Weeds and watering

Although we didn't know it when we bought our house, part of our yard was underneath the street. When our town decided to change our intersection, we got that part of our yard back. We were thrilled to find out that our yard was bigger than we thought, but the new part of the yard was, to say the least, not fertile ground. Because there were other projects being done in our community at the same time, we were able to get some free dirt to cover what had been a roadbed and to try to make it into a place where plants could grow. Along with the free dirt, we got a lot of free weeds! We built a wall on our property line, and inside the wall we've labored endlessly to keep the weeds down and gingers are now thriving there. Outside the wall, we dug out some of the weeds and over time a hardy grass that doesn't need care besides mowing has filled in. A few months ago we planted some decorative plants around the stop sign on our corner to discourage the neighbors from burning the stop sign on New Year's and the 4th of July by hanging firecracker strings on it. The plants haven't done all that well even though we've watered them fairly regularly, but what has thrived is those weeds. We hadn't seen much of them while they were having to rely on rainwater, but given regular watering, they've sprouted up again strong and hardy.

Life seems like that sometimes. You work pretty hard to get rid of a little character trait that you don't like, and you think you've done a decent job of it. But then circumstances change and you find that little trait flourishing again. That's why King Benjamin counseled that we must put off the natural man. We can't just cut off the weed or even pull out most of it. We have to get rid of all its roots and seeds as well. The constant care that it takes to keep my life free from weeds can be tiring and discouraging, but I don't have to do it alone. If I will let the Savior be the gardener of my soul, he'll help me weed out the bad, and he'll strengthen the good in me. He'll make me what he needs me to be if I will yield to his guiding hand.

For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yeilds to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father. Mosiah 3:19

This do in remembrance of me

On a recent Sunday I learned how softly the spirit speaks. It was during the sacrament. As I lifted the sacrament cup to my lips and swallowed that tiny sip of water, a feeling of sacredness settled on my heart. I sensed in a way that I never have before how profound this simple act of remembering the Savior and his suffering is. I often feel the promptings of the spirit as I contemplate during the sacrament. I learn what I need to do in the coming week to improve and grow. This time it was more subtle, barely an impression, an invitation to ponder and seek more meaning in an act that I've repeated nearly every week of my life, a call to remember him.


And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 1 Corinthians 11:24-15

Scatter Sunshine

In a world where sorrow
Ever will be known,
Where are found the needy
And the sad and lone,
How much joy and comfort
You can all bestow,
If you scatter sunshine
Everywhere you go.

Hymn text by Lanta Wilson Smith

My father passed away on August 4th, and I am sad. This morning this hymn came to my mind, and as I pondered its message, I heard a little voice say, "Hi!" I turned to see who had spoken and found that it was a toddler being pushed in a stroller by his mother. I said, "Hi," smiling, and he said some more toddler words to me. I then had a very pleasant conversation with his mom about how cute he was and how much he sounded like my grandson, and we both left smiling. Scattering sunshine can't help but make the sun shine on you!


Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. James 1:27

He knows my name

Once day when Dale and I were working together in the yard, I was pulling weeds out of some of our potted plants. I felt frustrated by how many there were--pretty much all the same kind--and by how they were everywhere. I said, "Oh, I wish we had never gotten this plant into our yard!" Dale, not realizing that I was talking about the weed, was kind of stunned, and said something to the effect that if I didn't like it we could get rid of it.

If only we could have just gotten rid of that weed! I still have to pull it out of the pots regularly to keep it from taking over. The other day as I once again tackled the weed, I remembered our conversation of the past and felt amused and a little sad. It's so easy to miscommunicate and misinterpret.

I am grateful that when I pray Heavenly Father hears my words and also knows the intent of my heart. He knows what I need before I even ask. He knows my name, and he listens.


And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. Exodus 33:17

Gifts

A few weeks ago, a very talented musician in our ward asked me to turn pages for her while she accompanied a song we were practicing in Relief Society. I felt a little nervous about doing it because I didn't want to turn the page too soon or too late and cause her a problem, but it turned out to be a wonderful experience for me. I had been practicing the piece because I was supposed to accompany it, but then found out that I was going to be gone on the week that the sisters were singing in Sacrament meeting. So I was aware of how much she was making things up as she went along. Everything sounded good, and most people wouldn't have realized that she wasn't playing the music exactly as written. I felt my esteem for this woman deepen as we sat on that piano bench together. But what was even more important was that I realized that although I don't have the gift that she has of being able to improvise at the keyboard, I do have gifts. My task is to learn to share them with as much confidence and generosity as she shares hers.

And all these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ; and they come unto every man severally, according as he will. Moroni 10:17

Iron rod or liahona

In the Book of Mormon, the iron rod represents the word of God. The liahona is a tool that the Book of Mormon people used to direct their travels in the wilderness. Through the liahona, God gave them instructions to help them along their way. Sometimes people compare and contrast these two images and use them as metaphors for the way that people interact with God today. Iron rods are people who like to go by the book, and liahonas are people who work by inspiration. But I see both of these methods as necessary in our effort to stay on the path in life that will lead us home to our Heavenly Father. The word of God as contained in the scriptures and as taught to us by our living prophet shows us the way and gives us a true direction. Inspiration that comes to us personally through the whisperings of the Holy Ghost nudges us back onto that true path when we start to go astray. I've created this blog to record some of my experiences and reflections about the power of both the word and the spirit in my life.