Week 93- The land of conducting and 20+ minute talks
Aloha 皆さん、
Brahhhhh this week was stressful. One of the various responsibilities I received as first counselor is to conduct sacrament meetings. Which is something I never thought I'd have to do, much less in Japanese. It would have been fine but I also had the “opportunity” to give a talk. I usually don't mind giving talks but since I'm on the branch presidency I get the lovely “opportunity” to be the last speaker. And in Miyako there's only 2 speakers. And the sacrament portion only takes 15 minutes. Which leaves 45 minutes for talks and closing hymns. So I got to fill up the remaining time. But regardless, everytime I get the opportunity to give a talk it gives me some actual time where I have to sit down and reflect on the topic I'm talking about.
As I reflected, one of the things I thought about was trusting In God's timing and the love of Jesus Christ. In a lot of points in my life and my time as a missionary my lack of trust in God's timing and overall mindset of the situation prevented me from finding joy even in the hard times. Life can sometimes feel extremely unfair. I can remember times where I've sat in anger wondering “why?”. Whether that be “why me?” Or “why not me”. Whenever seemingly unfair and horrible things happen to me I was never strong enough to focus on bettering myself, or wiping off the dirt and putting in effort to try and overcome the situation. Or even simply pray to Heavenly Father for the comfort and help that I may have needed. Instead I'd sit there and whine and complain like a child.
In a BYU devotional Kalani Sitake talked about the beauty of God's plan and his similar experiences
He talks about how his NFL dream had quickly died before it even started. He had done his due diligence and worked hard. Was able to get on an NFL team but on the first day of practice due to a preexisting injury his dream of professional football would have to end. After at his hotel he was furious.
“As reality set in, I started to speak out loud to God. I was angry with Him. I said things like, “Are you kidding me?”, “What just happened?”, “When I said, ‘I trust you’ and ‘whatever is best for me, let it happen,’ this is not what I meant!”’
“It was one of the most frustrating moments of my life. I felt lonely, abandoned, and distraught. I was broken—again.
Then all of a sudden, I felt this warmth that was very familiar. It was the same feeling I’d had as a nine year-old-boy getting hugged by my favorite football player, but this time it felt like a hug from the Savior and His angels, saying, “Everything is going to be fine. I love you and God loves you.” I was healed immediately—not physically, but spiritually and mentally. My anger quickly went away, and my goal now was to find God’s plan for me. Because if playing football in the NFL wasn’t it, then there must be something better.”
Still accepting that fact is hard to just do. In times like those I find it easier to remember that even though it may feel like no one can understand and you can feel alone to remember that Jesus Christ knows and has experienced all the pain and suffering of the entire world.
Recently I read a BYU devotional that talked about it.
In the devotional it talks about my favorite scripture since I've been out on my mission. 1 Nephi 11:16-17
16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?
17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.
In the devotional it talks more about the word condescension:
“Condescension means to descend voluntarily from a higher rank or dignity to a lower level or status. The great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the premortal Jesus Christ, voluntarily condescended to leave His divine throne above to live in a mortal state on the very earth that, under the direction of the Father, He had created, for “all things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”’
He descended down from heaven to earth knowing the pain and suffering that he would go through. The sacrifices that he would have to make.
“In this state of condescension, Jesus of Nazareth experiences hunger and deprivation, fatigue and pain, persecution and rejection. In Isaiah’s words, He is “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.”’
It will always be hard and feel super unfair at times. But remembering that Heavenly Father has a plan for us and will come in his own time and that no matter what we go through that Jesus Christ is with us and suffered for us.
Kay Das all nothing much happens over here on da island so till next time den.
Shoots!
愛してるぜ~
エリス長老
TheRisingSon
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