Sunday, January 30, 2011

Welcome Secrets

Tiny things I lock in my heart –
Names I have loved, anger I’ve shown,
Even a small collection of shame –
Find harbor, and safety at home.

Esteemed with my values –
Of honor, integrity, and decency,
A deep need for compassion, and love –
They sit in mixed company.

Lonely I stand while guarding my key
Feigning strength by securing the lock.
Yet wondering what happens if I worry less
Who to let in, and who to not.

To offer my heart, I must turn the key
Lay bare my wares and things that I stow,
Risking that freedom when I open the door –
Let them choose whether to stay or go.


What I Believe…


http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Just Like a Pebble

Standing at the edge, I found myself tempted by this irresistible urge. I had to know. I wanted to try. Purposefully, I clenched my hand, made my decision, and then threw the small stone into the water. For a moment longer, the surface of the large pond in the Uintah Mountains remained smooth as glass. Then everything changed.

Once the relatively small rock plunged into the water, there was little I could do to stop the reaction of natural consequences. From the spot where the rock hit the surface, ripples began to move through the water. I watched them surge outward, further and further, until they reached the opposite side of the pond. Upon arrival, the ripples reversed direction and mirrored the bank as they began a return trip to where the stone first fell.

Natural consequences are quite often predictable and easy to repeat. I think it interesting that consequences often carry an undesirable connotation as consistently as water carries a wave. Yet, consequences don’t have to be negative.

There have been moments in my life where I needed extra help and had nowhere to turn. Like the pond, my life was standing still, and it seemed that I was all alone. Figuratively speaking, that is when I threw my stone – I knelt in prayer and waited to see what would happen.

Faith is not a thing of little consequence. In fact, faith the size of a mustard seed has been reported to move mountains. With that kind of force, it is not possible to exercise faith without the effects of expected consequences.

Personal prayer to God is one of the simplest ways we can exercise our faith. The truth is, prayer works. Once you throw the rock, you cannot stop the consequences of that prayer any more than you can stop the ripples in the pond. God hears and answers prayers when we ask in faith. He is not limited in His ability to answer our prayers. Rather, we often limit what He can do by how much faith we put in Him.

If you are a skeptic, you might question my belief that God answers every prayer. In turn, I might reply that some ripples merely take longer to get to the other shore before making the return trip. Sometimes that distance is self imposed because we create distance through our disobedience. I also believe there are other distances that have nothing to do with our worthiness. Instead the time required to answer a prayer has more to do with each individual test of our faith. Some tests just take longer than others. God may have made Abraham wait a hundred years to give him a son, but he did answer his prayer.

In my own life, I have found personal prayer to be very powerful. Whenever I ask in faith, I can see the Lord’s hand both guiding and providing for me. Yes, things may appear very still when He wants me to see what I am capable of, but He does listen, and He does answer prayers. Every time we pray, there are natural consequences. A single prayer offered in faith may seem very small in a wide universe, but it sends a powerful message, just like a pebble in a pond.


What I Believe…


http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Columbus Moments

First impressions are powerful. The first thing I associate with Christopher Columbus is the idea that “the world is round.” Perhaps you would agree. Yes, he discovered America, but so did Leif Ericson, and a number of others long before. From the time that I was a boy, I remember hearing stories of Columbus proposing that he could reach Asia by sailing west. Crossing the Atlantic was a task that many Europeans didn’t know had been done. Eventually, Columbus did sail west and proved that he was right. Or was he?

The NiƱa, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria arrived successfully in the Western Hemisphere, but it wasn’t what Columbus thought. To his death, Columbus argued that he had arrived in Asia. Sadly he was wrong, but his efforts made future exploration possible that would prove that he had the right idea.


Imagine how disastrous the voyage of 1492 would have been for Columbus and his crew had the “New World” not been where he thought Asia should be. The fact that he was both right and wrong is intriguing and beautiful to me. It offers a certain amount of hope to face an unknown task, one where you don’t know entirely what you are doing and have to act on faith. In just such a situation, it is possible that Columbus had additional help.

The ancient American prophet, Nephi, foresaw a time when his descendants would be visited by a people from over the sea. He said, “And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.” (1 Nephi 13:12)

The prophecy does not speak of Columbus by name, but if you can consider that his role fits Nephi’s description, there is a valuable clue to receiving personal revelation. Insight may not be all-inclusive, but that doesn’t preclude it from being true. Columbus had enough truth to get him moving in the right direction.

Another American prophet, Moroni, had an insight about what we know and don’t know. He said, “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.” (Ether 12:6)

At times when we are moved upon by the Holy Ghost to act, it may be tempting to doubt that the promptings are real just because we don’t have a full understanding of the impression. That witness may not come until we have chosen to act for ourselves. The Lord may be waiting to see what we will do when we don’t know what to do.

One of the most difficult things I experience while trying to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost is to make sure I correctly interpret the meaning. In some cases, the meaning simply isn’t clear but I still feel like I need to act all the same. When that feeling leads me to do something good, and I follow, seldom have I ever been disappointed. Then in hindsight the lesson reveals itself. I may have mistaken a few details in my Columbus moment, but the whole picture quite often shows that I did what I needed to do, and it was enough.

Imagine the recent upturn I felt when I made my own discovery about the story of Columbus. The idea that everyone thought the earth was flat appears to be erroneous. Well, there goes my association. There is enough evidence to indicate that many scholars before Columbus believed the earth to be round. In fact, the techniques of celestial navigation were beginning to be widely used by mariners of his time. Curiously, the “flat earth” idea has been misconstrued as history for decades because of a single biography written a little over three hundred years later.

“Hmmm,” says I. While Columbus may not have been completely right in his thoughts, and while history may not be completely accurate in what happened, that doesn’t change the reality of an impression.

