Space
When I was one of those "weird and dangerous" teenagers, my friends and I like to play a game. We could play it anywhere, anytime, and with anyone, whether they wanted to play or not. We called it the Space Game. The premise of the game was to see if we could radiate the power and influence of our overwhelming personalities into the personal space of random people from the greatest distance. I don't know if that makes sense, but this is how we did it.
We would choose a random person, in a park, a classroom, a theater, a school cafeteria, or basically where ever were. Then we would attempt to invade their personal space by staring at them. (Have you ever had that feeling that someone was just watching you? That was us.) We would start from the furthest point of visual contact and try to make them notice that we were staring. After a few moments, if they did not notice us, we would move a little closer and continue trying. If we did not succeed, we would move closer and repeat.
As a teenager, we prided ourselves as being able to invade some one's personal space from a great distance. However, when we were on the other end of game, the random chosen person, we prided ourselves in not being able to be invaded. The person trying would have to practically be right up on our faces for us to be bothered by it.
Well, this week, my game has been completely blown out of the water. As I studied the word, my mind was open to something that I never really thought of before. I was thinking about a conversation I had earlier and was trying to figure out how to explain it. Then the spirit whispered, actually I was trying to figure out how to explain the spirit's whisperings.
What if the spirit plays the same game, but his goal is not to bother us. His goal is to actually get us to feel his power and influence from the greatest distant. He wants us to hear his message as early as possible, to prepare us, prompt us, warn us, and influence us. Yet, unlike my game, he wants our space to be wide and far spread, not so close he has to get in our faces before we listen or even worse, we don't listen or feel at all.
I had a couple instances this week where he was whispering, but was not heard or he was heard, but not listened too. In the first instance, he was more felt, like someone was watching. You can feel the stare, but you don't know where it is coming from, just that it feels uncomfortable. I wonder if this happens all the time. He is whispering, speaking, and articulate, but we are so proud, distracted, or out of tune that we don't hear the words. Sort of like what happened in 3 Nephi. The people felt the power of the words, they just did not know what they were. They had to humble themselves, focus, and tune in to understand the words.
In the second instance, the words were heard, but pride blocked out the message. It was one of those times that he was even in my face and I did not heed. I am grateful that I was still protected and watch over, even though I had to suffer some consequences. Hopefully I won't have to suffer through them too long.
The question is, how can we widen our range of hearing and feeling. How can we better align ourselves to his word and influence? The answer came...D&C 19:23. President Ezra Taft Benson also spoke to me this week as I studied the lesson for Priesthood. Great talk, give April 4, 1986. I had been home from my mission 3 days. I wish I had understood it then as well as I understood it this week. I hope you learn from my mistakes. The talk is also in the "Teachings of the Prophets: Ezra Taft Benson - Lesson 8"
So there you go, I am still a slacker sometimes. I don't always listen when I should. Good News, the lawn got mowed, I can still see, and I will wear my glasses more regularly.
It has been a good week. The Queen has been busy as usually, cleaning, organizing, planning, and serving. Her big focus was the "Garden Party". I wish it would have had more support from all fronts. It had the potential for so much learning and bonding. I know she is frustrated now, but will find another way in the future, whether she thinks so or not right now.
The Professor spent the week prepping herself to return to the classroom. Every day, I could hear her say, I know I can, I know I can, I know I can. She did and she will make it. 9 more weeks and the year will wrap up, only to start prepping for the one to come.
Tall Man following the promptings and it looks like he is preparing to move. I worry how close he will be to Iceberg and Leatherby's, but he tells us he will be strong. I just don't know how strong we will be if he wants us to visit him.
SnackPack just wants the school year to end. He is in the final count down and feels that he is wasting his time. We reminded him that he can do Online courses to get a head of the game so he doesn't have to do it over the summer. We will see if he does.
The rain continues to fall, the temperatures go up and down, the grass and weeds flourish in the wetness, and we spent a great deal of time around a fire pit. It has been good. I hope your week has been just as productive, but most importantly instructive.
Study the Word, there is power and revelation there!
We would choose a random person, in a park, a classroom, a theater, a school cafeteria, or basically where ever were. Then we would attempt to invade their personal space by staring at them. (Have you ever had that feeling that someone was just watching you? That was us.) We would start from the furthest point of visual contact and try to make them notice that we were staring. After a few moments, if they did not notice us, we would move a little closer and continue trying. If we did not succeed, we would move closer and repeat.
As a teenager, we prided ourselves as being able to invade some one's personal space from a great distance. However, when we were on the other end of game, the random chosen person, we prided ourselves in not being able to be invaded. The person trying would have to practically be right up on our faces for us to be bothered by it.
Well, this week, my game has been completely blown out of the water. As I studied the word, my mind was open to something that I never really thought of before. I was thinking about a conversation I had earlier and was trying to figure out how to explain it. Then the spirit whispered, actually I was trying to figure out how to explain the spirit's whisperings.
What if the spirit plays the same game, but his goal is not to bother us. His goal is to actually get us to feel his power and influence from the greatest distant. He wants us to hear his message as early as possible, to prepare us, prompt us, warn us, and influence us. Yet, unlike my game, he wants our space to be wide and far spread, not so close he has to get in our faces before we listen or even worse, we don't listen or feel at all.
I had a couple instances this week where he was whispering, but was not heard or he was heard, but not listened too. In the first instance, he was more felt, like someone was watching. You can feel the stare, but you don't know where it is coming from, just that it feels uncomfortable. I wonder if this happens all the time. He is whispering, speaking, and articulate, but we are so proud, distracted, or out of tune that we don't hear the words. Sort of like what happened in 3 Nephi. The people felt the power of the words, they just did not know what they were. They had to humble themselves, focus, and tune in to understand the words.
In the second instance, the words were heard, but pride blocked out the message. It was one of those times that he was even in my face and I did not heed. I am grateful that I was still protected and watch over, even though I had to suffer some consequences. Hopefully I won't have to suffer through them too long.
The question is, how can we widen our range of hearing and feeling. How can we better align ourselves to his word and influence? The answer came...D&C 19:23. President Ezra Taft Benson also spoke to me this week as I studied the lesson for Priesthood. Great talk, give April 4, 1986. I had been home from my mission 3 days. I wish I had understood it then as well as I understood it this week. I hope you learn from my mistakes. The talk is also in the "Teachings of the Prophets: Ezra Taft Benson - Lesson 8"
So there you go, I am still a slacker sometimes. I don't always listen when I should. Good News, the lawn got mowed, I can still see, and I will wear my glasses more regularly.
It has been a good week. The Queen has been busy as usually, cleaning, organizing, planning, and serving. Her big focus was the "Garden Party". I wish it would have had more support from all fronts. It had the potential for so much learning and bonding. I know she is frustrated now, but will find another way in the future, whether she thinks so or not right now.
The Professor spent the week prepping herself to return to the classroom. Every day, I could hear her say, I know I can, I know I can, I know I can. She did and she will make it. 9 more weeks and the year will wrap up, only to start prepping for the one to come.
Tall Man following the promptings and it looks like he is preparing to move. I worry how close he will be to Iceberg and Leatherby's, but he tells us he will be strong. I just don't know how strong we will be if he wants us to visit him.
SnackPack just wants the school year to end. He is in the final count down and feels that he is wasting his time. We reminded him that he can do Online courses to get a head of the game so he doesn't have to do it over the summer. We will see if he does.
The rain continues to fall, the temperatures go up and down, the grass and weeds flourish in the wetness, and we spent a great deal of time around a fire pit. It has been good. I hope your week has been just as productive, but most importantly instructive.
Study the Word, there is power and revelation there!
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