With Patience
Happy Sabbath!
I hope this post finds you all well and healthy. This week had been a jolt for many in more ways than one. It has given us all time to reflect and wonder. My question, as always, is what have we learned?
Though I have pondered a great deal this week, my verses of focus bring us to the end of Alma 34, verses 40-41:
"And now my beloved brethren, I would exhort you to have patience, and that ye bear with all manner of afflictions; that ye do not revile against those who do cast you out because of your exceeding poverty, lest ye become sinners like unto them;"
"But that he have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions."
In context, these words were delivered to a group of extremely poor individuals, I would even say refugees of sorts. They were feeling isolated, discriminated against, trodden under foot, burdened with many afflictions that come with poverty.
However, as I read these words I cannot help but apply them to the circumstances I live in today. I may not fully understand the levels of poverty they were in, but I do understand the afflictions, anxiety, dispair, and some what hopelessness they could have been feeling, though caused by different sources. The message is the same.
Have Patience. Bear/Endure the Afflictions. Do so with a Firm Hope that rest will come.
Do we not live in a world right now that if filled with commotion? Most of the world finds themselves in some sort of quarantine right now. For those closer to our epicenter, the earthquakes have only rocked our worlds a little more, but the promise is the same. The exhortation is still just as powerful. The Godhead is the same past, present and future. They want us to move forward with faith, patience, long-suffering, etc... It isn't always easy, but the promised blessings allow us to find and cleave to that hope, if we are doing what we have been asked to do.
This entire chapter, Alma 34, is filled with counsel and instruction. The prophets of today have only echoed the same message. It is now up to us, like them of old, to push forward, enduring with faith and hope, through the afflictions we are asked to bear. We can. We will.
Our Week:
The Queen, SnackPack, and I were all on vacation this week. We had grand plans that of course came crashing down around us. First, Europe shut down. Our back up was Costa Rica, yeah no. We ended up settling for a beach on a new island in Hawaii. Since all large gatherings were suspended, we jumped an early afternoon flight headed west.
Monday was a lazy day. The Queen ate something that did not agree with her, so we just hung out.
Tuesday, we spent the day being tourist and just soaking in the sun. It was clear that Covid-19 had not yet reached the island we were on.
Wednesday, our cell phones went crazy about 3 a.m. local time. Home was being hit with the a series of earthquakes. It insane to see our little home town on the map as the epi-center of the commotion. There wasn't much we could do from where we were sitting. The feeling of hopelessness was strong. Once we were all awake, we decided it was best to head out as soon as possible. We boarded a plane around 2 p.m., hit the mainland around 9 p.m., ended up in 27 degree weather at midnight, rented a car, and drove through the night, as our home airport was closed.
Thursday, we pulled into our drive way around 8:30 a.m.
Friday, we spent the day trying to get thing back together.
Saturday, we tried to find normalcy.
Today, we are taking it one day at a time.
The Professor started the week trying to figure out virtual instruction. It has opened a whole new challenge for her. Being home alone, on the first day of instruction, was made super complicated when the earthquake hit. She did well. She was super grateful for all the support that came from her brothers, family, and ward members.
Tall Man, Ehl-Bo, and Lego joined us Thursday night. We were grateful to be together. They are dealing with the challenges as they come.
Puddin and Lady Hawkins have had some concerns of their own and asked if they might spend some time living with us for a bit. It has been fun to all be together.
SnackPack received his birthday wish, just not in the way he was expecting or where he was expecting. Interestingly enough Covid-19 caught up to the island we were one the day we left. All the touristy things shut down the day we left.
I hope this post finds you all well and healthy. This week had been a jolt for many in more ways than one. It has given us all time to reflect and wonder. My question, as always, is what have we learned?
Though I have pondered a great deal this week, my verses of focus bring us to the end of Alma 34, verses 40-41:
"And now my beloved brethren, I would exhort you to have patience, and that ye bear with all manner of afflictions; that ye do not revile against those who do cast you out because of your exceeding poverty, lest ye become sinners like unto them;"
"But that he have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions."
In context, these words were delivered to a group of extremely poor individuals, I would even say refugees of sorts. They were feeling isolated, discriminated against, trodden under foot, burdened with many afflictions that come with poverty.
However, as I read these words I cannot help but apply them to the circumstances I live in today. I may not fully understand the levels of poverty they were in, but I do understand the afflictions, anxiety, dispair, and some what hopelessness they could have been feeling, though caused by different sources. The message is the same.
Have Patience. Bear/Endure the Afflictions. Do so with a Firm Hope that rest will come.
Do we not live in a world right now that if filled with commotion? Most of the world finds themselves in some sort of quarantine right now. For those closer to our epicenter, the earthquakes have only rocked our worlds a little more, but the promise is the same. The exhortation is still just as powerful. The Godhead is the same past, present and future. They want us to move forward with faith, patience, long-suffering, etc... It isn't always easy, but the promised blessings allow us to find and cleave to that hope, if we are doing what we have been asked to do.
This entire chapter, Alma 34, is filled with counsel and instruction. The prophets of today have only echoed the same message. It is now up to us, like them of old, to push forward, enduring with faith and hope, through the afflictions we are asked to bear. We can. We will.
Our Week:
The Queen, SnackPack, and I were all on vacation this week. We had grand plans that of course came crashing down around us. First, Europe shut down. Our back up was Costa Rica, yeah no. We ended up settling for a beach on a new island in Hawaii. Since all large gatherings were suspended, we jumped an early afternoon flight headed west.
Monday was a lazy day. The Queen ate something that did not agree with her, so we just hung out.
Tuesday, we spent the day being tourist and just soaking in the sun. It was clear that Covid-19 had not yet reached the island we were on.
Wednesday, our cell phones went crazy about 3 a.m. local time. Home was being hit with the a series of earthquakes. It insane to see our little home town on the map as the epi-center of the commotion. There wasn't much we could do from where we were sitting. The feeling of hopelessness was strong. Once we were all awake, we decided it was best to head out as soon as possible. We boarded a plane around 2 p.m., hit the mainland around 9 p.m., ended up in 27 degree weather at midnight, rented a car, and drove through the night, as our home airport was closed.
Thursday, we pulled into our drive way around 8:30 a.m.
Friday, we spent the day trying to get thing back together.
Saturday, we tried to find normalcy.
Today, we are taking it one day at a time.
The Professor started the week trying to figure out virtual instruction. It has opened a whole new challenge for her. Being home alone, on the first day of instruction, was made super complicated when the earthquake hit. She did well. She was super grateful for all the support that came from her brothers, family, and ward members.
Tall Man, Ehl-Bo, and Lego joined us Thursday night. We were grateful to be together. They are dealing with the challenges as they come.
Puddin and Lady Hawkins have had some concerns of their own and asked if they might spend some time living with us for a bit. It has been fun to all be together.
SnackPack received his birthday wish, just not in the way he was expecting or where he was expecting. Interestingly enough Covid-19 caught up to the island we were one the day we left. All the touristy things shut down the day we left.
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