A sign that says, “Please feed the bears!” would very much be appreciated at our house. It might serve as a needed reminder to my wife and me of something we already know very well. As we have raised our children, we have observed an interesting phenomenon in which our children undergo a transformation process when they aren’t fed. They turn into bears. On further reflection, we have wondered if they weren’t really bears to begin with, and that feeding them merely kept them domestic. We would be remiss if we failed to recognize where this genetic trait comes from – that their parents are likewise bears who occasionally need to be tamed.
Some of the most peaceful moments in our home are when everyone’s needs have been taken care of. Everyone has had enough sleep, enough to eat, and the right amount of attention. Interestingly enough, those are also times when we have found our children receptive to discussions that help them spiritually. It can be very difficult to help someone with their spiritual needs when their basic needs are not being met.
In contrast, what a difference there is in our home when one of our children’s needs are being met and another’s are not. “It’s not fair!” is a funny little anthem that will echo down the halls of our memory for many years to come. If only I had a dime for each time that expression was repeated, I would have a generous sum. All the same, a piggy bank full of dimes would not negate a store of unmet needs that are often felt by the individual. Needs are real, and so is the desire to be content.
As a boy, I remember a number of occasions when I was hungry and I asked my mom for something to eat. Matters were worse when my hunger was triggered by the smell of freshly baked cookies. The smell seemed an open invitation to come and eat. You see, bears like homemade cookies, and I was no exception. My mom might reply to my request with some nonsensical statement, such as, “You’ll have to wait until dinner so you won’t spoil your appetite.” It wasn’t my appetite for cookies that she was concerned with. Though I wasn’t happy about it, it was really my wellbeing she had in mind.
Our pantry had some specific rules that I sometimes ignored. Then, instead of having my needs met, I got to taste the consequences of my actions. While the occasional treat was mine to enjoy, taking without asking is a practice that is more likely to catch up with you than not. As a fully grown bear, and a tiny bit wiser than I was then, I recognize that life is more complicated than fresh cookies and pantries.
We live in a world full of open invitations. Most of them are not marked with “SALE BY OWNER” signs. Rather they are yard sales full of other people’s things – goods that have somehow found their way to the wrong sale rack. They may smell good, but they are often things that were never intended to be sold for money at all. To make the sale easier and more certain, however, generous third-party partners in the retail business are ready to hand out applications for credit cards and other types of credit. “Buy now, why wait,” is another silly anthem that resonates loud and clear. The world has a misguided definition for satisfaction. Strangely enough, this definition has nothing to do with being “content.”
Like my mother, our Eternal Father is concerned about our wellbeing. He is also very interested in making sure that our needs are met. He has promised, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For everyone that asketh receiveth…. What man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:7-11) I believe this direction to be the simplest and safest way to have our needs met. Father will take care of our needs without putting our wellbeing at risk.
Perhaps being satisfied has more to do with being content than satiated. Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “the craving of the natural man… can never be satisfied. It is an insatiable appetite.” If this is true, then it makes no sense to pursue something that has no end. We are much wiser attempting something that is actually possible to attain. Why search for happiness in places you will never find it when there is a well of living water that never runs out. Jesus taught the woman of Samaria in John 4:14, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
From these passages of scripture, we learn that if we can learn to rely upon the Lord, He will take care of our needs and His supply will never run out. I personally have found these blessings to be both temporal and spiritual. But what is Father really interested in? Of course it is His children, but what does He want for us? He wants us to become like him as I want my children to follow me. I can’t imagine anyone being happier than our Father, so why wouldn’t I want to become like him. I believe the answer is fear.
Usually when I choose not to follow Father, it is because I am afraid. I fear that I will not get what I want. I’m afraid that I will have to wait too long or that my needs will not be met. I start to feel some risk that His words aren’t literal and that I have to choose between what I want and what He wants, as if both were not possible. Simply put, I am deceived and I forget that He will take care of our needs without putting our wellbeing at risk.
Knowing that His children are prone to fear when their faith is weak, Father gives us commandments – His rules of the pantry. He promises blessings when we are obedient, not because He is stingy with what He has, but because He knows that obedience will teach us to rely upon Him. Obedience will ultimately teach us to be content with what He has to offer, which is everything. Following Him and relying upon Him will give us what we need without risk to our eternal salvation. It will teach us not to accept substitutes that cannot satisfy. It will train us to be inherently good like He is.
One danger I feel we often face is feeling that the commandments don’t apply to us – that we are above the rules of the pantry. For some this may be ignorance or indifference to the commandments. For others, we may feel that we have met the letter of the commandments though we may not have met the intent and purpose for which they were given. The latter is carefully illustrated in the Savior’s teachings in the Sermon on the Mount.
I believe that many are apt to think that they keep the commandments because they do not commit murder and they do not commit adultery. Jesus enlarged the scope of these commandments to both the Jews and to the people who inhabited ancient America. In 3 Nephi 12:21-22 we read, “Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, and it is also written before you, that thou shalt not kill, and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment of God; But I say unto you, that whosever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of his judgment.” Similarly He teaches us in verses 27 through 28, “Behold, it is written by them of old time, that thou shalt not commit adultery; But I say unto you, that whosever looketh on a woman, to lust after her, hath committed adultery already in his heart.”
I believe the commandments are more effective in our lives when we understand why they were given, and what Father hopes we will learn from them, rather than simply meeting the requirements as an obligatory payment for goods. The adversary tries to deceive us into thinking that immediate action will result in satisfaction. So many times this logic is false. Our Father, on the other hand, knows that we will be happiest if we can learn to live the way He lives. This life is intended to be a learning experience where we choose to become like our Father.
In another verse, the Lord explains an important principle for our happiness. In describing the actions of David and Solomon, ancient kings in Israel, the Lord says in Doctrine & Covenants 132:38, “and in nothing did they sin, save in those things which they received not of me.” I believe this principle can be applied to many other commandments besides adultery. Do we choose to rely upon God for our blessings, or are we too impatient, anxious to take matters into our own hands. Are we willing to ask for permission, or are we afraid that the answer will be, “No, not right now,” even though that may be the right answer.
