Walking has a way of putting me in an introspective mood. Actually, I quite enjoy that. I do some of my best thinking while I am walking. I wonder if perhaps that is because there is something literal about getting from here to there that suggests the same pattern to the mind – something that allows the thinker to arrive at a conclusion at roughly the same time as the physical destination. Either way, quiet moments to do little but think seem to come infrequently for me, so I take them when I can get them.
Running is another favorite pastime of mine. It’s an acquired taste, you might say, one that I didn’t like at all when I was younger. In fact, I was pretty adamant about hating it. Running for the sake of running seemed pointless. It wasn’t until I became very proficient in walking long distances that running held any interest for me. I realized that I could cover more ground in the same amount of time by simply increasing my pace a small amount. In that moment, I started to turn the key that unlocked my understanding. I saw running, not as arriving at a destination quickly, but a faster way to enjoy the same journey. It’s a subtle difference, I know, but still significant. Certainly, speed is a part of the experience – and so is agility, freedom, ability, performance, fitness, and the runner’s high – but you can’t leave out the journey, for me, or the picture isn’t complete. I love the things I get to see and experience along the way.
Writing, as you might guess, is another interest I have acquired that has surprised me. In most of my younger years, writing was something I could do, but I didn’t enjoy it. Like running, it was a means to an end, and I wanted it to end. I wanted to hurry up and be done so I could do something else. Once I realized that writing complimented some of my other interests, such as thinking and being creative, I looked at this task differently. I changed. Writing was not just something I did, it became something I am. It became a journey.
For the past eleven years, much of my little spare time has been poured into a single, but large, idea – a story. Most of the time, the idea sits on a shelf and neither walks nor runs. It doesn’t even crawl. The idea just sits and patiently waits for a chance to travel. For now, the story is lucky if a hint can peek through my other responsibilities the way glimpses of early morning sunshine spill through planks in a fence to punctuate shadows on the sidewalk. It’s as though I am walking along, with nothing exceptional to note, when a spark of an idea flashes into my mind, quickening my step. Those moments are still cool. The inspiration is a different type of energy that helps me to run.
Getting back to something you haven’t done recently can take more time than the task alone. When I don’t work on my story frequently, I feel a difference. I know the story well but there is a lack of familiarity that has everything to do with mindset. I have to be in the right frame of mind without a lot of distractions. With limited time, I need something that can transport me quickly. What I need is a faster vehicle to get back into my story. In this case, creativity is not the destination, it is the journey.
A few years ago, I realized the vehicle I needed was something that would remind me of where I left off. Better yet, the something should remind me of how I felt when I last stopped so I could pick up right where I left off. That something became a lot of somethings. I created maps, cultures, histories, sketches, models, sculptures, and drawings of characters. I even developed some simple musical themes that reminded me of places or people in the story. Then when I had some time to stop and think, instead of crawling back to my story, I could run and spend less time becoming familiar again.
More recently, I decided to go running on a trail I hadn’t been to for a very long time. It was the place where I first started walking a lot. It was also a place where I had spent hours and hours thinking about my story. I hadn’t been on this trail for more than a few minutes when I realized that I was humming some musical themes from my story. In fact, I was thinking of a few of the characters and had refined a new plot twist, almost without giving any thought to it at all. I was grateful to find that my faster vehicle was still in great working order. With the right conditions, it almost had a mind of its own. I was amazed that the mental vehicle I had chosen had that much potential ability.
Connections are powerful. I have discovered many, many times this year the influence of beautiful connections. Some, like precious metals, you expect to tarnish over time. If you own brass or silver, you also likely expect to do some polishing to keep them looking nice. Yet, there are other connections, like gold or platinum, that do not tarnish over time. They come with a greater cost and are more precious because of it. Those connections are still active when we are distracted by the planks of life’s fences. I am so grateful for these!
