A Very Short Parable

Once there was a woman making a quilt. After hours of work she realized that it is the tangled thread, knots and misplaced stitches that make quilting take such a long time.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is heaven. Matthew 7:21 and 3 Nephi 14:21

My two-year-old grandson has learned the mighty word no. With his sweet little "No Daddy," he would choose not to have his diaper changed or get dressed in the morning or put away his toys. Sometimes he's very sure of his two-year-old view of the world. "This is a called a donkey." "No Mommy, it's an animal."

Today I decided that I am a spiritual two-year-old. I don't exactly say no to Heavenly Father, but I don't always listen very well, either. I'm sure I miss opportunities to do good because I trust my own timetable instead of quickly heeding the promptings of the spirit. And I know I sometimes cling to my own ideas thus robbing myself of the chance to grow and learn.

I will not forget thee

Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the fruit of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

Behold, I have graven thee on the palms of my hands... Isaiah 49:15-16 and 1 Nephi 21:15:16

I heard this scripture this morning and thought of the Savior's wounded hands.

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