What happens when we look at coveting in the same manner as the commandments described in the Sermon on the Mount? In Exodus 20:17 we read, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.” There are many times that I have felt I met the requirements of this commandment, to not covet, because I did not plot to have something that belonged to my neighbor. Perhaps there is more to this commandment than I had previously contemplated.
Coveting is not just wanting something that someone else may have, it is a failure to be content with what I already have. This does not mean that I can’t hope for more, but I certainly should be grateful and content with what I have been given. Learning to be content is not easy, but it does show Father that we will wait upon Him for our blessings. It shows that we have faith in His promise, that if we ask we shall receive.
Another principle that will help us see that our needs are met has to do with the sanctifying our hearts and the purifying of our desires. The Lord told Joseph Smith in Doctrine & Covenants 50:29-30, “And if ye are purified and cleansed from all sin, ye shall ask whatsoever you will in the name of Jesus and it shall be done. But know this, it shall be given you what you shall ask….” As we prayerfully consider our needs, the Holy Ghost can help us to know if it is in our best interest or not. If it is, then we should ask. We are commanded to. If it is not right, then why should we pursue a path that does not lead to our happiness?
In 3 Nephi 19:24 we read an account of how the Nephites were taught to pray by the Holy Spirit. We read, “And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus prayed unto the Father, he came unto his disciples, and behold, they did still continue, without ceasing, to pray unto him; and they did not multiply many words, for it was given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire.”
The more we turn our heart towards God, the more we are filled with desire to do what is right. As we do so, He will help us to know what we should pray for to make sure that our needs are met. When we pray and find that He always answers our prayers, our faith in Him increases because our trust is rewarded. If we truly want to be happy, we should check our desires before seeking to have our needs met. In the process we may find that our needs have become simpler. If nothing else, we may at least gain greater patience to wait upon the Lord. His way is always best. If we are faithful, He always gives us more than we deserve.
It is not always easy, but I am learning to be satisfied with what I have and then rely upon the Lord to see that my needs are met. The alternative is not worth coveting. I have learned that to be content is to be happy.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
The Holy Temple
Today I attended two sessions of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple dedication via satellite broadcast. Both were beautiful experiences. I was deeply grateful for the outpouring of the Spirit of the Lord which I personally felt. The temple has and continues to play such a significant part in my life that participating in the dedication of a new temple fills me with excitement, especially for those who will now be able to use it.
The dedication of a temple is the culmination of concerted efforts and preparations by many individuals. Each temple is a House of the Lord, a place where His children may go to learn of Him, draw nearer to Him, and prepare to return home to Him. The Spirit and power of the Lord may be felt there because of the merciful blessings of our Eternal Father, but the temple is only a temple because we make it so.
Like the covenants we make in the temple, the House of the Lord is a partnership. We prepare a place in our lives where we can go to be instructed in the word of the Lord and receive necessary covenants and ordinances for our eternal salvation. When we do so, and when dedicate both the edifice and our hearts, the Lord can bring a special power into our lives that makes it possible to overcome every trial and difficulty that may stand in our way of returning to Him. The power comes solely from him, but is only possibly as we invite him into our lives. This invitation is evident in Revelation 3:20, which reads, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
Unfortunately, a temple also has the potential of losing its saving power because of our individual choices. Temples such as those of Solomon, Zerubbabel or Herod in ancient Israelite history were suffered by the Lord to be desecrated because the hearts of His people were not pure. Similarly the temples in the ancient Americas, or even Kirtland and Nauvoo were destroyed or lost to those who originally built them because of their own weaknesses and imperfections. The Holy Temple has endearing power when we turn our hearts towards it, and not just the edifice, but to the place we make for the Lord to come to us – a place that allows us to open the doors of eternity, starting with our hearts.
A little over a week ago, my wife and I decided to go to the Salt Lake Temple together. Due to my fault, we ran late and missed the time for the session we had planned to attend. We then chose to spend a few extra minutes outside the temple to talk and collect our thoughts, particularly to make sure we were no longer rushed and that we were properly prepared to enter in. As we did so, we noticed a group of women standing near the reflection pool on the east side of the temple. Observing that they were about to take a picture, we offered to take it for them so that each of the ladies could be in the photograph. Afterwards they thanked us and remarked that they were going to dinner near by. One lady stopped and asked me, “Can we go inside?” An interesting question I thought. I then asked if she meant inside the walls of Temple Square or inside the temple itself. She was interested in both. I pointed towards the large gated entrance to Temple Square where all visitors are welcome to go and described what she would find there, after going to dinner. I also explained that there were some additional steps that one must take to enter into the temple and that some missionaries inside Temple Square could explain more. She thanked me again and left to catch up with her friends for dinner.
I believe that one of the reasons that each of us must prepare to enter the temple is very much tied to the temples that have been desecrated in past history. If we are not prepared to go to the temple, certainly Father will not share all that He has with us. He will know when we are ready by the manner in which we answer His knock at the door, or rather, the stirrings in our hearts. If our hearts are properly turned towards Him, we will be willing to do whatever He requires to show that we love Him more than all else.
Consider the temple worship of the ancient Israelites. Their temple worship included sacrifices as described in the Law of Moses. They would bring the designated animal to the priest who would then offer the animal upon an altar to the Lord. While sacrifice by the shedding of blood was ended with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I often ask myself the question when I go to the temple, “Am I going to the temple to offer or take?” For me, there is a difference in going to merely participate and receive than to go with the intent to offer something. Even if I only go to offer my heart, it is enough.
Following His resurrection, Jesus visited the people in the ancient Americas and told them that He no longer required them to offer the sacrifices they had made previously. Instead, He required an offering that is much more personal. He said, in 3 Nephi 9:20, “And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit.” While the sacrifice is less visible, I believe it is much more difficult to make than offering one’s possessions. Our heart is the monitor of life. It keeps us moving, supplied with the nutrients we need. Symbolically, the heart is the receptor of our emotions, the container of our desires, and the lock to all that is dear to us. To offer this gift on the altar requires full submission.
