tender mercies

A few years ago Elder Bednar spoke about the "tender mercies of the Lord" mentioned in 1 Nephi 1:20.  Every day there are tender mercies given to us from our Father in Heaven as a reminder that he loves us and is watching over us.  The closer to God we become, the more we recognize these tender mercies. 

I remember the first night I arrived in Tennessee. I had spent two and a half weeks in the M.T.C. and still felt completely unprepared to go out and share the gospel with strangers full-time.  I didn't know much about serving a mission, or about my new home.  I was the only sister at the mission home, therefore I got my own room and queen bed to sleep in that night.  I remember sitting on my bed that night and staring out the window into the backyard.  There were rolling green hills and trees as far as I could see, and it was raining.  Green hills, trees, and rain are three of my favorite things.  In the distance there was lightning; another one of my favorite things.  Heavenly Father knew I needed those green hills and lightning that night, and he provided those tender mercies for me.  I thanked him for those tender mercies.

That was almost a year ago, and every day since then I have recognized tender mercies the Lord has given me.  Here are a few as of late:

 Fireflies (Sister Koford loves them too)

 Gallatin Ward Picnic

 Singing the National Anthem at the Sounds baseball game and seeing Sister Larsen and Wendy!

 Serving with one of my favorite companions.. again!

Passing signs for my favorite American town! (I have yet to go there but I've seen signs!)

I know that God is aware of me.  He is so aware of each of us.  He knows our needs, our wants, our likes and our dislikes.  He wants us to be happy, and provides many opportunities for us to be so.  It is up to us to recognize those tender mercies he gives us.

What are some tender mercies God has given you lately?

storms

One of my favorite things about Tennessee is the rain. In Utah, when the weather calls for storms that usually means about 15 minutes of sprinkling rain every 4-5 hours; and even that only comes every few weeks or months. I did not even own a rain coat or an umbrella before I came to Tennessee! Here, a stormy weather forecast is a whole different story. Water pours down from the sky in a constant stream for days at a time, and it is usually accompanied by thunder and lightning. Making a mad dash from your car to the grocery store will leave you utterly drenched from head to toe. Every time we think it's about to cease, it starts right back up again! I absolutely love it.

Sometimes, however, it can be a little frightening. More than once I thought our car was going to flood because the puddles on the road were so deep. The worst place to be during these kinds of storms is our third story apartment. Often we are awaken in the middle of the night by the wind and rain beating against our windows (as you may remember me writing about here). The rooftop outside our window becomes a solid river of water, and the thunder will shake our entire building. It's exciting but terrifying at the same time.

During several of these storms, I have taught little children the primary song about the wide man and follish man Christ refers to in Matthew 7. "The rains came down and the floods came up; the rains came down and the floods came up" yet the wise man's house stood still because he was built upon a solid foundation. The foolish man who built upon a sandy foundation was not as fortunate.

What is our foundation built upon? Do we spend the majority of our time and effort worrying about money, clothes, furniture, music, movies, and the way we look? Or do we focus on the things that matter most, like our relationships with God, our families, and our friends? These are the things I am constantly asking myself to make sure my priorities are in line and my foundation is solid. I know that if my foundation is stable, these Tennessee storms (or the spiritual storms we face daily) cannot hurt me. Bring in on...I can handle it!
"Remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the guilf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." -Helaman 5:12

confession

I have a slight obsession with waterfalls. As missionaries, we have one day each week that is available to us for preparation and recreation. Lucky for me, there are so many cool places to explore around these parts. So what do I want to do every time this preparation day rolls around? Waterfalls! Each time I visit a new fall, I can't help but stare in wonder as the magnificently powerful rivers force their way through canyons and forests until they cascade over the towering boulders. Sometimes the river from which the fall descends is not even visible, because the water just seeps through the bedrock and emerges directly from the rocky face of the cliffs. No obstacle can stop the mighty waters from pressing forward. The power of it all amazes me.. and causes me to reflect upon my life.

Do I press forward when mighty obstacles stand in my way? Do I continue onward even when the path is not perfectly clear or certain? I like to think I do, but I know I am not always as persistant or determined as the mighty rivers God has created. Obstacles and trials are an unavoidable part of life, but I can't say that they never frustrate me. Sometimes I wish that the path would be more clear and simple. Sometimes I wish life was more easy.

