Another Illuminating Insight

After reading "The Peacegiver" by James L. Ferrell I began looking at my own life and where I had placed my own stumbling blocks to other's healing and happiness. My mind was quick to forget such ponderings as I realised that the afternoon was drawing to a close and yet again the lady requiring my freecycled moses basket had not come to collect it. It had been now 3 days since she first requested it.

I thought how I would let someone else have it if she was so unwilling to put the effort forward and pick up this FREE "gift", afterall how generous was I being in offering an almost new moses basket without asking for anything in return...other than it being picked up of course! My unkind thoughts soon turned as I started to see the parable held within this frustrating situation.

Let's swap around the roles here. I became the lady seemingly unwilling to pick up a gift that I had sought...on more than one occasion and more often than not with pleading on my part for it! I became unwilling, besides the pleading to "put the effort forward" and receive it into my life and letting it bless me as it would undoubtedly do. Yes you are right, that the Saviour is the one offering us the gifts we seek daily to help us...even if we don't go in prayer to him. The gifts are there, waiting for us. The scriptures tell us that "if we do as the Lord commands , he will immediately bless [us]." (Mosiah 2:24) Immediately!

It got me to thinking back to the lady I was waiting on, and what might have held up her arrival. Perhaps a family emergency, perhaps traffic on the roads, perhaps she wasn't actually coming at all. What things are holding me up? What things are preventing me reaching out and taking the gift that I have sought? Pride? Expectations? Self justification that I need not "do as the Lord commands" because I've done enough already? Anger and impatience that I should have help in this not have to go seeking for it? A lot of things perhaps, even right down to not seeking "from the good books" where that knowledge and gift may be found!

Then I thought on to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ's roles. How impatient I have been in waiting for this lady to pick up this "gift". Yet their impatience may only be a manifestation of their love and eagerness for my happiness. However many times I have sought these gifts without a pickup, they are still there waiting to be collected if I but put my trust, and my own "effort forward" into receiving it.

So then, how is this looking for other's happiness and healing? Well, simply, that I have a part to play in the happiness of my own family, for the friends in my life and for those whom I do not yet know. Sometimes things are sought from us whether verbally, in action or through an observation, that we need to act upon. Sometimes gifts cannot wait for the person to pick up themselves. Sometimes we have to put that "effort forward" to greatly bless those seeking, those who are "poor in spirit" as well as "poor in body". I know for my part I have wished so many times for someone to come in and ease my burdens for a while that I might have rest...literally...just until I am able to do so for myself. That help did come, many times, and still continue to come even though they may not be the way I originally thought they should.

But...eventually the moses basket was picked up. Turns out she got lost on the way...and don't we all? Thank goodness for our loving Heavenly Father and for the atoning sacrifice of his son, Jesus Christ! The beautiful, free gift given to us all...if only we would put our "effort forward" and accept it.

Today While Wrestling With My Printer...

...came to me a profound, yet simple spiritual message.

All morning I have been arguing with my printer to conform to my way of thinking...all I wanted was one simple document printed. Was that too much to ask of a machine that is designed for such a task? Every time I pressed print, the little window would come up saying that there was a communication error!

I tried to reboot my computer to see if that would open the communication pathway, but nope, still no discussion between the two. I tried to disconnect and reconnect every wire I could see, but still no joyous sound of printing. I'd all but given up.

I went over to the printer (as the last resort for my sanity to be saved), to check the wireless settings...and lo and behold the wireless radio had been switched off! I had to switch it back on before any communication could commence! Happy days, my document printed without any further hitch!

The spiritual message? Well, it hit me that sometimes I am like the uncommunicative printer. Heavenly Father is trying to send through spiritual messages to me, but I have my spiritual radio turned off and so they do not get through. He's trying so hard, but unlike me, He would never give up on me, never be frustrated, just lovingly patient in waiting for me to turn my radio on!