Looking back, I find that many of my interests come from my Dad. He likes to take long walks, he likes to write, and he is a deep thinker. He and my Mom taught me to walk, but I didn’t appreciate the love of walking for many years following. I didn’t pick up my love of writing by writing with him. However, watching him for many years taught me, inspired me, and gave me a passion for it. He taught me spelling, grammar, and he proofread and edited many papers for me while growing up. While I didn’t pick up the love for those things at the time, I have always loved him, and that connection has tied me to the things that he likes in a very powerful way.
Prayer is another pastime of mine that has taken years to develop. It is one that connects me to my Father. The interesting thing to me about this pastime is that I haven’t arrived yet – I am still working on it – and yet it has always been rewarding and fulfilling. Because I haven’t arrived, or mastered prayer yet, this leads me to believe that, like other things in my life, prayer is a journey and not a destination.
Father in heaven knows all things, and He knows the end from the beginning. He asks us to pray to Him, not so He can learn about us, but so we can learn about ourselves and how we can return to live with Him. As we pray to him, we can discover what it is we are really thankful for. We have an opportunity to count our blessings, rather than just be thankful for all of them collectively. Prayer also allows us to counsel with God, or rather receive counsel from Him. Each of us have a story to write. Father is more than willing to proofread and edit our decisions, but only when we ask or seek it from Him.
Fear, treasure, and love are powerful motivators for doing good. Fear may get us started, and treasure may make things more interesting, but love is the most precious and powerful motivation. In fact, it is the only motivation that is powerful enough to truly help us become like our Father. All other things may fail, but the pure love of God will not. This being the case, how can I get beyond crawling in my prayers? How can I learn to walk and then love to run? What can I do to make this connection more precious? I believe the answer is in my choice of vehicles.
So that I am not mistaken, please allow me to clarify that I am not trying to pray faster or get to heaven any quicker. What I hope to do is find a better vehicle for myself that makes my prayers more meaningful. I want to look forward to my prayers as my favorite part of the day or night, and not just something I need to do to earn a reward. If prayer is a journey, and there is lot to see and learn along the way, I want to make the most of my prayers. Just as I did with my story, I want to pick up right where I left off without losing any familiarity. What I need are the right type of somethings to help me, almost without thinking.
I feel we, as Father’s children, are very fortunate that He has already created such vehicles to pull at our hearts. He has spoken with prophets for centuries to write down His words and teachings. He has inspired servants who have taught us to study these vehicles every day. We have been given churches and temples as places to worship, after preparing our own hearts as places for worshipful service. Priesthood authority has been given to do His work and His will on earth as though He were here Himself. We are led by revelation as inspiration comes through the gift of the Holy Ghost. When we use each of these to reconnect with our Father, they will turn our hearts toward Him. Almost without thinking about it, we will begin to love the things that He loves because we are consciously thinking about the things that will connect our hearts to His. Doing so will make our prayers more meaningful and will enlarge our capacity to love as He does.
Prayer is one of the most powerful connections we can have with Father. Patiently He waits for us to turn our hearts to Him. I may pray often, but if I don’t pray with real intent and focus, I feel a difference. I feel distant. The act of prayer alone may not take much time, but reconnecting after taking a leave of absence does. To feel connected, I don’t have to pray on my knees constantly, I just have to keep a prayerful attitude in my heart. By doing so, I am able to find my way more quickly. More importantly I am able to find and keep the spirit with less difficulty. Then it becomes easier and easier to remember the change of heart I once felt. It stays fresh in my heart and mind as I turn my thoughts toward Him.
Each of us has a story to write with our personal decisions. I know my editor is willing to make all kinds of suggestions on how I can be happier, and how I can feel more of His love, but only when I am ready. Once I reconnect with Him in prayer, it is up to me to decide when I will walk and when I will run. Father lets each of us set our own pace. He has also promised to guide us and comfort us along the way. In short, He has done everything he possibly can to make the journey rewarding and fulfilling. All that is needed is for me to decide to return to my story and begin writing.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Showing posts with label Father. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Father. Show all posts
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Revelation is a Reality
While not an undeserving setting, Yosemite National Park was an unexpected location to hear the voice of the Lord. I was a missionary at the time, serving in the California – Fresno Mission, and our mission president had chosen to hold a half-mission conference in an outdoor amphitheater. I remember listening to some messages prepared by the assistants to the president when I had an experience I am glad I recorded in my journal.
