The Future is Bright

The other day I was pondering on the fact that our loving God would let some of his children go through trials, even devastating trials at times. The hardest thing I have seen on my mission is when innocent, kind people are hurt. I realize, the unenviable pattern of life is that everyone on earth will have ups and downs. Just looking at life logically, it is impossible to have all our days be better than average. Some days will be fantastic and others will be heart-breaking. But if God is really there, and God really loves us, why?

In the Bible, 5th chapter of Mathew it says

          "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."

An instant parallel that opened up to my mind as I read that verse is like any Father and Child (or Mother and child) relationship. If the child always got what he wanted, if they are anything like me, life would consist of ice-cream for every meal, late nights, no homework, sleeping in, and simply living in the moment. That would be absolutely fantastic for the first day or two but it would slowly begin to become detrimental on the children. Likewise, more often than not, experiences teach us vital life lessons and skills. Our Father in Heaven allows these trials come upon us so that we might come out stronger.

I know what it is like to feel sad, inadequate, or discouraged. We all do. But as we look up to the future ahead and have faith, one day it will all be well. I love the quote from Thomas S. Monson at the top. "Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith."

Mother's Day

Many times on my mission my companion and I have been invited over to families homes for dinner. I love the opportunity we have to meet with all of these people. Not too long ago, we had the opportunity to go over to yet another families home.

We all sat together and talked as usual and enjoyed the evening. As missionaries, at the end of the dinner we usually share a brief spiritual message to show our gratitude to those who were kind enough to let us in. When we were sharing a message about prayer the mother just broke down in tears. Choking on her tears, she told us how her son (who was gone that night) hadn't talked to her all weekend and wouldn't eat. She was so worried about her son. You could see the distress and love in her eyes. We promised her that all would be well.

Fast forward to that night I did a lot of contemplating. I had never really come to see a mother's love in that light until that evening. What makes the bond between a mother and her child so deep? The divine love that mothers have is no doubt inspired.

By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed. -The Family a Proclamation to the World

It made me look back on my life and realize how much my mother has always loved me. My heart breaks to know that at one time or another, just like the mother we talked to, my mom probably shed a tear or two worrying about me. My mom has always been patient with my siblings for all my life. I am thankful that God has given me such a great family and the example that my parents have set for me!

Happy Mothers Day!
(AKA Missionaries get to talk to their family day)

The Man Behind the Cash Register

The story this week is an undeniable miracle that happened to my companion and I. Due to a few unexpected expenses, my companion has been a little tight on money this past month. Along with grocery money, he had set aside money for a camera at Walmart he has been looking at. We also had to make an unexpected trip to the bike shop to fix his bike. After going to the bike shop and finding out that repairs would cost $60, he knew he would have to dip into the camera fund and that he might not be able to get it.

Trying to salvage any good cheer at all, we decided to go to Five Guys (they are few and far between out here and one happened to be in Raleigh by the bike shop). Walking in I immediately caught the eye of the man behind the cash register. You see, it is easy to tell in one's eyes if they are familiar with missionaries and I definitely had that feeling. Sure enough, we went up to the counter he said, "Where are you from, Idaho or Utah?" I was slightly taken off guard because I really was from Idaho but we laughed and I said Idaho. He gave us the look that said "Ha! I knew it!" Anyway, we got our food and decided to sit outside because we felt for whatever reason we should (yes, outside in January, you can do that here in NC). We blessed the food with a prayer as usual and when I opened my eyes I caught the eyes of the man behind the cash register once again. I quickly looked away and we began eating our food. Not long after that, another man came up to us and told us how much he looks up to Mormon Missionaries. He said his name was Doc and thanked us for serving and taking time away from our families. As I shook his hand and over Doc's shoulder I once again caught the eyes of the man behind the cash register through the store window. Not a minute went by before the man came out from behind the counter and came to talk to us. His name was Bill. He told us that he, just like Doc, had a respect for missionaries but wasn't a member. He praised us for serving the Lord and told us about a time when the missionaries taught his family. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out two pieces of plastic. One was a $25 dollar gift card to a pizza place nearby and one was $25 dollars to Walmart, exactly where my companion wanted to buy his camera from. He said "I want you to have these." Shook our hands and left just as quickly and silently as Doc did. Without saying but a few words after he left we both bowed our heads and prayed a prayer of thanks to God. He now had just enough money to buy the camera he wanted from Walmart and pay for the bike repair. My companions prayer was answered by and angel disguised as the man behind the cash register.