A broken heart may bring a few images to mind that will help us to change. Broken may refer to a heart that has been injured by sin, or damaged by pride. Like a bone, it is ready to be mended with set discipline and a willingness to follow a strait and narrow path. Like a wild horse, perhaps it is ready to be tamed and sanctified by being broken, or a willingness to break the ties of sin that previously mastered the heart. Whatever the image, it must be coupled with a contrite spirit, or a desire to do the will of the Father in all things. It is this desire that invokes the power Father wishes to endow us with.
King David likewise gives us some instruction on how to enter the Holy Temple. In Psalms 24:3-5 he asks, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” Is it not vanity for us to want the blessings of the Lord without the necessary preparation and offering that He requires? Like the sons of Aaron who were to be washed at the door of the tabernacle before performing their work, each of us should wash ourselves from the sins of the world before going to receive a blessing at the hand of the Lord. Then will we be ready to receive that which is sacred and place it carefully in our hearts.
The invitation to go to the Lord’s House is open to all. Everyone is welcome to become clean and enter in. The Lord stands at the door and knocks to whosoever will let Him in.
It may not be easy to clean our lives and our hearts to be worthy to enter the temple, and eventually return to our home in heaven, but it is most certainly worth it. We may experience tribulation within our own hearts to accomplish this, yet this is the reason we are hear – to become clean through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repent of our sins, and receive the necessary covenants and ordinances that will empower us on to perfection.
The Lord not only commits to help to those who are faithful, He promises great blessings. As recorded in Doctrine & Covenants 58:3-4, the Lord tells Joseph Smith, “Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand.”
If we can just trust the Lord to keep His promises, He will help us. We need not worry about the process or how long it will take, only that He will help us see it through. That is His only focus. Everything He does is for the benefit of His children.
The Lord has established a minimum level of worthiness for His children to enter into the temple. With this comes certain and specific blessings of peace, comfort, strength, and knowledge that will aid us in our efforts to become true saints and disciples, not just by name, but in every action. Knowing this, and knowing that we cannot behold at the present time the great blessings He has ready, we should hope for greater things, and prepare ourselves to receive the blessings He has prepared for us.
If minimal worthiness yields minimal blessings, what more can I do to fully benefit from temple worship? I believe I must ask what I need to do to prepare to worship. What must I do to become clean before I go? When I go to the temple, what am I willing to offer? If I go to the temple to feel the influence of the Spirit of the Lord and receive needed peace, do I spend sufficient time pondering, praying, and thanking the Lord after my work in the temple is done? It is near the end of our worship there that I believe the greatest blessings come. It is there that I often feel closest to my Father, as well as feeling a reluctance to leave. It is essential that we make a place for Him. Then He will heal us.
How blessed we are to have a place prepared for our worship – a place where we can feel the power of God and become purer. I know I am more successful when I have properly prepared and I go with an offering for the Lord. This takes time and effort, but it is so rewarding. The temple is holy both because the Spirit of the Lord dwells there, and because we make it holy through our preparation.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
The dedication of a temple is the culmination of concerted efforts and preparations by many individuals. Each temple is a House of the Lord, a place where His children may go to learn of Him, draw nearer to Him, and prepare to return home to Him. The Spirit and power of the Lord may be felt there because of the merciful blessings of our Eternal Father, but the temple is only a temple because we make it so.
Like the covenants we make in the temple, the House of the Lord is a partnership. We prepare a place in our lives where we can go to be instructed in the word of the Lord and receive necessary covenants and ordinances for our eternal salvation. When we do so, and when dedicate both the edifice and our hearts, the Lord can bring a special power into our lives that makes it possible to overcome every trial and difficulty that may stand in our way of returning to Him. The power comes solely from him, but is only possibly as we invite him into our lives. This invitation is evident in Revelation 3:20, which reads, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
Unfortunately, a temple also has the potential of losing its saving power because of our individual choices. Temples such as those of Solomon, Zerubbabel or Herod in ancient Israelite history were suffered by the Lord to be desecrated because the hearts of His people were not pure. Similarly the temples in the ancient Americas, or even Kirtland and Nauvoo were destroyed or lost to those who originally built them because of their own weaknesses and imperfections. The Holy Temple has endearing power when we turn our hearts towards it, and not just the edifice, but to the place we make for the Lord to come to us – a place that allows us to open the doors of eternity, starting with our hearts.
A little over a week ago, my wife and I decided to go to the Salt Lake Temple together. Due to my fault, we ran late and missed the time for the session we had planned to attend. We then chose to spend a few extra minutes outside the temple to talk and collect our thoughts, particularly to make sure we were no longer rushed and that we were properly prepared to enter in. As we did so, we noticed a group of women standing near the reflection pool on the east side of the temple. Observing that they were about to take a picture, we offered to take it for them so that each of the ladies could be in the photograph. Afterwards they thanked us and remarked that they were going to dinner near by. One lady stopped and asked me, “Can we go inside?” An interesting question I thought. I then asked if she meant inside the walls of Temple Square or inside the temple itself. She was interested in both. I pointed towards the large gated entrance to Temple Square where all visitors are welcome to go and described what she would find there, after going to dinner. I also explained that there were some additional steps that one must take to enter into the temple and that some missionaries inside Temple Square could explain more. She thanked me again and left to catch up with her friends for dinner.
I believe that one of the reasons that each of us must prepare to enter the temple is very much tied to the temples that have been desecrated in past history. If we are not prepared to go to the temple, certainly Father will not share all that He has with us. He will know when we are ready by the manner in which we answer His knock at the door, or rather, the stirrings in our hearts. If our hearts are properly turned towards Him, we will be willing to do whatever He requires to show that we love Him more than all else.
Consider the temple worship of the ancient Israelites. Their temple worship included sacrifices as described in the Law of Moses. They would bring the designated animal to the priest who would then offer the animal upon an altar to the Lord. While sacrifice by the shedding of blood was ended with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I often ask myself the question when I go to the temple, “Am I going to the temple to offer or take?” For me, there is a difference in going to merely participate and receive than to go with the intent to offer something. Even if I only go to offer my heart, it is enough.