Previous to that occasion, I had been praying about a question for some time. It was a question that I already knew the answer to, or rather, I felt the answer but I didn’t quite know how to express it. My question was, “Why are the scriptures so important?”
As I sat on a bench in the amphitheater, listening to one of the assistants, I had a feeling or an impression. It was more like experiencing a meaning – something that wasn’t necessarily spoken but was understood. In my journal I wrote, “The feeling I had, as Heavenly Father put the answer in my head, was a great feeling. It was a sure feeling, confident, and exciting.” I began to write my thoughts until I had a few sentences down on paper. And then I marveled at what had just happened. Again I felt the Spirit confirming that what I had written down was an accurate and correct representation of what I felt.
Reflecting on the experience has given me a greater understanding of what Father was trying to teach me. He didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know, but I had new insight on how my knowledge fit together and how it could be applied. Knowing something and knowing what to do with it are two very different things. A person may have knowledge but still lack common sense or wisdom. For me, it was as though I had the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. I knew the pieces fit together somehow and that the full picture was worth figuring out. Once Father gave me an understanding of how the pieces fit together, I was able to assemble them in my mind and could then appreciate what had happened. More important than the information that I comprehended was the witness I gained that Father hears and answers prayers and that He does speak to His children. I learned what it meant to feel the voice of the Lord.
There is a beautiful key to receiving answers to prayer in Doctrine and Covenants 84:62-66. The Lord told Joseph Smith, “And again, verily I say unto you, my friends, I leave these sayings with you to ponder in your hearts, with this commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall call upon me while I am near—Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you; … Behold, that which you hear is as the voice of one crying in the wilderness—in the wilderness, because you cannot see him—my voice, because my voice is Spirit; my Spirit is truth; truth abideth and hath no end; and if it be in you it shall abound.
Our Father wants us to ask questions. He wants us to receive. Jesus promises that if we seek we will find. Because He does not lie, His promise is sure. If you truly seek, you will truly find. The process becomes clearer as we draw near to him.
It stands to reason that if you see a familiar friend in the distance whom you wish to talk to, you will approach them until you are close enough to converse. When you are yet at a distance, but within earshot, you may shout a greeting because you are glad to see your friend. However, this is usually not sufficient for a lengthy conversation. Instead it is easier to continue approaching your friend until you can talk openly and freely, face to face. It is hard to hear a whisper from a distance.
Learning to hear the Master’s voice is synonymous with learning to feel and recognize the Holy Spirit, or the influence of the Holy Spirit. Feeling His influence is the same as feeling the spirit, or the light of Christ that is given to everyone. Whether we describe His voice as spirit, or light, or truth, it matters not. They are the same. This influence is the word of the Lord.
One question I consider often is, “Am I close enough to Father to recognize His voice?” It is not enough to acknowledge that I once was if I no longer am. I want to stay close to Father at all times, just as a young child wants to cling to his or her mother. I want to hear his voice clearly enough to know what it is He wants me to hear. When I am close, I can more easily put words to the feelings and impressions that I feel. Understanding what the Lord wants us to know requires deliberate effort.
As an architect, I often compare what I do with the work of a tailor. A tailor has a specific job to fashion a piece of clothing for a very specific person. Thus a tailored fit is an exact fit. Similarly, I design buildings for people, very often communities. I feel that architecture should be the clothing of a community, and it should be a perfect fit. If we desire to receive answers to our prayers, it is our responsibility to not only feel an answer, but to dress it appropriately with words that are an accurate and correct representation of what we felt, lest we are deceived or miss a very significant part of the meaning.
