!
Earlier this year as many of Kenzington's friends started getting their mission calls, Kenz became INCONSOLABLY sad about the fact that girls can't go until age 19 and she is not yet old enough to put in her papers. She was so upset and so inconsolable about it that I finally told her to go write a letter to the Prophet, which she did. One of the biggest questions weighing on her mind was "why?"
When conference rolled around she was SURE that they would announce that girls could go at 18 too. Some speakers seemed to sort of tease her that an announcement was coming, but none was made. Yet in the weeks and months since that first inconsolable night when Kenz was seeking for understanding as to why, the Spirit has comforted her and whispered to her that in so many ways, her mission has already started. "Called to Stay" underlines that for her. Being a future full-time missionary is just a small part of the life's mission this little girl has been called to. She is only just getting started.
What is YOUR life's mission?
May you seek and recieve personal revelation that helps you to KNOW, and then may you willingly act on the revelation you recieve!
With so much love,
Valerie Anderson
(Kenzington's Mom!)