The coolest thing ever happened this week! We got to paint a freakin' airplane! At the Air Force Museum, we are doing restoration of planes and we were able to work on an R50-5 airplane. We were on the wings and everything, painting every inch of it. I'll say, that has got to be the coolest service I've ever done. And we get to keep doing it twice a week!!
I think us as Christians throw around the term "God's will" quite often. We are always talking about doing His will, seeking to know His will, or something not being His will, but how often do we really seek to do His will? I've been blown away by what I've learned and experienced this week as I learned what the Lord's will was for me and that it was really my choice whether or not I wanted to follow it, regardless of its difficulty.
Even though I still have a ways to go on my mission, questions about what I should do when I get back from my mission started popping into my head, and I realized I have some pretty major decisions to make pretty quickly, so I decided to turn to the Lord. I have had big decisions to make before and major questions that needed answering before (like where to go to college, whether or not to serve a mission), but almost always the answer was what I was expecting and often what I wanted in the first place. This was the first time I felt as if I was choosing between two good things and I truly needed guidance, not just confirmation. As I prayed, I was shocked to get an answer that was not only contrary to what I wanted, but what I thought was logical. But as I prayed more and studied the scriptures, time and time again I was shown that it indeed was what I needed to do. As I was reading in Mosiah 24, verses 12-16 seemed to have been written just for me: "[They] did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts. And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me...And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs... and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions. And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord. And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage." It talks about how even though they were righteous, sometimes the Lord wants to try our faith and patience, and I know this is one of those instances, but that I need to be like the people of Alma and gladly trust in the Lord and submit to His will, because therein lies true happiness. I'm sure you've already learned this lesson before, but it was an amazing one for me to learn, and I feel closer to the Lord because of it. I seek to do His will and overcome my weaknesses that keep me from doing so.
Thank you for sending the shoes and the ties! I really like them! They are pretty sweet! I think they should last me the rest of my mission (hopefully).
Wow! That sounds like quite the fun adventure! So it sounds like you are quite set on Southern Utah then eh? Well, if you do that, I may not be too far away in AZ (seeing as I will probably be there for the 5 years, at least--if I do a masters there). But that would be fun to have you close! I would enjoy being able to see you and dad frequently! That Sand Hollow Reservoir looks so pretty though! Wow.
Love you lots! Have the best week.
Love,
Your Elder Jackson
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