A Boy Who Brought Me Plums

I found myself up well past midnight, two hours since everyone else had gone to bed.   While they had been off dreaming, I had spent the last two hours grading lab reports, dozens of identical reports on obnoxiously blue paper, scattered data and conclusions which simultaneously display the students meager knowledge and, usually, even smaller interest in physics.  Hungry and tired, I started digging around my shelves for something quick and easy to eat before getting ready for bed.  My hand rested upon a plum, the last of three that I had received a week before.  I rinsed it off and bit in.  The plum was perfect, it's flesh was soft and sweet, yet it's skin was still tight enough to hold the fruit together, preventing the juices from running down my arms while I ate it.  Enjoying my late night snack, I reflected back on the day I received the plums...

It was just a week before.  I had been sitting at the kitchen table, working on homework, when there was a knock on the door.  I shouted, "Come In!" and a young man entered, grinning with excitement, one hand held behind his back.

"I have a surprise for you," he said.  The joy I saw in his eyes made me wonder if it was possible to make him any happier.  I held out my hands to receive my gift and was surprised when he revealed a bag of plums.  It was still spring, so I hadn't seen fresh plums for several months.  His grin grew wider, probably in response to the look of shock I'm sure spread across my face. "I saw them at the store, and remembered that they were your favorite, so..." he shrugged and gestured to the plums in my hand.  I got up, grabbed a knife, and we shared the first of my three plums.

A week later, finishing off the last of my gift, I wondered if all his joy and excitement from that night was simply in anticipation of making me happy.  And sitting alone on the kitchen counter eating fruit I felt loved, all because of a boy who brought me plums.

3 for 14- #14 Make a Cake from Scratch

Once again, this is getting posted long after it originally occurred.  Fortunately, I'm only 2 weeks late in my updates instead of 4 weeks late.  2 weeks ago, precisely, I made a cake from scratch.  My friends and I decided to make a spice cake.  For a first attempt at making a spice cake from scratch, it was quite delicious.  We only made one mistake in the process of making our cake... we accidentally doubled the recipe for the frosting.  It's been two weeks and I'm pretty sure we still have frosting in our fridge.

So, why did I pick precisely two weeks ago to make a cake?  I felt like celebrating May 16th, which is the same day I returned to America from the Philippines, two years ago.  And still, two years after ending my mission, two years after coming home, I still see daily the influence my time in the Philippines has had on my life.  For example, I still think in Hiligaynon and I still feel cold inside of buildings that have air conditioning.  But on a more serious note, each day is made fuller, richer, and happier by the knowledge of God's love for me and the testimony of His restored gospel, both of which were strengthened by those months spent in the Philippines helping others find this same knowledge.

2 for 14- #13 Climb a Tree!

Okay, so I probably did this, like, 4 weeks ago, but I've been too busy having crazy adventures with my roommates to get around to writing about it.  So- here it is! I have climbed a tree.  As a little kid, I recall climbing into the sort of tree that practically grows horizontally so you really just walk into it, but I had never truly climbed up into a normal tree; you know, the sort of tree that would require climbing.

So, back to 4 weeks ago, I was sitting at the kitchen table, studying for finals.  I had been studying for several hours and was starting to feel burnt out.  I still had my two hardest finals ahead of me.  My study buddy had finished reviewing the material for a final he anticipated being fairly simple and straight forward.  The idea of continuing to study by myself seemed dismal.  We both put away our study material and headed out to find a tree to climb; it seemed like a great alternative to studying.  We headed out to a nearby park, found a tree, got ourselves up into it, and sat there for another hour or so talking.  It's a wonderful way to waste time when you should be studying. I think I shall do it again.

Poetry Slam

I went to a church activity tonight and discovered it was a poetry slam.   Everyone was given a random topic and in a strange coincidence, I received "space" as my topic.  We had three minutes to write a poem.  This is what I came up with, not bad for three minutes.

Some see a void,

an endless emptiness.

Behold only the dark,

the cold, 

the unknown.

I see a space full,

countless wonders,

burning fires,

each known and named

by He who made them.

As unforgettable as we are. 

Friday Nights

A text conversation finalizing plans for Friday night. This actually isn't that rare of an occurrence. (note: code names have been changed to protect the secret identity of involved individuals). I love my friends.

R: Lion acquired!
O: Roger that, Operation Lion is a go. I repeat: Operation Lion is go.
R: I copy that Roger. Commencing Operation Lion!
O: What other tasks need to be completed for Operation Lion to continue?
R: I am not sure about other tasks but I think code names are a must for things to move forward in a meaningful way.
O: Well, a meal should be acquired. B (let us call her Cinderella) has already accomplished this task. She's on top of things. You shall be called Rogue.
R: Alright, way to go Cinderella! What is your code name?
O: Come on Rogue, I can't do all the work here!
R: Okay, we will call you Omega.
O: That will be adequate!
R: You could be Mahogany if you like it better.
O: Either will do, which ever will be easier for you to recall when in a high-stress situation.  I still have not found a solution for the first task.
R: The first task?
O: Acquisition of food... I suppose it is more accurately the second task since the first was the lion. Cinderella and I estimate that Operation Lion can officially start around 9.
R: Sounds good.

