I always play the, “What was going on one year ago,” game. One year ago, a little seventh grader was changing my life.

As you might remember, I did a mentoring program while I was at BYU where we got paired up with sixth graders and hung out with them on campus for an hour each week. The last girl I mentored was the most special to me. She had a bunch of problems at home and was in and out of juvi. But this rough girl who had seen more than me in her life, even though I was double her age, actually liked me and we had a great time together that semester.

Unfortunately, the semester ended and I couldn’t contact her out of the program.

Then randomly, months later, last October I had a craving for Italian sausage. So I stopped at the grocery on my way home late at night and guess who I saw? My mentee, Savannah. She was leaving the grocery store and planning on walking home with two friends in the dark with all their groceries. I felt like I should offer to drive them home because it was late and cold. I told her if she ever needed anything to call me and so I handed her my number but expected to never hear or see from her again.

Then a couple weeks later, she called me. Savannah’s mom had had a stroke and was in the hospital and no one would give her a ride to see her. I picked Savannah up and walked her down the long hallway to see her mother laying in a hospital bed.

The next couple of weeks were some of the most powerful times of my life. I can’t explain it. As I served her, got to know her, got to see how blessed I was compared to this little girl, I changed inside. I remember coming home one evening after hanging out with her and I just started sobbing. But then I realized that they weren’t tears of sadness, they were tears of love. Through serving my mentee, just spending time with her and giving her the attention no one had ever given her, I felt extreme love. But the love wasn’t just from me. It was from my Heavenly Father. I knew that day that He was specifically aware of Savannah and her situation. I could feel how much he loved her and knew that I was in her life for a reason. The reason was to let her know He cared and was there for her.

And so I shared that with her. We had so many great talks. I was able to share my testimony with her many times and let her know that God loved her and was always there for her, no matter what.

Right before I left to go home for Christmas, she was put in the hospital and we lost contact. Her mom didn’t have money for the cell phone and her dad had no answer when I asked her when she’d be out of the hospital. I never knew her last name and so every way I tried to contact her was a dead end. I was devastated. Devastated. I couldn’t believe that she was out of my life. I thought I was really supposed to help her and be there for her long term. I missed my little friend.

After a couple of months, I finally realized that it wasn’t a sad ending after all. I may not know what happened to Savannah or know where she is today but I do know that I was in her life at a specific time for certain reasons, some of which I’m sure I’m not even aware of. I don’t know why the time had to be so short, but I know I helped her and most importantly, she helped me. She taught me the true meaning of charity and changed my life forever.