But then I think of the life of the Savior, my perfect example, and the trials he faced every day of his life. His life was not easy, and it will not be easy for any disciple of His either. However, turning to Christ is what offers hope and allows us to continue on each day. As we press foward despite the obstacles in our paths and do our best to follow the Master, I know that God will lead us through those rocky paths to cascade triumphantly over the mountains ahead.

"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life." -2 Nephi 31:20

newness

There has been a lot of "newness" going on here lately. New springtime blossoms, new mission companions, new goodwill skirts (my favorite), and a new mindset for my future. Generally I do not do well with change. I tend to hold onto the past until it is down to the very last thread and I have nothing left to hold onto. This time, however, feels different. Its like I said in my last post, rejuvenating.

I cannot put my finger exactly on what makes this time different than my previous experiences with change, but I'm pretty sure that prayer, scripture study, and missionary work are the biggest factors. It brings to mind a few scriptures on the subject:

"..born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters. And thus they became new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God." -Mosiah 27:24-26

"..like Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newnewss of life" -Romans 6:4

"..that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." -Romans 7:6

And while we are speaking of new, here are a few pictures of my new companions and my favorite new members of the Burgess Falls ward at the Nashville temple for the first time.

Such an exciting day! Sometimes, change is a good thing. I think it is healthy to have some newness; new friends, new seasons, and a constant goal to become a new person in Christ.

rejuvenation

Springtime in Tennessee is incredible. It is so refreshing. These are some of the blossoms I see everyday here:

Japanese Magnolia

Forsythia

Bradford Pear

Eastern Redbud

"And as the living, verdant spring follows the dismal, deathlike winter, all nature proclaims the divinity of the risen Lord, that He was Creator, that He is the Savior of the world, that He is the very Son of God." -Spencer W. Kimball

good things to come

strength

I can do all things through Christ

which strengtheneth me

(Painting by Greg Olsen)

On Tuesday I was able to attend a mission-wide transfer meeting in Franklin, TN. Ten missionaries went home, fourteen new missionaries arrived, and the rest of us were all reassigned areas and companions within Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois. As I sat there observing the situation, particularly the new group of missionaries, I couldn't help but think back to the day I first arrived in Tennessee.

Nothing in my life could have fully prepared me for that experience. After a whirlwind of events from May through the beginning of July 2010, I found myself in a land 1500 miles from home, completely surrounded by strangers. I was living and spending all of my time with two young women I'd just met, and we spent the majority of our days walking around in 113 degree weather in skirts, talking to every stranger we met about our religious beliefs. It was a life so foreign from anything I'd ever known. I knew that I was where God wanted me to be, but I wasn't sure exactly why. I felt homesick, exhausted, and alone.

As time passed and I became better acquainted with the people and the area, I started to enjoy the work a bit more. But I still struggled. One day I met a lady who gave me a bookmark with the insignia: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" -Philippians 4:13. I read that scripture I had heard so many times before, and this time it stood out to me with much greater force. The one thing that I needed more desparately than ever before was strength.

A few weeks later I had a similar experience. Elder C. Scott Grow, an apostle of the Lord, came to visit our mission and asked if he could interview me. I was a bit nervous at first, but he quickly helped me feel comfortable. He asked me a little bit about my life before my mission: my family, my school, and my desires. He also asked me if there were any questions I had for him. For some reason the question that came out of my mouth was, "How do I stay mentally and spiritually strong when there is so much opposition all around me?"

He pondered my question for a minute or two, and then he reached for his Book of Mormon. The scripture he turned to was Mosiah 24:14-15, and he asked me to read it out loud. These few verses talk about the people of Alma, who were being enslaved and persecuted because of their beliefs. All these people could do was turn to the Lord in prayer, and this was the response they received, "I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions. And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord."

My eyes filled with tears as I recognized this inspired answer to my question. How do I stay strong when there is so much opposition? There really is only one answer to this question: turn to Christ for strength. Christ suffered everything that we go through so that he could strengthen us in our hard times. The Lord will not always take our burdens away, but he does promise us that he lighten our burdens. He will strengthen us if we turn to him.

As I have trusted in this these past several months, and prayed to my Father in Heaven fervently each day, the promise has been fulfilled. The Lord has strengthened me. He has turned my hardest days into my best days, and these strangers into some of my best friends. Christ has strengthened me, and I have found so much joy in sharing his beautiful gospel. I know that this promise is true not only for me, but for everyone who turns to Him.