Sunday Snippet

Thanks, all, for commenting with support and/or suggestions on last week's dilemma - I don't feel quite so overbearing and obnoxious as I did before. I'm afraid I did run a little roughshod yesterday over the conductor and the person whose job it apparently is to pick the songs - they had their heads together about 30 seconds before the meeting was supposed to start, choosing hymns, when I walked over and told them what we'd actually be singing. I felt badly about it (I still do), but I've now put together a list of hymns I'm willing to play without notice. I've also asked the ward clerk to get us a couple of copies of the Simplified Hymns so that there will be a few more songs to choose from (thank you, Michelle!). If the RS Pres says it's OK, I'll send the list and a much shorter, simpler version of the letter to all the teachers and music people.  Hopefully this will be an option that will work for everyone!

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Even with all that, church yesterday was really pretty awesome. It was a 'Missionary' Sacrament meeting, and all the recent converts spoke, along with a ward missionary and the sister missionaries. They were all fantastic, even the ones who've only been members a couple of months! The most recent convert, Oliver Bebb (remember that name, I wouldn't be surprised to see him as a GA someday) spoke on 'Faith' and wrote a wonderful analogy.

A man sitting in his car in a queue waiting for a train to pass notices a corner shop selling snacks. Knowing that he shouldn't leave his car in case traffic starts moving again, he gestures to a homeless man standing nearby. Waving him over, he asks the man if he will take some money, go into the shop, and bring him back a cup of soup. The homeless man agrees. He goes to the shop and does just what he was asked, returning with the soup and the change to the car. When he reaches out to hand over the items, the driver tells him to keep the soup for himself. Confused, not by the act of charity but by the way the man went about it, the homeless man asked, "Why did you make me go through all this? Why didn't you just give me the money so I could buy the soup myself?"

The driver smiled at him and said, "It was never about the soup. Today we have both tasted faith, a far more nourishing meal. I trusted you, I gave you money and you were not tempted, you had food and were not swayed. You did not break your word to me. Likewise, you felt the faith that I had in you. I placed this power in your hands and you knew that I trusted your judgement to do the right thing." The driver hugged the homeless man and drove away.

Oliver then went on to talk about how we have all tasted the sweetness of faith, but that it is not enough just to succeed and recognize the fruits of our labo(u)rs. We should also reflect on the journey itself, and ask: 'How did the experience affect me? Did it impact my character? Do I understand myself better?' God knows us, and He knows what we will do. Trials of faith are not for his benefit, but for ours. (Used with permission and paraphrased from a talk by Oliver Bebb.)

Pretty cool, eh?

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