Week 90: Small and Simple things

Happy Fathers day to all you great fathers!!

This week was a pretty alright week, not too bad but we sure do need new investigators so we will work super hard this week to find some new ones. We will figure it out some how.  Anyways these last few weeks it has been raining a lot! But not like wow that's a lot of rain it’s more like why is my companion dumping buckets of water on me? I was thinking the other day as we where in a Com b (its sort of like a bus but they are crazier and they smash everyone in and they drive quickly to get to your destination it’s quite interesting) anyways we were in this com b and well it was raining really hard and I was thinking about a lot of things and we reached a part where the driver couldn't see out the front windows and the side windows were flowing with water. it was very interesting, then the driver did something not many com b drivers do- he slowed down. Well of course he needed to but I was thinking if he hadn't slowed down what would have happened? We might have been hydro sliding or maybe on the side of the road, who knows but I'm glad he slowed down!

It reminds me of many times as my family would drive in the snow down sardine canyon or anytime it would be snowing we would slow down. It reminds me of one night in the winter I had just gotten off of work and the snow was coming down as I was in a little putt putt car that didn't have much traction and all I wanted was to be warm because the heater didn't really heat up haha and I wanted to be home. The streets were really slick and well I was stopped at a red light and I said a prayer in my heart and said father all I want is to get home safely. The light turned green and I felt an unseen force wake me up and tell me son take it one light at a time. Sure I got home in an hour instead of a half hour of 20 minutes but I got home safe and that is what matters!  As I pulled into the garage I said a quick prayer thanking my father in heaven for helping me get home.  As I came in the door my dad was sitting in the chair in the family room and he got up gave me a dad size hug and told me he was glad I got home safely then he told me, son tomorrow is Sunday ill be at the church, but if you don't mind would you clear off the driveway there will be lots of snow in it tomorrow so that you and your mom can get to church safely I just smiled and said sure.

I learned three very important things: one my dad can always trust in me, two God answers prayers and three the works of God are taken one step at a time. He says "For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39) but to receive his glory we need to go one step at a time. We need to be focused on his glory to get to his glory. The prophet Alma told us "And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls”. (Alma 37:7) Its by small things in our lives that bring to pass the eternal purposes of our father in heaven. Just think something as easy as saying our prayers, it’s a small and simple thing but it brings an eternity of blessings. Just talking to our father in heaven down on our knees brings blessings that we would never have imagined. Forgetting one day may lead to 2 or 3 times till we forget to pray. And well we can’t afford that. Its in our scripture study forgetting one day we can say well we can read tomorrow till tomorrow is up and well it leads to all of summer vacation and well we forget where we were and well we start again. Its a small thing but an element in our lives that's small and lasting.

The lord asks us to do these small things I talked about once last week about Emanuel. Its the Small things that matter. In our lives as we walk we will have a spiritual storm as I mentioned before and a stumbling block as well but the truth is the devil will find our weaknesses and he knows how to find them really well but we cant let the Small things turn into a really big things because they will. My mom always has told me how there is so much to do its amazing I have time to do it all. When we get that way in our spiritual lives we just need to do what the com b driver did and what I did- we need to slow down and take it one step at a time. We need to say a prayer and then continue forward. We need to pray and say father all I need to do is get home or read or anything. He will hear us and we will be blessed. Our spiritual roads will be slick and our little putt putt cars will need more heating and more traction but if we follow the spirit and trust in the lord he will do the rest. Slow and steady always won the race. "And out of small things proceedeth that which is great." (Doctrine and Covenants 64:33) now "behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors." (Alma 34:32) we aren't going to make it in one soccer game it will be like the world cup one game at a time. One trial at a time it just depends on us if we want to win we will do our best but if we don't then well start wanting to win and let god do the rest. By small and simple things the lord will give us the great and grand prize, which is immortality and eternal life. From small beginnings great things come to pass, Joseph Smith did something very small and simple he said a prayer and he received and answer and trough Joseph smith the lord established his Church once again. A small thing that has had a huge blessing. the church is true let us do the small things to bring us towards god and not let the pebbles in our roads to heaven make us trip. You can ask my companion Elder Reyes a pebble tripped him this week. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Romans 1:16) I love this work!!

Hope everyone has had a great week hope you all have a wonderful week ahead, and well happy fathers day to all the wonderful fathers especially my hero father! Thanks dad for everything! Love you all!!

Elder Jaymes Monson