Push Against the Rock!

Christmas was interesting in our home this year. We all ended up catching the bug that was going around. Not a single gift was purchased until Christmas Eve day. It's amazing what you can get done under pressure. All the gifts were purchased quickly and the food as well after a trip to three different stores in a few short hours. I've learned, less is really more these days.

I have learned over the past few years to simplify my life. To be thankful for the little things and be surprised by the gifts life brings. I am so glad I have learned this well. We all need to embrace our trials and hardships and look at what we can learn from them and how we can become better people as we struggle. When you can do no more, Heavenly Father opens a widow and lets the sun warm our hearts again. He is always there for each of us, we just have to remember to include Him in our daily life.

Yesterday our son Ryan gave his farewell talk in church. He leaves next week for the Mission Training Center in Provo Utah and later to Everett Washington. He is so ready to serve the Lord. I am so pleased with the young man he has become. His inner strength is a testiment that each of us can press forward and accomplish anything with the Lords help.

Up until a few weeks ago he was terrified of leaving us and not seeing his brothers for four years. Their two year missions overlap and he is leaving as they are coming home. I was at a loss of how to help him overcome his fears until our missionaries calls home at Christmas. They had all the answers to calm his fears. Elder Otis in Russia simply told him that we give such a small part of our lives to the Lord full time when we serve missions. We will have all eternity together as a family. His brother in Los Angeles said much the same and now he's ready. So simple, but so important were the words of those who he trusted and could identify with.

I'm posting the following story that Ryan related during his farewell talk at the pulpit. I have no idea who wrote it but it's amazing. I hope you enjoy it too.

"Push against the Rock!"

A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with bright light and the Savior appeared. The Lord told the man He had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. This, the man did, day after day.

For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down with his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore, and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.

Seeing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, the Adversary decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the man's weary mind: "You've been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn't budged. Why kill yourself over this? You're never going to move it" -thus, giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man.

"Why kill myself over this?" he thought. "I'll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort and that'll be good enough." And that's just what he planned to do- until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord. "Lord" he said, "I've labored long and hard in Your service, putting all my strength to do that which You've asked. Yet, after all this time, I haven't even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What's wrong? Why am I failing?"

The Lord responded compassionately,

"My friend, when I asked you to serve Me- you accepted. I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength- which you've done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me- with your strength spent, thinking that you've failed. But is that really so?"
"Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscular. Your back sinew is mighty. Your hands are callused from the constant pressure;and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you've grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven't moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. This you've done. I, my friend, will now move the rock."
At times, when we hear from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants. What God ACTUALLY wants is just simple OBEDIENCE and FAITH IN HIM. By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it's still God who moves the mountains.

Ryan felt like he'd been pushing against the rock for a long time--not fully understanding why he was doing so. Now, through his faith in Heavenly Father and willingness to serve the Lord, he's willing to let God move the rock for him.It has been a blessing to watch him grow and struggle and triumph over adversity to become such a fine young man. Now, we give him over to the Lord for safe keeping for two full years and we do it with such joy!

Have a great day everyone!