Consider the Lilies

Time to take a short break from studying and share a bit about why today was a better day.

To start with a scripture passage Matthew 6:28-34
       And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Take therfore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Now- what does this passage have to do with anything? For starters, it is one of my favorites.  These verses are a simple reminder that God will take care of us as we trust in him.  These verses though have recently developed an even deeper meaning to me.  To those who know me well, I teach at the MTC.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is well known for the missionaries sent throughout the world.  The MTC- or Missionary Training Center- is where they go for a brief training before being sent everywhere.  I get to work with these young men and women and prepare them for that work.  Many of these missionaries keep in touch with me after they leave by adding me to a list of recipients who receive weekly journal-like emails.  I'd like to share an experience relating to this scripture verse from Elder Butler, who has been serving in the Philippines for approximately 2 months.  He also read these verses and shared the following:

I initially thought about the people here and how for many of them, if they don't work on Sunday, then they don't eat on Sunday, and as missionaries we are asking them to keep all of Gods commandments including keeping the Sabbath day holy, and for me I would sometimes hesitate within myself, because I know these peoples situation and I know what it means for them to not work on Sunday and attend church. But it is a promise of the Lord, and the Lord knows that we need physical things as well as spiritual things, and if we put our priorities in the right place and show our faith the Lord he will make sure that we are taken care of. He takes care of the birds and clothes the lilies of the field in raiment that is more impressive than Solomon's temple, and he can also provide rice for a family if they make the decision to keep His commandments and keep His Sabbath day holy.

But in addition to this, as if to drive the point home, later that day as we were out teaching our less actives and investigators it was a very hot day and I didn't have any more water on me and I was very very thirsty, and sweating a lot, and of course I can't drink the water from the houses of the people or else I'll get sick. And there is no way we could return to our apartment to get water without wasting a lot of time, so we continue on with our teaching. But just as I was about to get to the point where I would need to get water from some place or else I might have some problems, it starts raining. And at first this was almost a mocking gesture to me, but then as we arrived at our investigators house I noticed how the water was running off my umbrella in a small stream. So I asked them for a cup, and with a few weird looks from them I took the cup and filled it up twice with the water running off my umbrella and drank. And as soon as I wasn't thirsty anymore it stopped raining and became clear and hot once more.

Now this may have been a small thing, and maybe you could call it a happy coincidence, but to me it just reminded me of what I had studied earlier. I was in need, and the Lord provided a way. And if He can do that for me when I'm thirsty, He can do the same for these people when they are hungry. And as a result I have no more fear in asking these people to keep the commandments of the Lord, because I know that when he makes a promise he makes good on it.

After reading his experience, my conviction of the above passage didn't change, but I gained a deeper understanding of it's truth.  God really will provide all that we need.  As I continue to trust in Him and do my best, everything will be alright.  If I work my hardest and remain obedient and still don't get an A in every class, it does not mean I've failed.  I merely didn't need it (as much as I might think I do) because the Lord will provide all that we need.

Day 2

Step two of Becoming Better:
In an effort to be more fit- I went to swim class despite really not wanting to do it.  That's all.

I've also decided to take better care of my teeth by actually using the Listerine that has been sitting on my bathroom shelf since I moved in.  I had forgotten how much that stuff burns.   It also happens to be whitening Listerine, so I've taken a "before" picture. When I finish off the bottle I'll take an "after" picture so we can see if the additional cost of whitening Listerine is worth it.  Should be exciting!

Finally, today was an opportunity to learn the importance of loving others as God loves them.  Two women from my ward (local unit) at church shared a message with me of the little ways that we can strengthen each other in our faith.  One of the most important ways is to love them.  Everyone has moments when they feel alone or out of place.  New people always move in and out of my apartment complex and they probably feel a little like an out-cast for the first few days.  But they, just like you and I, are children of God.  His is a family to which we all belong.  No one is out of place.

Becoming Better

I've been analyzing my life the past few weeks and have concluded that I'm doing a pretty decent job.  I've maintained healthy habits, an effective study schedule, a somewhat-effective sleep schedule, and I'm trying hard to be a better friend.  Yet I've decided that I can become better.  There are little simple things I can do to improve life even more.  I can cut down sugar intake, increase exercise, turn my thoughts more toward Christ, and strive to love people around me even more.  I can do better, so I will.  I hereby recommit myself to live a better life.  I don't plan on jumping into this and change completely who I am today, that feels a little unreasonable. Instead, I plan on changing just one thing a day, or even one thing a week.   I would like to invite you along on this journey with me......

I feel like I am using the word I too often.  Admittedly, this is a very introspective blog, so the word I is somewhat required, especially since this is a pledge to change my life.  Yet the intent is not to focus on me.  I want to be a better person in order to be closer to God and better able to serve him.  Though I seem to be doing well compared to the standard college student, am I doing well enough to maintain my ability to serve God throughout my life?  My intent is to tell you of my journey to become better and the effect it has on life.  Maybe this will inspire you to see something you can do better, maybe you will just learn a new recipe as I share healthy (but student-affordable) recipes that I discover in my journey.  

This week- I decided to become a little healthier by switching from 2% milk to 1% milk.  This change was slightly forced upon me because the store was out of 2% milk when I went shopping last night. Unfortunately, the difference in taste is really distinct, but hopefully it will become more enjoyable.  Let's see how this goes.

Please join me in Becoming Better