Following His resurrection, Jesus visited the people in the ancient Americas and told them that He no longer required them to offer the sacrifices they had made previously. Instead, He required an offering that is much more personal. He said, in 3 Nephi 9:20, “And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit.” While the sacrifice is less visible, I believe it is much more difficult to make than offering one’s possessions. Our heart is the monitor of life. It keeps us moving, supplied with the nutrients we need. Symbolically, the heart is the receptor of our emotions, the container of our desires, and the lock to all that is dear to us. To offer this gift on the altar requires full submission.
A broken heart may bring a few images to mind that will help us to change. Broken may refer to a heart that has been injured by sin, or damaged by pride. Like a bone, it is ready to be mended with set discipline and a willingness to follow a strait and narrow path. Like a wild horse, perhaps it is ready to be tamed and sanctified by being broken, or a willingness to break the ties of sin that previously mastered the heart. Whatever the image, it must be coupled with a contrite spirit, or a desire to do the will of the Father in all things. It is this desire that invokes the power Father wishes to endow us with.
King David likewise gives us some instruction on how to enter the Holy Temple. In Psalms 24:3-5 he asks, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” Is it not vanity for us to want the blessings of the Lord without the necessary preparation and offering that He requires? Like the sons of Aaron who were to be washed at the door of the tabernacle before performing their work, each of us should wash ourselves from the sins of the world before going to receive a blessing at the hand of the Lord. Then will we be ready to receive that which is sacred and place it carefully in our hearts.
The invitation to go to the Lord’s House is open to all. Everyone is welcome to become clean and enter in. The Lord stands at the door and knocks to whosoever will let Him in.
It may not be easy to clean our lives and our hearts to be worthy to enter the temple, and eventually return to our home in heaven, but it is most certainly worth it. We may experience tribulation within our own hearts to accomplish this, yet this is the reason we are hear – to become clean through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repent of our sins, and receive the necessary covenants and ordinances that will empower us on to perfection.
The Lord not only commits to help to those who are faithful, He promises great blessings. As recorded in Doctrine & Covenants 58:3-4, the Lord tells Joseph Smith, “Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand.”
If we can just trust the Lord to keep His promises, He will help us. We need not worry about the process or how long it will take, only that He will help us see it through. That is His only focus. Everything He does is for the benefit of His children.
The Lord has established a minimum level of worthiness for His children to enter into the temple. With this comes certain and specific blessings of peace, comfort, strength, and knowledge that will aid us in our efforts to become true saints and disciples, not just by name, but in every action. Knowing this, and knowing that we cannot behold at the present time the great blessings He has ready, we should hope for greater things, and prepare ourselves to receive the blessings He has prepared for us.
If minimal worthiness yields minimal blessings, what more can I do to fully benefit from temple worship? I believe I must ask what I need to do to prepare to worship. What must I do to become clean before I go? When I go to the temple, what am I willing to offer? If I go to the temple to feel the influence of the Spirit of the Lord and receive needed peace, do I spend sufficient time pondering, praying, and thanking the Lord after my work in the temple is done? It is near the end of our worship there that I believe the greatest blessings come. It is there that I often feel closest to my Father, as well as feeling a reluctance to leave. It is essential that we make a place for Him. Then He will heal us.
How blessed we are to have a place prepared for our worship – a place where we can feel the power of God and become purer. I know I am more successful when I have properly prepared and I go with an offering for the Lord. This takes time and effort, but it is so rewarding. The temple is holy both because the Spirit of the Lord dwells there, and because we make it holy through our preparation.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Sunday, August 16, 2009
The Autumn Road
I believe that each of us starts out making important lifelong choices. Those who are happiest often spend the rest of their lives making more choices to honor those made previously. This is particularly true when those choices are covenants.
There is a lot of power in covenants. However, like other things that are inanimate, they only have as much power as we give them. When we keep our covenants, there is added power beyond our own because of what Father brings to the arrangement – He always sweetens the deal.
There are many things that can distract us from our covenants. Not all of them are bad. Some have to do with priorities, others merely with timing. Some choices will require us to put something off indefinitely. Many decisions only require us to yield the right of way to something better at the moment. Our decisions define our priorities.
In his talk, “Good, Better, Best,” the apostle, Elder Dallin H. Oaks said, “We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families.”
I pondered this subject a few years ago and decided to capture the essence of my thoughts in a poem I call, “The Autumn Road.” I believe there are seasons in life where we would like to do something good and worthwhile, only to find it’s just not the right time. We may even feel that things are falling around us which make it that much more appealing to change our course and follow our desires at the moment. Again, our decisions define our priorities.
A month ago I traveled this road,
And let my mind run on alone.
There in the wood two roads diverge,
But one, to me, remains unknown.
That night I stood between the two,
At length before my feet arrived,
While something there called out to me,
To take the road I hadn’t tried.
I wondered at the path not seen,
Of canopy and wooded hall –
Clear brook, soft earth, and changing trees,
With leaves that wear the dress of fall.
My heart led out. I almost walked,
But stopped with thoughts of home so near.
There were, that night, more pressing needs,
And welcome words I longed to hear.
Perchance that I would be delayed,
I said that road I would not take.
Ere long my feet will there return;
Another day that choice I’ll make.
I tend to place a lot of trust in decisions that I have made earlier in life when I can say I knew it was a right decision when I made it. Confirming my decisions with prayer and the promised inspiration that follows gives me added reassurance that I am still on the right path.
We should expect to be tried and tested on significant decisions in life. The most important choices tend to lead to the greatest blessings. As we are told by Moroni in Ether 12:6, “I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.”
I think each of us will question decisions we have made at some earlier point in our lives, especially when it appears that things are different than we expected. My personal experience tells me, stay the course. The Lord told Joseph Smith in Doctrine and Covenants 11:12-14, “And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good — yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit. Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy; And then shall ye know, or by this shall you know, all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining unto things of righteousness, in faith believing in me that you shall receive.”
An important key in making our choices in life is to include a member of the Godhead. King Benjamin tells us that it is in our natures to make bad choices. In Mosiah 3:19 he says, “For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord….”
