Adventure in Adversity
Oh what an interesting week we have woven this week. As I look back on it today, it feels like it flew right by, but in the heat of the moment, day to day, it was just a week that seemed slow and mundane. But it really wasn't.
It felt like I spent the week in meetings and away from home. I had the opportunity to take SnackPack down to State and watch him compete. I also found myself on the East side of a camera taking pictures of Tall Man putting a ring on his El-Bo, but I am getting a head of myself.
On Tuesday night, I came home from meetings to find about 3 inches of hair on our bathroom floor. The State boys were all here cleaning out their heads. We cleaned up, drove them home, and battened the hatches down for the night. Wednesday morning SnackPack woke up to find that his car has been broken into. It was not the best way to start the day. But we all trudged through, SnackPack more than any of us.
It was a small thing, nothing was broken that was not already broken. It was inconvenient. We had to call the police, we had to drive him to and from school for a couple days, we had stop payments on his bank card, we had to make time to get a replacement license, and he will have to find someone he trusts from Chem and Physics to copy notes from, but it was all just stuff.
I have thought about it a great deal this week. I think about those things that happen by choices of other, choices of our own, or that just happen that make our day to day lives inconvenient. They come in many forms and fashions. Some times by words, sometimes by actions. They just happen. When they do, it is easy to get caught up in moment and let it control us. Many times it ends up blinding us from those things that are happening all around us in the same moment or as a result of the moments that are better.
Then I am drawn to not a verse, but a whole chapter this week 1 Nephi 13. There is so much in this chapter, but my mind was drawn to the first third or so. It is the purpose of the mother of all abomination to use adversity to drag us down, slay us, torture us, bind us, and yoke us with yokes of iron. (vs. 5) I hear you. "That is not me." you say, but I beg to differ. This verse does not always mean that we are slain, tortured, chained down, or yoked with sin, but with just life events sometimes. How we deal with the events/stresses/happenings and such that determine how we are slain, tortured, chained, or yoked.
How many of us fixate upon how far ahead others around us seem to be? Remember that pressing forward is not competition. It is just pressing. The Lord is not looking to see who is pressing harder, further, one handed or two. He has just asked us to press. He does not allow adversity in our lives to see who comes out of it faster, stronger, dirtier, or cleaner. He allows it to happens so that we learn what we need to learn individually from the experience. Each of us have boulder size challenges every day. What is challenging to me may not be challenging to you, so comparing myself to how you are dealing with what is challenging to me, but not you does me no good. It just opens the door for me to slay my faith, torture my testimony, chain down my hopes, and yoke myself with the minions of Satan.
Looking back on this week, SnackPack had a car to be broken into. Together, we went to and from school and the DMV. He has been blessed with a mind to learn, study, and progress. He has friends who are willing to share their notes. We are blessed everyday right along the adversity. It rains and shines on each of us. How we deal with it is what is most important. Make sure you are taking the time to look and see the blessings. Don't be blinded or trapped by the whispering of adversity.
Hope that made sense.
On with our week.
The Queen continues to train, train, and do more training. It seems like we have both been play vehicle tag all week. I was thrilled to spend time last night visiting in the food court downtown as we share some wonderful slices of cheese cake.
The Professor lived through another week of going back on track and starting up another semester of classes. She has managed her reading time well and is doing her best to read for pleasure as well as work.
As I said, Tall Man took another step in committing himself to his El-Bo. It has been an exciting weekend and we look forward to the adventures to come. We will keep the pictures PG.
It felt like I spent the week in meetings and away from home. I had the opportunity to take SnackPack down to State and watch him compete. I also found myself on the East side of a camera taking pictures of Tall Man putting a ring on his El-Bo, but I am getting a head of myself.
On Tuesday night, I came home from meetings to find about 3 inches of hair on our bathroom floor. The State boys were all here cleaning out their heads. We cleaned up, drove them home, and battened the hatches down for the night. Wednesday morning SnackPack woke up to find that his car has been broken into. It was not the best way to start the day. But we all trudged through, SnackPack more than any of us.
It was a small thing, nothing was broken that was not already broken. It was inconvenient. We had to call the police, we had to drive him to and from school for a couple days, we had stop payments on his bank card, we had to make time to get a replacement license, and he will have to find someone he trusts from Chem and Physics to copy notes from, but it was all just stuff.
I have thought about it a great deal this week. I think about those things that happen by choices of other, choices of our own, or that just happen that make our day to day lives inconvenient. They come in many forms and fashions. Some times by words, sometimes by actions. They just happen. When they do, it is easy to get caught up in moment and let it control us. Many times it ends up blinding us from those things that are happening all around us in the same moment or as a result of the moments that are better.
Then I am drawn to not a verse, but a whole chapter this week 1 Nephi 13. There is so much in this chapter, but my mind was drawn to the first third or so. It is the purpose of the mother of all abomination to use adversity to drag us down, slay us, torture us, bind us, and yoke us with yokes of iron. (vs. 5) I hear you. "That is not me." you say, but I beg to differ. This verse does not always mean that we are slain, tortured, chained down, or yoked with sin, but with just life events sometimes. How we deal with the events/stresses/happenings and such that determine how we are slain, tortured, chained, or yoked.
How many of us fixate upon how far ahead others around us seem to be? Remember that pressing forward is not competition. It is just pressing. The Lord is not looking to see who is pressing harder, further, one handed or two. He has just asked us to press. He does not allow adversity in our lives to see who comes out of it faster, stronger, dirtier, or cleaner. He allows it to happens so that we learn what we need to learn individually from the experience. Each of us have boulder size challenges every day. What is challenging to me may not be challenging to you, so comparing myself to how you are dealing with what is challenging to me, but not you does me no good. It just opens the door for me to slay my faith, torture my testimony, chain down my hopes, and yoke myself with the minions of Satan.
Looking back on this week, SnackPack had a car to be broken into. Together, we went to and from school and the DMV. He has been blessed with a mind to learn, study, and progress. He has friends who are willing to share their notes. We are blessed everyday right along the adversity. It rains and shines on each of us. How we deal with it is what is most important. Make sure you are taking the time to look and see the blessings. Don't be blinded or trapped by the whispering of adversity.
Hope that made sense.
On with our week.
The Queen continues to train, train, and do more training. It seems like we have both been play vehicle tag all week. I was thrilled to spend time last night visiting in the food court downtown as we share some wonderful slices of cheese cake.
The Professor lived through another week of going back on track and starting up another semester of classes. She has managed her reading time well and is doing her best to read for pleasure as well as work.
As I said, Tall Man took another step in committing himself to his El-Bo. It has been an exciting weekend and we look forward to the adventures to come. We will keep the pictures PG.
SnackPack had a wacky hair week among other things. Here is a sample. I think it looked better combed to the sides and slicked down, but I did not get a snap of that one.
Later in the week he smoothed it out so he could go to State.
It was a great week!
We look forward to seeing the next.
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