When we have these experiences – when we feel the influence of the Holy Ghost and are uplifted, edified, and enlightened – we receive revelation. The information we may seek may be religious or secular. It may be large or small. Regardless of the nature, context, content, or weight of that knowledge, Father has promised to reveal the answers to our questions if we follow His pattern and direction.
Joseph Smith taught, “A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; (i.e.) those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass; and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus.”
Joseph Smith further taught: “The Holy Ghost is a revelator.” And, “No man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations.”
After an individual follows the example of the Savior and is baptized, the ordinance of confirmation is administered. It is here that the Gift of the Holy Ghost is bestowed to any and every person desiring to come unto Christ. At the end of that prayer is a directive to “receive the Holy Ghost.” It is not an absolute to be taken for granted, nor is it merely an invitation. It is a gift being offered with the obligation of the receiver to formally receive or take the gift. We accept Father’s gift when we take the Holy Spirit as our constant companion and guide. This privilege is not rescinded as long as we are willing. One hand reaches out to extend the offer, the other hand is required to reach out and accept. As both hands reach out, we draw near to Father and He draws near to us.
More and more I recognize the Lord’s hand in my life, especially when I am looking, asking, or seeking. I recognize what he is offering me. He speaks to each of us far more than we acknowledge or give credit. If there is a time when his voice is silent, I find that it is either because I am not listening, or he is waiting for me to stretch a little more, to reach toward him a little more. It is in those moments when I reach out in faith that the answers come.
Revelation is a reality. The realization of this privilege has everything to do with my continuous efforts to draw near to Father – to approach him in faith, looking for moments of revelation each day.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Previous to that occasion, I had been praying about a question for some time. It was a question that I already knew the answer to, or rather, I felt the answer but I didn’t quite know how to express it. My question was, “Why are the scriptures so important?”
As I sat on a bench in the amphitheater, listening to one of the assistants, I had a feeling or an impression. It was more like experiencing a meaning – something that wasn’t necessarily spoken but was understood. In my journal I wrote, “The feeling I had, as Heavenly Father put the answer in my head, was a great feeling. It was a sure feeling, confident, and exciting.” I began to write my thoughts until I had a few sentences down on paper. And then I marveled at what had just happened. Again I felt the Spirit confirming that what I had written down was an accurate and correct representation of what I felt.
Reflecting on the experience has given me a greater understanding of what Father was trying to teach me. He didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know, but I had new insight on how my knowledge fit together and how it could be applied. Knowing something and knowing what to do with it are two very different things. A person may have knowledge but still lack common sense or wisdom. For me, it was as though I had the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. I knew the pieces fit together somehow and that the full picture was worth figuring out. Once Father gave me an understanding of how the pieces fit together, I was able to assemble them in my mind and could then appreciate what had happened. More important than the information that I comprehended was the witness I gained that Father hears and answers prayers and that He does speak to His children. I learned what it meant to feel the voice of the Lord.
There is a beautiful key to receiving answers to prayer in Doctrine and Covenants 84:62-66. The Lord told Joseph Smith, “And again, verily I say unto you, my friends, I leave these sayings with you to ponder in your hearts, with this commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall call upon me while I am near—Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you; … Behold, that which you hear is as the voice of one crying in the wilderness—in the wilderness, because you cannot see him—my voice, because my voice is Spirit; my Spirit is truth; truth abideth and hath no end; and if it be in you it shall abound.
Our Father wants us to ask questions. He wants us to receive. Jesus promises that if we seek we will find. Because He does not lie, His promise is sure. If you truly seek, you will truly find. The process becomes clearer as we draw near to him.
It stands to reason that if you see a familiar friend in the distance whom you wish to talk to, you will approach them until you are close enough to converse. When you are yet at a distance, but within earshot, you may shout a greeting because you are glad to see your friend. However, this is usually not sufficient for a lengthy conversation. Instead it is easier to continue approaching your friend until you can talk openly and freely, face to face. It is hard to hear a whisper from a distance.