When we follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost we can be assured that we have made good choices and that a promised blessing will be waiting for us at the end of the trial. At the same time we become more like the Savior, Jesus Christ. Our hearts become purer and we become sanctified because we yield the right of way to the best decisions.
King Benjamin then tells us that we become something greater in the process. He continues, “…and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.”
The happiest people I know have spent their lives making choices that honor lifelong choices they made previously. How grateful I am for the extra help the Lord provides in answer to my prayers. I know He will help us. If He will help us when we start, He will certainly help us finish.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
There is a lot of power in covenants. However, like other things that are inanimate, they only have as much power as we give them. When we keep our covenants, there is added power beyond our own because of what Father brings to the arrangement – He always sweetens the deal.
There are many things that can distract us from our covenants. Not all of them are bad. Some have to do with priorities, others merely with timing. Some choices will require us to put something off indefinitely. Many decisions only require us to yield the right of way to something better at the moment. Our decisions define our priorities.
In his talk, “Good, Better, Best,” the apostle, Elder Dallin H. Oaks said, “We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families.”
I pondered this subject a few years ago and decided to capture the essence of my thoughts in a poem I call, “The Autumn Road.” I believe there are seasons in life where we would like to do something good and worthwhile, only to find it’s just not the right time. We may even feel that things are falling around us which make it that much more appealing to change our course and follow our desires at the moment. Again, our decisions define our priorities.
A month ago I traveled this road,
And let my mind run on alone.
There in the wood two roads diverge,
But one, to me, remains unknown.
That night I stood between the two,
At length before my feet arrived,
While something there called out to me,
To take the road I hadn’t tried.
I wondered at the path not seen,
Of canopy and wooded hall –
Clear brook, soft earth, and changing trees,
With leaves that wear the dress of fall.
My heart led out. I almost walked,
But stopped with thoughts of home so near.
There were, that night, more pressing needs,
And welcome words I longed to hear.
Perchance that I would be delayed,
I said that road I would not take.
Ere long my feet will there return;
Another day that choice I’ll make.
I tend to place a lot of trust in decisions that I have made earlier in life when I can say I knew it was a right decision when I made it. Confirming my decisions with prayer and the promised inspiration that follows gives me added reassurance that I am still on the right path.
We should expect to be tried and tested on significant decisions in life. The most important choices tend to lead to the greatest blessings. As we are told by Moroni in Ether 12:6, “I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.”
I think each of us will question decisions we have made at some earlier point in our lives, especially when it appears that things are different than we expected. My personal experience tells me, stay the course. The Lord told Joseph Smith in Doctrine and Covenants 11:12-14, “And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good — yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit. Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy; And then shall ye know, or by this shall you know, all things whatsoever you desire of me, which are pertaining unto things of righteousness, in faith believing in me that you shall receive.”
An important key in making our choices in life is to include a member of the Godhead. King Benjamin tells us that it is in our natures to make bad choices. In Mosiah 3:19 he says, “For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord….”
When we follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost we can be assured that we have made good choices and that a promised blessing will be waiting for us at the end of the trial. At the same time we become more like the Savior, Jesus Christ. Our hearts become purer and we become sanctified because we yield the right of way to the best decisions.
King Benjamin then tells us that we become something greater in the process. He continues, “…and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.”
The happiest people I know have spent their lives making choices that honor lifelong choices they made previously. How grateful I am for the extra help the Lord provides in answer to my prayers. I know He will help us. If He will help us when we start, He will certainly help us finish.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Slow Down, You’re Going Too Fast
I would much rather listen to “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy),” by Simon and Garfunkel, than get pulled over by a highway patrol trooper in the state of Nevada… like I did on our last family trip to California. The message from both is about the same, but the song is much more pleasant to listen to. Since we are getting ready to make the trip again, I thought the memory worth a little reflection. There is no need for history to repeat itself.
You can probably guess some of the details of the incident, and the conversation that transpired between me and the trooper. What I will tell you is that we were in-between two construction zones when I got the ticket, but apparently the double-fine clause for construction zones was still in effect. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.
Thinking of this speeding memory brought another story to mind. I was serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fresno, California. I remember riding my bicycle on one occasion when the assistants to the mission president passed me in their vehicle. We waved to each other and then they shouted, “Elder, where is your companion?” I turned around to look but couldn’t see him anywhere. “Great,” I thought. I turned around to retrace my path and found him about half a mile behind me. He was coming along at his own pace and didn’t feel a need to catch up very quickly. Later, we became good friends, but I’m not sure he felt that way at that moment.
Finding a good pace in life isn’t easy. Sometimes we choose a speed for ourselves that is too fast for our good. At other times we may set a pace that is too fast for family, friends, or those we associate with. This can happen with expectations, goals, relationships, or personal efforts to do good things. A few years ago Elder L. Tom Perry taught that we should, “move at a pace slow enough that [others] will not be left behind and fast enough to keep the journey interesting.” This certainly requires a great deal of balance.
I have recently taken up bike riding again with the same bicycle I had on my mission. It has been a good bike for me, but the rear tire is a little quirky after getting hit by a car. Though I didn’t sustain any personal damage in the accident, the impact of the car bent the rear fork of the bike enough that the rear tire rubs slightly against the frame. This gives the rider a strange resistance feeling that is similar to using the gas pedal and the brake pedal simultaneously while driving a car. Occasionally I consider replacing the bike, but I am still on the “use it up, wear it out” part of the old pioneer adage.
The condition with my bike has provided me with some unique analogies. The “lesson of the tires” really has more to do with desire. Because the front tire typically doesn’t have any resistance, it allows me to go as fast as I am willing to pedal. The rear tire, however, places added constraints which force me to go slower. Each of us has desires that need to be controlled or tempered. Restraint is not always fun, but it is healthy.
As my wife and I discussed this post together, she suggested that I try a different approach to accelerating my personal goals. “Rather than using your gas pedal and brake pedal so much, why not just set your cruise control?” Once again, I had to admit that the wife is always right. Pace is more important than speed in long-distance matters of life.