At 9:
R: Rogue to Omega. Requesting status of Operation Lion.
O: Cinderella has not yet returned. Operation Lion temporarily postponed.
R: Copy.

A few minutes later:
O: Cinderella has returned. Operation Lion ready to commence. Awaiting your arrival, Rogue.  And don't forget to bring the lion.

It should be noted that Rogue arrived promptly to the designated location, which was then securely locked with windows covered to prevent possible witnesses and "the lion" was delivered.

...and then we watched Secondhand Lions.

The Mirror

I recently had an unusual experience, one that I never expected to have.  I believe this experience to be a gift from God, a blessing to help me better understand how He sees me and hopefully change the way I see myself. 

A few nights ago, as I was preparing for bed, toothbrush and toothpaste in hand, I glanced up and looked in the mirror.  The face that looked back at me was hardly recognizable.  It's complexion was pale, smooth and even with only a slight trace of childhood freckles and completely void of teenage acne scars.  I found myself staring into blue-grey eyes which were calm and peaceful.  The face was framed by smooth, dark hair, just the right shade to offset its pale skin.  Astounded by the beauty of the face that looked back at me, I just stood there, toothbrush and toothpaste in hand.

I continued to stare until I could again see the scar on my nose.  Faded freckles turned into dirt-like smudges and my cheeks and forehead revealed their patchy red-and-pink-and-white nature.  The dark circles under my eyes slowly returned and the calm, blue-grey color began to betray signs stress and fear.  Closer inspection showed the frizzy nature of my hair, uncontrolled fly-a-ways giving me a look of recent electrocution.  Finally seeing myself the way I was accustomed to, I turned away from the mirror and resumed brushing my teeth.

When I look at myself, I see the imperfections.  I see my flaws and shortcomings.  In that moment, probably no longer than a minute, I was blessed with the chance to see myself without my physical flaws.  I have been pondering on that minute since then, trying to understand why I was given this opportunity.  There was something more to learn from this experience than just seeing a pretty, flawless version of myself.  

When I think about myself in a mental, emotional, or spiritual sense, I see the imperfections.  Much like my physical appearance, I tend to notice the imperfections more than I notice anything else.  Some of these flaws are current problems, but most are just scars, remnants of old problems and pain that is still fading.  Christ has promised us that, through his atonement, we can be healed and our sins are forgotten.  I might still see the scars, but in that moment, staring into the mirror, I was able to see myself without them.  I was granted an opportunity to physically see myself the way that He sees me so that I might better understand how He sees me spiritually.  As promised, He has forgotten my sins and healed my scars, so He no longer sees them.  In His eyes, I am beautiful.

The Ugly Duckling

A few weeks ago, someone shared the story of the ugly duckling in a talk at church.  Some of what was said has been rolling around my head and I thought I'd share.

The story of the Ugly Ducking is fairly familiar.  A nest full of ducklings hatches, and much to the surprise of the mother, one of them is bigger and uglier than all the others.  He is teased and taunted and finally leaves the flock.  After spending the winter alone and cold, he notices swans flying up above and decides to fly with them.  They all land on a lake and the ugly duckling looks down and discovers his own reflection, which reveals to him that he is also a swan.  That's the gist of it at least- read the whole thing if you're unfamiliar with the story.

If I'm remembering correctly, the speaker in church used this to relate to our need to have courage, to realize that we are more than just an ugly duckling.  I think he mentioned several times that we should remember we are swan-lings.  That's what was said.  Here's what I heard...

We all have those difficult moments, sometimes it is caused by our internal conflicts, other times it is caused by what people say.  The point is, we all have those moments where we feel ugly, insignificant, and unimportant.  In those moments, we can step back and remind ourselves that we are not ducks.  Yes, it is true that we start off little and adorable.  We grow up and go through that phase where we are incurably awkward and feel like we are waddling about making stupid noises whenever we hope to be graceful and elegant.  But still, we are not ducks. We were never meant to be ducks.

You are a child of God.  You are filled with divinity, and only struggle to see it because you are still young, like a "swan-ling."  But someday, you shall return to God's presence.  He will embrace you as your father, who has long awaited your return.  In his arms, your feelings of doubt, self-consciousness, and insecurity will disappear.  You will look up and discover your reflection in his eyes.  It will reveal to you that you are glorious, it will reveal that you are incredible, and you will realize that you are seeing yourself as He has always seen you.  You were never meant to be a duck.