Chasing Tradewinds

Well, it has been one of this weeks that has flown by and I am not sure I have much to show for it.  After driving home on Monday, I jumped on an aeroplane and chase the trade winds of the South Pacific.  Unfortunately, the only time I saw them was when blew through the slated window panes of my hotel room at night.  It was a whirlwind trip.  I saw a lot of the inside of a building and about the same of the inside of air crafts and airports.

I woke up this morning kind of bummed.  I started beating myself up for the lack of doing in my calling as of late.  I realized just how out of touch I have been as I caught up on funerals, illnesses, move ins and move outs.  I found myself pleading for redemption and guidance in the days to come.  I have felt overwhelmed with work responsibilities, changes, and such.  At times, I feel like I am slacking at home and in my church calling.  I keep asking how I can do it all and do it well.

Then, I went to Sacrament Meeting.  Wow, what an answer to my own personal prayers.  It was just what I needed.  We heard from a recently returning missionary who seems to have been having the same issue.  She even talked about fighting this internal battle while out in the field.  She commented on how she never really felt like she was seeing success.  Even when she was having some, there was always more that she felt she should have been doing.  They would knock on doors until their knuckles bled, but there were always more to knock on that they missed.  What about teaching appointments, members to visit, messages to deliver, or teaching pools to build.  Though she was gaining a better understanding of the gospel, studying lessons, books, talks, scriptures, and more, there always seemed to be more to do.  She found herself, like me, feeling as if she was falling short.

I am grateful for the reminder that we need to remember that this is how Satan works.  He is always there to remind us of our weakness and short comings.  He does all he can to distract us from remembering that this is how the Atonement applies to us.  This is where Christ steps in.  He is there to help us when we fall short, not must from major sin, but everyday life.  I loved that she had prepared her talk just for me.  As an instrument in the hands of the Lord, she was my ministering angel today.

I was inspired to open my scriptures and continue the personal communication with the Spirit.  (As guided by SnackPack, I was in the right frame of mind, I was avoiding distractions, and I wanted guidance.)  I turned to 1 Nephi 13:37:

"And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion..."

It does not say only those who bring forth my Zion, only those who accomplish everything at once, only those who can do it all, only those who do it all.  It says those who "seek to".  Seeking is trying your best.  Sometimes that means you set your sights on those things you see in the moment and do your best to achieve them.  Some times you will hit the target, but more that not, the target moves. Oh did, we forget, targets have agency, thus the are allowed to move.  Yep, the ones who are bless are those who are seeking, doing their best, trying, day in and day out, hoping beyond hope that they will be able to contribute in some small way to bringing forth Zion.  What we tend to forget, is that in doing so, we are fortifying our own person place in Zion.

The verse continues, "...for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost;..." (Again, we go back to SnackPack, if we are open to the spirit.  If we stop giving heed to the distracting whisperings of Satan.  If we turn to Christ and remember that he will give us strength along the way.  He will make up the difference when we miss the moving target.)

"...and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb;..."  Wow, all of that for just "seeking".

But it continues, "... and whoso shall publish peace, yea tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be."  In order to publish it, we need to see it.  Take time to see the little miracles.  Make note of and recognize His hand in your lives.  He is there, don't let Satan distract you from seeing Him.

I also love 2 Nephi 28:30:

"...I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little;..." It does not have to happen all at once.  He does not expect us to be a finished, complete, perfect product over night.  He knows that we have to learn, grow, develop, and strengthen what he gives us in phases.  As we improve, he gives us more.  The hard part is that each time he gives us more, it is easy to start listening to that dang deceiver again.  It is easy to get overwhelmed and start beating ourselves up again.  But keep reading the verse.

"...and blessed are those who hearken unto my precept, and lend an ear unto my counsel;..."  Are we willingly trying to apply the precepts he establishes in our lives?  Yes.  When he hands us a folder of sheet music and says, "play this, sing this, be this."  Does he expect us to sing it, play it, or be it perfectly the first time we try? No.  He just expects us to keep practicing until we are good enough to move to the next level and then we start the process over again.

"... for they shall learn wisdom;..." It is the practice that teaches us.  It is the trials and frustrations, the desire to be better and enduring, never ending practice that helps us gain that wisdom.

"...for unto him that receiveth I will give more;..."  He outlines it all for us right here.  

I am grateful for the reminder.  Hope you benefit from it as well.

Well, enough of that.  While I was off chasing the trade winds, everyone else was busy, busy, busy.

The Queen had the week off.  She spent it busting her buns to surprise me.  She painted the walls, hung pictures, cleaned carpets, purchased a desk, and made an place for me to work incredible.  I was such a distracted bum, that I did not even notice.  She is incredible.  I am so blessed.  On top, of that she made a DI run did a complete Spring Cleaning of the garage.  I think the Professor could be quoted in saying, "Oh my heck!"

The Professor went back to the trenches and is counting the days until she goes off track.  Her students have been stung by the Spring Fever Bug.  She just needs to re-read what I just posted above.

Tall Man was busying putting in applications for several open positions at his place of work.  We are hoping he is successful in getting one of them.  His vision is starting to come into focus and he seems to  know the direction he want to follow.

SnackPack continued to fight the same head cold he had from last week.  Then to top it off, he had a major harsh polo tourney this weekend that got nasty from what I understand and then he prepared a talk for Sacrament meeting this morning on top of it all.  What did I say, busy, busy, busy!

It has been a good week.  We have more to come.  We just need to keep moving forward.