The lesson of the tires also has application in our individual pursuits for perfection. The charge from the Savior in Matthew 5:48, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect,” is not easily obtained. We may be full of desire to achieve perfection, but we will only do so as we meet and overcome resistance. Sometimes the resistance comes from unseen sources. Sometimes it comes as we self apply the brakes to our progression through decisions that are really not good for us. There are yet other times in which our expectations exceed our abilities. The front tire may represent our desire to do good, while the rear tire may represent what we are capable of in our mortal condition.
While I do believe we should do everything within our power to stretch and challenge ourselves, I do not believe we should feel guilty for the things we are not yet capable of. This is a common danger of going too fast. I think there is a significant difference between Godly sorrow and the guilt we inflict upon ourselves because we are not doing everything we think we should. Disappointment has a lot to do with our expectations. Father’s expectations are often much different from our own. Recognizing the source of the guilt will greatly affect the amount of peace we allow ourselves to feel. King Benjamin taught in Mosiah 4:27, “see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength.”
In Doctrine & Covenants 93:12-14, Joseph Smith recorded how the Savior came to the earth and set a pattern for us to follow. The revelation says, “he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace;” As Jesus made correct choices, He received the promised blessings for His obedience. “And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness; And thus he was called the Son of God, because he received not of the fulness at the first.” Jesus followed this pattern of progression one step at a time, or grace to grace, until He received a fullness from the Father.
What a blessing it is to know that the Savior, Jesus Christ, came here to set an example for us. Though we are not perfect as he is, we can worship the Father by following the Son, until we receive grace for grace.
Progression follows a continuous steady path. It may not always seem linear to us, but there are natural steps we must take before we can move forward. The prophet Nephi recorded the Lord’s teachings on this subject in 2 Nephi 28:30, saying, “I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept... for unto him that receiveth I will give more...”
Father wants us to learn, and He is ready to teach us, step by step. How often, then, do we place unrealistic expectations on others or ourselves? It is not necessary for us to skip a line or two to progress faster. It is also not very helpful when we expect others to skip a few paragraphs to meet our expectations, if they are not yet capable.
We will have more peace in our hearts if we are willing to accept ourselves and others for what we are. We will also have more happiness if we then try to inspire others to be better, starting where they are. I always appreciate inspiration over unnecessary guilt. Remember, there is no need to run faster than you have strength. Why expect any more of others than we would ask for ourselves?
It is tempting to compare yourself with others. When you are in a race, you can’t help notice when you are passing someone, or they are passing you. What matters most, though, is not how fast we are going, but whether or not we are progressing. Our progress is not dependent upon anyone else but us and the Lord. It is not necessary to compare ourselves with others.
I believe that Father is more concerned about direction than perfection. In addition to our actions, we will be judged by the thoughts and intents of our hearts. If my heart is like a compass, pointing the direction my actions will take me, then I need to watch my heart very closely. Once my course is chosen, then I can set a pace for myself – hopefully one where I won’t get another ticket.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
You can probably guess some of the details of the incident, and the conversation that transpired between me and the trooper. What I will tell you is that we were in-between two construction zones when I got the ticket, but apparently the double-fine clause for construction zones was still in effect. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.
Thinking of this speeding memory brought another story to mind. I was serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fresno, California. I remember riding my bicycle on one occasion when the assistants to the mission president passed me in their vehicle. We waved to each other and then they shouted, “Elder, where is your companion?” I turned around to look but couldn’t see him anywhere. “Great,” I thought. I turned around to retrace my path and found him about half a mile behind me. He was coming along at his own pace and didn’t feel a need to catch up very quickly. Later, we became good friends, but I’m not sure he felt that way at that moment.
Finding a good pace in life isn’t easy. Sometimes we choose a speed for ourselves that is too fast for our good. At other times we may set a pace that is too fast for family, friends, or those we associate with. This can happen with expectations, goals, relationships, or personal efforts to do good things. A few years ago Elder L. Tom Perry taught that we should, “move at a pace slow enough that [others] will not be left behind and fast enough to keep the journey interesting.” This certainly requires a great deal of balance.
I have recently taken up bike riding again with the same bicycle I had on my mission. It has been a good bike for me, but the rear tire is a little quirky after getting hit by a car. Though I didn’t sustain any personal damage in the accident, the impact of the car bent the rear fork of the bike enough that the rear tire rubs slightly against the frame. This gives the rider a strange resistance feeling that is similar to using the gas pedal and the brake pedal simultaneously while driving a car. Occasionally I consider replacing the bike, but I am still on the “use it up, wear it out” part of the old pioneer adage.
The condition with my bike has provided me with some unique analogies. The “lesson of the tires” really has more to do with desire. Because the front tire typically doesn’t have any resistance, it allows me to go as fast as I am willing to pedal. The rear tire, however, places added constraints which force me to go slower. Each of us has desires that need to be controlled or tempered. Restraint is not always fun, but it is healthy.
As my wife and I discussed this post together, she suggested that I try a different approach to accelerating my personal goals. “Rather than using your gas pedal and brake pedal so much, why not just set your cruise control?” Once again, I had to admit that the wife is always right. Pace is more important than speed in long-distance matters of life.
The lesson of the tires also has application in our individual pursuits for perfection. The charge from the Savior in Matthew 5:48, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect,” is not easily obtained. We may be full of desire to achieve perfection, but we will only do so as we meet and overcome resistance. Sometimes the resistance comes from unseen sources. Sometimes it comes as we self apply the brakes to our progression through decisions that are really not good for us. There are yet other times in which our expectations exceed our abilities. The front tire may represent our desire to do good, while the rear tire may represent what we are capable of in our mortal condition.
While I do believe we should do everything within our power to stretch and challenge ourselves, I do not believe we should feel guilty for the things we are not yet capable of. This is a common danger of going too fast. I think there is a significant difference between Godly sorrow and the guilt we inflict upon ourselves because we are not doing everything we think we should. Disappointment has a lot to do with our expectations. Father’s expectations are often much different from our own. Recognizing the source of the guilt will greatly affect the amount of peace we allow ourselves to feel. King Benjamin taught in Mosiah 4:27, “see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength.”
