Loved Ones,
Hi there! How is everyone? You guys keep having great weeks! Why are you all just so awesome? I hope that the pattern continues. I love to hear of all of your triumphs and happiness. This last week was a series of learning experiences that I'm very grateful for. And that's only kind of a euphemism for "it was a hard week", because it is a given that it's going to be hard every week. I won't lie to you guys and tell you that I float around all day on a cloud of bliss, trailed by flying Peeps and rainbows. That would be preposterous. It seems like every week gets more difficult, but I'm grateful because that means that I have the chance to continue to learn. I have learned that there is no comfort in the growth zone. It seems like no matter what happens, I continually realize just how helpless I am without the Atonement of Jesus Christ. In the words of Brad Wilcox, "Grace doesn't make up the difference - it makes all the difference." I know that is true. There is something beautiful that happens when we must ask God for our daily bread. Sometimes we only receive enough "manna" to last us one day, and we have to trust that God is going to come through for us again the next day. I know with all certainty that God will always come through for us. "[He] will come to [us]. He will not leave [us] comfortless." Sometimes it feels like I can't take another step. Sometimes it feels like nothing is going to ever work out. But without fail, just as I feel ready to give in to despair, a silver lining appears and makes all the difference. God will never give us more than we can handle, but He will try us. And that's only because He knows that we can take it, and that we will be better when we emerge on the other side. But here's the great thing: God doesn't ever leave us on our own. He will never draw away from us if we choose to be near to Him. He will always guide us along, grace by grace, until we find that our life has become as bright as the perfect day. I am so grateful that God trusts us enough to take on hard things. I'm so grateful for the comforting arms that He wraps around me when I feel like I am completely alone. And I can testify that many times, God will answer our prayers and give us comfort through others. I have seen that time and time again. I wish I could express how grateful I am to all of you for the support you provide to me that carries me through when I don't feel like I have much else to lean on. Realizing how much I've been benefited by the love and care of others makes me want to be better at putting myself in a position to be a vessel for God. Think of how great our joy can be as we give our lives to God so that He can accomplish unknowable good through us. I know that there are few things that will bring more joy than to have the opportunity to be an instrument in God's hands. "Consecration is the only surrender which is also a victory." I know that God lives. I wish I could express in words the joy that knowledge brings to me. To anyone who doesn't absolutely know that they have a Father in heaven who loves them infinitely, I offer a challenge to seek out that knowledge. I promise that if you can come to know that, everything else begins to fall into place.
I suppose that that was a rather long tangent. I hope I didn't make it sound like I had a terrible week. I didn't. Everything is going well. I am definitely exceedingly tired all the time, but that will only make the rest that will ultimately come that much sweeter. There is a lot going on in this area. There are a lot of people that we are finding to teach, and we are working on restructuring the way that we approach the work here to be more effective and efficient. We're basically just changing up our approach to the area we work in order to work more with the members and find more of those people who are humbly searching out the gospel, perhaps unknowingly. I feel like if I were to go into detail it would just be confusing, because there's so much to cover, but just know that I am a healthy and happy little lad.
Oh! I have a story! Elder Hooper and I were looking up some less-active members last night, and one of them was home, so we spoke with her for a bit. It turns out, she's from Preston, Idaho, which would automatically bring a great discussion about "Napoleon Dynamite" about. But wait, there's more. Not only is she from Preston, Idaho, she is in "Napoleon Dynamite"! She's one of the girls doing sign language in the "Happy Hands Club" scene. I was so excited to learn of this. It was awesome. I totally recognized her after she mentioned it. So, that is my exciting tale for the week. Are you ready for my deep pondering of the week? Get ready. So, I've been thinking a bit about the parallels between "Star Wars" and the gospel lately (there are many), and my mind has been drawn to the striking similarities between Jedi and missionaries. First of all, Jedi go around two-by-two with one Jedi being the senior Jedi. This is remarkably similar to the companionship in missionary work. Second, both missionaries and Jedi have some strict restrictions on dating. Namely, it's not allowed. And, now, I bet you're going to try to debunk my claim by referring to lightsabers (arguably the coolest part about being a Jedi) and the lack thereof amongst missionaries. Well, hold your horses. Missionaries carry the word of God, which is sharper than a two-edged sword. That's got to be at least as powerful as a lightsaber! There you have it. Feel free to lose all respect for me. I am who I am. I think I'm just trying to live, even in an imaginary and abstract way, my lifelong dream of being a Jedi.
Well, I am unfortunately low on time. There is much more to tell, but I suppose it will have to wait. Thank you guys so much for all that you do for me. I love you all very much, and I am grateful that I can stand shoulder to shoulder with you, though I am far away. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Have the best week ever!
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