Had exchanges with my zone leaders. Got some good juggling tips. We visited ine of their friends who has been being taught since before I got to Fremont 17 months ago, Eddie Loza. I told him straight up it's time to get baptized buddy. We set a goal for it to happen before I come back to visit.
Every day this week I have said bye to a special family or friend. During the last 17 months I have come to love many many of the members. It's gonna be really hard to leave them. But I already know I'll be back.
On Monday we found ourselves in Gilroy and I remembered the aslders had a friend down there. Gilroy is super far south and there are just a few friends there. So we asked them if they could send us her info and we'd go try and teach her! It all worked out and I met Natalie! She was so sweet! We invited her to be baptized and she said ya! So that was actually epic. Turns out I'm still a legend with ASL.
On Sunday I got to share my testimony in the central Park Ward one last time. Prior to the bearing of testimonies, Brother Jarman from the bishopric had said “please keep it to 2 minutes”
And miraculously, somebody's phone alarm went off while i was testifying and so i was like.”oh, is my 2 minutes up?” It was amazing.
This week a member, sister carr, helped me realize what “my cup runneth over” in the 23rd psalm may actually mean by the way she talked about her trials.
“5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.”
We anoint peoples heads with oil to give them blessings- we give people blessings when they are struggling. That's the first part.
Note that in the Old Testament Samuel and Elijah announced men to become kings.
Levies were anointed to work in the tabernacle. So it didn't always mean what it meant today. However, the “cup” is also important. So far there are 3 significant cups I can think of.
Joseph of Egypts cup that he tested his brothers with in Genesis 44
The cup that Nehemia used as the king's cup-bearer before becoming a prophet in Nehemiah 1
And most importantly…the bitter cup.
“Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” Luke 22:42
This was the cup of all pain, misery, sadness, despair- everything bad about life.
When you read other psalms and recognize this is David writing it makes sense this could be David's bitter cup. During the first half of his life, the king who was also his best friend's father was trying to kill kill him nonstop, he faced the stresses and trials of becoming a king, was always involved in a war of some kind for the promised land, after being one of the most righteous men ever- he fell and nearly destroyed his soul by murdering and breaking the sacred law of chastity, his son, Absalom passionately hated him died trying to kill him.
That's a pretty bitter cup.
It is also notable that the pslam immediately before is all about the final moments of the savior's life, including THE bitter cup.
The whole message behind the 23rd psalm is “The lord is my Shepherd” He leads me! He helps me repent! He comforts me! He takes care of me! Because of Him I can have peace and joy! My connection with Him makes everything ok!
so I makes sense
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies
Jesus, you have a plan, you have a feast ready for me even though I am surrounded by trials and difficulties and temptation
Thou anointest my head with oil [because/despite] my cup runneth over
You are blessing me/ calling me to do some great work even though my life is full of (overflowing with) trials and mistakes.
Idk
Those are my thoughts. Maybe David is looking down like “cool thought but no, that's wrong” or maybe he's thinking I finally got it right. Idk
Lemme know