In Doctrine & Covenants 93:12-14, Joseph Smith recorded how the Savior came to the earth and set a pattern for us to follow. The revelation says, “he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace;” As Jesus made correct choices, He received the promised blessings for His obedience. “And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness; And thus he was called the Son of God, because he received not of the fulness at the first.” Jesus followed this pattern of progression one step at a time, or grace to grace, until He received a fullness from the Father.
What a blessing it is to know that the Savior, Jesus Christ, came here to set an example for us. Though we are not perfect as he is, we can worship the Father by following the Son, until we receive grace for grace.
Progression follows a continuous steady path. It may not always seem linear to us, but there are natural steps we must take before we can move forward. The prophet Nephi recorded the Lord’s teachings on this subject in 2 Nephi 28:30, saying, “I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept... for unto him that receiveth I will give more...”
Father wants us to learn, and He is ready to teach us, step by step. How often, then, do we place unrealistic expectations on others or ourselves? It is not necessary for us to skip a line or two to progress faster. It is also not very helpful when we expect others to skip a few paragraphs to meet our expectations, if they are not yet capable.
We will have more peace in our hearts if we are willing to accept ourselves and others for what we are. We will also have more happiness if we then try to inspire others to be better, starting where they are. I always appreciate inspiration over unnecessary guilt. Remember, there is no need to run faster than you have strength. Why expect any more of others than we would ask for ourselves?
It is tempting to compare yourself with others. When you are in a race, you can’t help notice when you are passing someone, or they are passing you. What matters most, though, is not how fast we are going, but whether or not we are progressing. Our progress is not dependent upon anyone else but us and the Lord. It is not necessary to compare ourselves with others.
I believe that Father is more concerned about direction than perfection. In addition to our actions, we will be judged by the thoughts and intents of our hearts. If my heart is like a compass, pointing the direction my actions will take me, then I need to watch my heart very closely. Once my course is chosen, then I can set a pace for myself – hopefully one where I won’t get another ticket.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Rocks and Raspberries
The situation started with me making a courtesy call and my wife thinking I needed to be rescued. I had been on a long bike ride and was feeling a little dehydrated. Realizing the time, and that we were supposed to be at a family birthday party soon, I decided to call my wife and let her know I was running late. What I didn’t know was that she was working on a surprise for me. We were about to celebrate our fifteenth anniversary the next day when I made the typical “guy” blunder of miscommunicating. Silly me. The short-of-the-long-of-it is that she came to pick me up, bike and all, so we could arrive together at the party.
I learned very early on in our marriage a principle that has secured me almost certain happiness. “The wife is always right.” While she and I jest about this regularly, I have seen a number of marriages that would have gone much smoother if the guy had only figured this out sooner. Well, I figured out something else that I will carry with me a very long time. It was significant enough that I asked Liz if I could quote her. I think she obliged me hoping that it might actually stick.
Where I really went wrong was in not expressing enough thanks to my wife for interrupting her plans to help me. We discussed the matter on the way home using very short sentences. The next day the subject came up again and she gave me some really good wisdom about gratitude. “Tell me once and it just registers. Tell me twice and I hear it. Tell me three times and it sinks in.” Now you know one of my weaknesses. Hopefully you can relate.
This new insight came while we were walking together on the longest hike that we have taken with just the two of us. It was very rewarding because we had a chance to share, and we were using longer sentences. We talked about ideas. We made top-ten lists of people we are closest to, or who have had the most influence in our lives. After fifteen years, we still had some unexpected answers. We have found that the more we talk, the deeper, richer, and more meaningful our conversations become. There are few things in life that I enjoy more.
Something else I enjoy, though not nearly so much, is raspberries. I think they are hands down my favorite fruit in the world. I keep telling my wife that one of these days I hope to drive to Bear Lake (which is famous for its raspberries) so I can buy a large flat and devour it very selfishly in one sitting. Well, in fifteen years it still remains on my list of things to do.
Earlier before our walk, Liz prepared a small breakfast that I carried in my backpack. It included some delicious fruit but, alas, no raspberries. Most of our hike was uphill to where an arched concrete bridge crosses a small waterfall. I had determined that we would stop for breakfast nearby in a little alcove where a spring emerges from beneath a large rocky grotto. The trees and plants make it very cozy and inviting. I have wanted to take my wife there for about four years since I first discovered this unique little place, but we had never managed to get there. Personally, I had been there many times as the location was also along one of my favorite running routes. However, this time was different.
We had reached the top of our ascent and I had planned to show Liz the grotto. That is when she said, “John, look.” I looked to the side of the path where she stood and realized that she had discovered wild raspberries. There were quite a few of them. Some bushes were low and some were higher up the hill. We decided to try our luck and found that these particular raspberries had a different taste than we had ever experienced before. It was, without surprise, a wilder flavor, and it varied slightly from bush to bush. Some were a little sweeter, to her liking, and some were tarter, to my liking. I stood there and marveled at how many times I had been there and had never noticed my favorite fruit. It was only when we were there together that we made the discovery. I think we both felt that raspberries were personal seashells that day. It was the start of a practically perfect day. We spent a lot more time that day in deep conversation. Though we didn’t spend a lot of money, it was a wonderful anniversary.
Conversation is not the only thing that becomes deeper, richer, and more meaningful as we communicate. Sharing is a significant part of any relationship. The more we share the more we connect, each connection strengthening the bonds between us. Relationships become deeper, experiences become richer, and life in full view becomes more meaningful.
As much as I like to eat raspberries, I really would be self-focused if that was all I expected to eat in a relationship. I certainly cherish the good times, and relationships that are dearest to me, but we don’t find the best berries without a small dose of rocks. The hike is so much more rewarding when we overcome the rocks of life together. We don’t have to chew on them. That just damages your smile. Rather we should negotiate the path to climb them, move around them, and eventually get past them. Once we conquer them, they become our trophies.
The prophet, Moses, identified the ideal society when he described the city of Enoch in Moses 7:18 as a people who “were of one heart and one mind.” I don’t know how we can achieve this state unless we are willing to share things in common and work out our differences. This takes a certain amount of negotiation around the rocks. A good relationship also benefits from faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, kindness, and charity, as taught by the apostle Peter in 2 Peter 1:4-11.
