Wait

 

I was sent this poem the other day from one of the Sisters I served with on my mission. As I read the poem I realized how many times in my life I had been the person described. It talks a lot about our personal relationship with Heavenly Father and the struggles that we as humans take on when we seemingly think that Heavenly Father has not heard our cries for help or even a plead for direction. The poem highlights the truths of the scripture found in the Book of Mormon in Mosiah 4:9 

"Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend." 

It helps us understand that the Lord has a plan for all of us and that it takes time and faith for us to come to the same understanding that God has. The scripture and the poem tells us to have faith and believe that anything we receive from God will be for our benefit and that we must trust in His timing and His wisdom. I definitely encourage everyone to read this and reflect upon their personal relationship with the Savior and how we react to the answers we receive to our prayers.

 

Wait
by Russell Kelfer

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate . . .
And the Master so gently said, "Wait."
"Wait? you say wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word.
"My future and all to which I relate
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me to wait?
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign.
"You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply."
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate,
As my Master replied again, "Wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting for what?"
He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine . . .
and He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.
"I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.
You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint.
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.
"You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence are all you can see.
"You'd never experience the fullness of love
When the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.
"The glow of my comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.
"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,
But, oh, the loss, if you missed what I'm doing in you.
"So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to truly know me.
And though oft My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still . . . Wait."

Identity

I've been reflecting recently on identity and what defines a person when I came upon this video in the Mormon messages for youth. It's true that all too often we compare ourselves to others that the world told us are the standard and the example of what our appearances should be. Even more so we compare ourselves daily with those people that are around us and with those whom we interact daily with. Have you ever thought "If only I could have her hair" or "I wish I was just a little bit taller". Maybe the comparisons are deeper than the skin. "If only I could be as smart as that person" "Why do they seem to have a better life than me?". It was through this video that President Dieter F Uchtdorf of the First Presidency was able to address this thought. He teaches us that we all have a divine potential and parallels our lives with the famous story "The Ugly Duckling". He then encourages us to stand tall and understand who we are and where we came from. We must realize that we are indeed "glorious sons and daughters of our mighty God" and take a look at our reflection and see us the way the Lord does.

Seeking Revelation

I had the privilege of watching the April General Conference this past weekend and was able to be inspired by the different talks that were given by the General Authorities of the church. One talk in particular that really got my attention was the address given by Elder David A Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
He spoke of how one can seek for and recognize guidance from the Holy Ghost. He tells us that if we constantly seek for a huge sign as an answer to our prayers that we might miss the bigger picture and miss the small still voice that the Holy Ghost normally answers us with. We learn that we must gain our knowledge and answers from God line upon line and precept upon precept. I invite all to take a look at this talk and learn for yourself how to recognize God's answers to prayers from a living Apostle of God.