Learning to hear the Master’s voice is synonymous with learning to feel and recognize the Holy Spirit, or the influence of the Holy Spirit. Feeling His influence is the same as feeling the spirit, or the light of Christ that is given to everyone. Whether we describe His voice as spirit, or light, or truth, it matters not. They are the same. This influence is the word of the Lord.
One question I consider often is, “Am I close enough to Father to recognize His voice?” It is not enough to acknowledge that I once was if I no longer am. I want to stay close to Father at all times, just as a young child wants to cling to his or her mother. I want to hear his voice clearly enough to know what it is He wants me to hear. When I am close, I can more easily put words to the feelings and impressions that I feel. Understanding what the Lord wants us to know requires deliberate effort.
As an architect, I often compare what I do with the work of a tailor. A tailor has a specific job to fashion a piece of clothing for a very specific person. Thus a tailored fit is an exact fit. Similarly, I design buildings for people, very often communities. I feel that architecture should be the clothing of a community, and it should be a perfect fit. If we desire to receive answers to our prayers, it is our responsibility to not only feel an answer, but to dress it appropriately with words that are an accurate and correct representation of what we felt, lest we are deceived or miss a very significant part of the meaning.
When we have these experiences – when we feel the influence of the Holy Ghost and are uplifted, edified, and enlightened – we receive revelation. The information we may seek may be religious or secular. It may be large or small. Regardless of the nature, context, content, or weight of that knowledge, Father has promised to reveal the answers to our questions if we follow His pattern and direction.
Joseph Smith taught, “A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas, so that by noticing it, you may find it fulfilled the same day or soon; (i.e.) those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God, will come to pass; and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus.”
Joseph Smith further taught: “The Holy Ghost is a revelator.” And, “No man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations.”
After an individual follows the example of the Savior and is baptized, the ordinance of confirmation is administered. It is here that the Gift of the Holy Ghost is bestowed to any and every person desiring to come unto Christ. At the end of that prayer is a directive to “receive the Holy Ghost.” It is not an absolute to be taken for granted, nor is it merely an invitation. It is a gift being offered with the obligation of the receiver to formally receive or take the gift. We accept Father’s gift when we take the Holy Spirit as our constant companion and guide. This privilege is not rescinded as long as we are willing. One hand reaches out to extend the offer, the other hand is required to reach out and accept. As both hands reach out, we draw near to Father and He draws near to us.
More and more I recognize the Lord’s hand in my life, especially when I am looking, asking, or seeking. I recognize what he is offering me. He speaks to each of us far more than we acknowledge or give credit. If there is a time when his voice is silent, I find that it is either because I am not listening, or he is waiting for me to stretch a little more, to reach toward him a little more. It is in those moments when I reach out in faith that the answers come.
Revelation is a reality. The realization of this privilege has everything to do with my continuous efforts to draw near to Father – to approach him in faith, looking for moments of revelation each day.
http://saltypockets.blogspot.com/
Sunday, June 21, 2009
A Page out of Dad’s Book
Last Saturday I was fortunate enough to spend some time with my Dad, just the two of us. I had just returned from a funeral near my parent’s home. My Mom was working at the Temple, and my own family had gone to a picnic with some of my wife’s friends. As I stopped to see him, clouds were moving in and a rainstorm threatened outside. The setting was ideal for a good visit.
One significant similarity between my Dad and me is our fascination with discussing ideas. It might be philosophy, religion, or some theory that either of us has been mulling over for a while. I have noticed over the years that the specific topic matters little. The discussion, however, provides a forum for each of us to clarify and refine our ideas. Sometimes the exchange causes me to reconsider a notion or a hunch, and my ideas are better for it.