There are many in the world who would have us think that the rocks are not worth it. If you can’t find someone who can always deliver raspberries, then it’s time to move on. Really, that’s the difference between Hollywood and Reallywould. If I really would like to be happy, I have to be willing to take life for what it is and make it better – together.
Yesterday we experienced some different rocks. Some good friends of ours invited us to go tubing with their family. In some places, the stream we traversed had just enough water to let us go by in the tubes. I’ll confess that a couple of times, the combination of my size and the size of the rocks caused me to bottom out and get stuck, not to mention a little bruised.
At one point I was trying to help our youngest daughter negotiate the rocks when her tube capsized and she went underneath the shallow water. Her tube floated down stream before I could catch it. Placing her on my lap, we made another attempt at the stream. Again, she lost her balance, causing me to lose my balance, and we both went into the water. I found that trying to save a small girl from her presumed drowning in shallow water while standing on slippery rocks makes it very difficult to catch your tube as it, too, floats down stream. Once again, I found that “the wife is always right.” Liz had calmly collected our tubes, returned to meet us on the banks of the stream, and had come to rescue me again. Sometimes you just give in and say, “Life is good.”
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
I learned very early on in our marriage a principle that has secured me almost certain happiness. “The wife is always right.” While she and I jest about this regularly, I have seen a number of marriages that would have gone much smoother if the guy had only figured this out sooner. Well, I figured out something else that I will carry with me a very long time. It was significant enough that I asked Liz if I could quote her. I think she obliged me hoping that it might actually stick.
Where I really went wrong was in not expressing enough thanks to my wife for interrupting her plans to help me. We discussed the matter on the way home using very short sentences. The next day the subject came up again and she gave me some really good wisdom about gratitude. “Tell me once and it just registers. Tell me twice and I hear it. Tell me three times and it sinks in.” Now you know one of my weaknesses. Hopefully you can relate.
This new insight came while we were walking together on the longest hike that we have taken with just the two of us. It was very rewarding because we had a chance to share, and we were using longer sentences. We talked about ideas. We made top-ten lists of people we are closest to, or who have had the most influence in our lives. After fifteen years, we still had some unexpected answers. We have found that the more we talk, the deeper, richer, and more meaningful our conversations become. There are few things in life that I enjoy more.
Something else I enjoy, though not nearly so much, is raspberries. I think they are hands down my favorite fruit in the world. I keep telling my wife that one of these days I hope to drive to Bear Lake (which is famous for its raspberries) so I can buy a large flat and devour it very selfishly in one sitting. Well, in fifteen years it still remains on my list of things to do.
Earlier before our walk, Liz prepared a small breakfast that I carried in my backpack. It included some delicious fruit but, alas, no raspberries. Most of our hike was uphill to where an arched concrete bridge crosses a small waterfall. I had determined that we would stop for breakfast nearby in a little alcove where a spring emerges from beneath a large rocky grotto. The trees and plants make it very cozy and inviting. I have wanted to take my wife there for about four years since I first discovered this unique little place, but we had never managed to get there. Personally, I had been there many times as the location was also along one of my favorite running routes. However, this time was different.
We had reached the top of our ascent and I had planned to show Liz the grotto. That is when she said, “John, look.” I looked to the side of the path where she stood and realized that she had discovered wild raspberries. There were quite a few of them. Some bushes were low and some were higher up the hill. We decided to try our luck and found that these particular raspberries had a different taste than we had ever experienced before. It was, without surprise, a wilder flavor, and it varied slightly from bush to bush. Some were a little sweeter, to her liking, and some were tarter, to my liking. I stood there and marveled at how many times I had been there and had never noticed my favorite fruit. It was only when we were there together that we made the discovery. I think we both felt that raspberries were personal seashells that day. It was the start of a practically perfect day. We spent a lot more time that day in deep conversation. Though we didn’t spend a lot of money, it was a wonderful anniversary.
Conversation is not the only thing that becomes deeper, richer, and more meaningful as we communicate. Sharing is a significant part of any relationship. The more we share the more we connect, each connection strengthening the bonds between us. Relationships become deeper, experiences become richer, and life in full view becomes more meaningful.
As much as I like to eat raspberries, I really would be self-focused if that was all I expected to eat in a relationship. I certainly cherish the good times, and relationships that are dearest to me, but we don’t find the best berries without a small dose of rocks. The hike is so much more rewarding when we overcome the rocks of life together. We don’t have to chew on them. That just damages your smile. Rather we should negotiate the path to climb them, move around them, and eventually get past them. Once we conquer them, they become our trophies.
The prophet, Moses, identified the ideal society when he described the city of Enoch in Moses 7:18 as a people who “were of one heart and one mind.” I don’t know how we can achieve this state unless we are willing to share things in common and work out our differences. This takes a certain amount of negotiation around the rocks. A good relationship also benefits from faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, kindness, and charity, as taught by the apostle Peter in 2 Peter 1:4-11.
There are many in the world who would have us think that the rocks are not worth it. If you can’t find someone who can always deliver raspberries, then it’s time to move on. Really, that’s the difference between Hollywood and Reallywould. If I really would like to be happy, I have to be willing to take life for what it is and make it better – together.
Yesterday we experienced some different rocks. Some good friends of ours invited us to go tubing with their family. In some places, the stream we traversed had just enough water to let us go by in the tubes. I’ll confess that a couple of times, the combination of my size and the size of the rocks caused me to bottom out and get stuck, not to mention a little bruised.
At one point I was trying to help our youngest daughter negotiate the rocks when her tube capsized and she went underneath the shallow water. Her tube floated down stream before I could catch it. Placing her on my lap, we made another attempt at the stream. Again, she lost her balance, causing me to lose my balance, and we both went into the water. I found that trying to save a small girl from her presumed drowning in shallow water while standing on slippery rocks makes it very difficult to catch your tube as it, too, floats down stream. Once again, I found that “the wife is always right.” Liz had calmly collected our tubes, returned to meet us on the banks of the stream, and had come to rescue me again. Sometimes you just give in and say, “Life is good.”
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
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