I suspect that I will have many more Columbus moments in my life. I may feel the spirit and not be entirely clear about what it means, but as long as I recognize a prompting of the Holy Ghost, and I act on it, I can be assured that God will lead me in the right direction. The key is to follow the impression when it comes.


What I Believe…


http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Trying My Hand

They were skeptics, and rightfully so. Five years ago, my wife’s brothers had stopped by for a visit and I showed them my most recent project. By the somewhat veiled expressions on their faces, I could tell that they weren’t sure what to make of it. I was confidently amused.

Downstairs, the walls of the small workroom in our house were canvassed with life-size sketches and photographs. A table was positioned in the middle of the room to make working easier. On top sat a small sheet of particle board with a mound of clay that, to some, resembled an alien. “Hmm,” their eyes whispered sideways. “That’s really something.”

Ten hours into my work, I looked at the vague shape of clay that would eventually take me just over fifty to complete. I had never done a sculpture like this one before, and only had a vague sense of where I would go next. Whether or not I actually got there mattered less at that moment. I felt I had to try.

The process was beautiful. Each gesture of my hands made a subtle refinement. The sensory feeling of clay giving way to my fingers pulled me into the sculpture. Carefully I studied the sketches and photos of my model from every angle. I checked proportions and made adjustments. With every lift, push, and expression, the abstract form began to take life.

I savored the last ten hours of sculpting. By that point, the clay no longer looked unrecognizable. There was an excitement of getting close, of realizing my purpose. The clay had its own meaning just waiting to speak. As the detail of each feature became clearer, a stronger resemblance to its intrinsic design, I felt great satisfaction. My work didn’t have to be perfect. It was mine, and I was pleased.


Afterward, I enjoyed sitting and looking at the form in front of me. I compared two notions. While the form felt like something I had made with my own hands, it also felt like a person that I merely rescued or liberated from the clay – it was a mixture of ability and opportunity.

Quite often I like to pray over my work. I try to express gratitude for opportunities that seem to be given to me. No man is an island, and all good things come from God. I also like to pray for insight on how to improve my work and make it better. When these prayers are answered, I feel that divine guidance is added to ability and opportunity. It is a simple yet wonderful gift to be taught by impressions from God.

As for the skeptics, they really weren’t disbelieving. They just didn’t see at first. My brothers had a different understanding when they returned a week later and saw the finished product.

So often in life, the tangible evidence in front of us may not accurately describe what our work can become. More faith, please. When I believe in my own ability to act, and God’s ability to provide assistance, it’s easier to attempt things I haven’t tried before. I may not know completely what I am doing, but my faith can make up the difference.

As I shape my own life, it is very reassuring to follow a good model. Minor adjustments may not always feel good when I am the clay being sculpted. Yet when I feel I am getting closer to the true meaning of my life, those adjustments become very rewarding. That happens when I remember the purpose of why I am here. The Savior Jesus Christ is my model. Every refinement I make that increases my resemblance to Him gives me satisfaction. I feel freer as I take his image into my countenance. I look forward to when I, with Him, can look back on my life and see what we sculpted together.


What I Believe…


http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Watch

There is a delicious anxiety that clings to the winter holidays each year. It’s beautiful to see, unsettling when you feel it, and yet Christmas would not seem the same without it. If the feeling of waiting wasn’t worth the effort, the prelude would be torture.

Watching a young child watch a present under a tree can be quite amusing. There is so much anticipation invested in the unknown gift. While some might beg to open the present before the appointed time, others find the courage to shake the present and guess at what it contains.

Recalling a childhood memory, a friend recently told me how curiosity often bested her before Christmas morning. Unable to wait, she would secretly open her gifts, wrap them back up, and then pretend to be surprised. Though now a grandmother, there was a mischievous gleam in her eye as she confessed that this is a tradition she is still guilty of.

Waiting for company to arrive when you are expecting a visit can supplement any holiday anxiety quite nicely. As a boy, I would repeatedly go to the window to see if family or friends had come yet. Many times I would be disappointed – every time, in fact, except the last time. I’m happy to admit this is a tradition I continue to keep.

Now that I’m older, I still get deliciously anxious at the holidays. Christmas is somewhat different from when I was little, but I still find so much to look forward to.

The past few weeks have provided numerous reasons for me to think about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. While celebrating His miraculous birth, I have also considered what it was like for those who were watching and waiting. I think they must have felt some of that delicious anxiety after seeing the star, or hearing the voices of heralding angels.

Similarly I have pondered His second coming that believers anxiously await. Like pulling out familiar decorations from the basement, or extracting a small piece of chocolate from an advent calendar, there are preparations right now that suggest the season of His coming is getting closer. How soon? I don’t know. But I am watching.

There is a difference in seeking a sign because of disbelief and watching for signs because you do believe. Jesus himself said that those who believe will be looking for the great day of the Lord to come, even the signs of His coming. Those who are not watching will be unprepared. Those who are ready will be invited to the wedding. (Doctrine & Covenants 45:39, 44, 57)

Many of the signs of Jesus’ coming foretold in the scriptures will be accompanied by great and terrible events. Some will make men anxious, and others will most definitely be worth the wait. Beautiful promises have been made to those who are faithful. The important thing is to watch and be ready at His coming. Perhaps all the years of waiting to open presents at Christmases past will pay off. Those who have learned to enjoy the anxious waiting before a holiday may find hope in doing difficult things. As for me, I plan to keep watch at the window.


Some concentrated sources for information on the signs of his coming can be found in Mathew 24; Mark 13; Luke 17 and 21; Doctrine & Covenants 29, 45, 88, and 133; and Joseph Smith Matthew 1.


What I Believe...


http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/




This is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am solely responsible for the views expressed here.