As we sat together, Dad showed me a draft of his newest book. Dad had ambitions of writing a book during the 30 years that he taught school. He waited patiently and finally realized his dream. I believe this is now the tenth book he has written in the past 12 years. I never considered writing a book, myself, until I watched him do it. He inspired me. I still haven’t written my book, but perhaps I will be able to return to it some day like he did.
Reading Dad’s manuscript yielded to me another observation – our writing styles are very similar. This really isn’t a surprise to me. One of the advantages of having a father who taught English and journalism is that I always had a tutor at home who would proof read my homework essays, provide suggestions, and even type up my papers when I was lazy. Over years of positive critique and correction, I became much like him. Again, I am better for it.
If I were to describe how much my Dad has influenced my life, I would have to write volumes of books. He has invested so much in me and has shaped who I have become. Perhaps, if I do get to write some day, his literary voice will sing out on every page because he is such a part of me.
I have been given a rich heritage. I consider how these and other gifts have been passed from father to son for many generations. My dad’s father was also a teacher. I never met my great-grandfather, but I have heard stories about him, enough to know that he taught my grandfather important lessons as well. So I wonder, “How many of the lessons I have been taught were original to my Dad, and how many are part of a common thread that has been shared time after time?” Both ideas are very appealing to me, so the answer matters less than the question.
Dad has also taught me about the Father of us all. I am reminded about my relationship with God, because I have watched, talked with, and shared with my Dad. He has guided and inspired me. I have become like my Dad because I love him and admire him. As my love for Father in Heaven increases, I become like Him, too. I have greater insight as I ponder the scripture in John 5:19, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” The power of example is strong. I believe the power of Love to be stronger.
A short while ago, as I was preparing to retire for the night, my oldest son came to talk with me. I could tell that he had been mulling something over for a while. I paused, we talked, and I was excited to see the conversation happening again.
Thanks, Dad.
One significant similarity between my Dad and me is our fascination with discussing ideas. It might be philosophy, religion, or some theory that either of us has been mulling over for a while. I have noticed over the years that the specific topic matters little. The discussion, however, provides a forum for each of us to clarify and refine our ideas. Sometimes the exchange causes me to reconsider a notion or a hunch, and my ideas are better for it.
As we sat together, Dad showed me a draft of his newest book. Dad had ambitions of writing a book during the 30 years that he taught school. He waited patiently and finally realized his dream. I believe this is now the tenth book he has written in the past 12 years. I never considered writing a book, myself, until I watched him do it. He inspired me. I still haven’t written my book, but perhaps I will be able to return to it some day like he did.
Reading Dad’s manuscript yielded to me another observation – our writing styles are very similar. This really isn’t a surprise to me. One of the advantages of having a father who taught English and journalism is that I always had a tutor at home who would proof read my homework essays, provide suggestions, and even type up my papers when I was lazy. Over years of positive critique and correction, I became much like him. Again, I am better for it.
If I were to describe how much my Dad has influenced my life, I would have to write volumes of books. He has invested so much in me and has shaped who I have become. Perhaps, if I do get to write some day, his literary voice will sing out on every page because he is such a part of me.
I have been given a rich heritage. I consider how these and other gifts have been passed from father to son for many generations. My dad’s father was also a teacher. I never met my great-grandfather, but I have heard stories about him, enough to know that he taught my grandfather important lessons as well. So I wonder, “How many of the lessons I have been taught were original to my Dad, and how many are part of a common thread that has been shared time after time?” Both ideas are very appealing to me, so the answer matters less than the question.
Dad has also taught me about the Father of us all. I am reminded about my relationship with God, because I have watched, talked with, and shared with my Dad. He has guided and inspired me. I have become like my Dad because I love him and admire him. As my love for Father in Heaven increases, I become like Him, too. I have greater insight as I ponder the scripture in John 5:19, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” The power of example is strong. I believe the power of Love to be stronger.
A short while ago, as I was preparing to retire for the night, my oldest son came to talk with me. I could tell that he had been mulling something over for a while. I paused, we talked, and I was excited to see the conversation happening again.
Thanks, Dad.
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