Elder Holladay’s migraines have been taking a toll on both of us. Probably Him more than I lol. We were home a lot this week so I was able to get lots of studies in. Being home and basically alone is not easy as a missionary. All I’ll say is as missionaries we tend to be at the top of Satan’s hit list and I was in a vulnerable position. Lucky for me, I’m strong.
We took Sana and her family to the Oakland temple and watched all their cool visitor center videos. Everybody was either crying or about to cry. After teaching about eternal families and showing them pictures of the sealing room they all set a goal to be sealed as a forever family in the House of the Lord. That was one of the most powerful special things I have ever seen. The spirit was so strong that whole evening. Every time I have been upset or annoyed since that evening I have caught myself and thought “We got Sana and her family to the temple- that's more important than whatever is bothering me right now” and it has worked every time.
And….that was really kind of it. But that's ok because the experience with Sana and her family was worth the whole week.
I made a roux for some cheese sauce. We had no milk but I had already started- panicked, I texted Meta AI and asked if there were any substitutes for milk in a roux cheese sauce. She said “chicken broth.” I didn't have time to boil some cubes or powder so I grabbed a can of chicken noodle soup and strained it and just used the broth. It worked. I mixed it in with some spaghetti noodles and had spaghetti and cheesy sauce. It was amazing!
This week I read from the end of Judges all the way to the end of 1 Samuel. Very very good. I think one thing that stood out to me was the part where the Philistines steal the Ark of the Covenant (1 Samuel 4). Usually God just kinda makes it so that the Israellites win—except for when they are wicked. This was a point where they were wicked- so in the first battle they lost pretty badly and everybody was upset that God didn’t make them win. Somebody had a “wise” idea to bring the ark out to war with them because a long time ago Joshua brought the ark to some wars so they thought it was going to work for them again. It didn’t. If God was gonna win the war for them he would have done it the first time. The fact was that he wasn’t with them because they were wicked. So they brought it out and they lost pretty badly again and the Philistines grabbed the Ark of the covenant and brought it home and set it at the feet of their giant pretend god. (eventually they all got the bubonic plague and everybody was either dying or screaming in pain so they return the Ark along with 5 golden rats and 5 golden “emerods”[also some Israelites look at the ark with lust and so they all die])
Then some guy from the tribe of Benjamin rips his clothes up and puts some dirt on his head and runs around and tells everybody that the ark is gone. When Eli (the old priest who basically adopted Samuel) found out that the ark was stolen he freaks out and falls backwards out of his chair and breaks his neck and dies. Everybody was freaking out soooo bad and they all thought all was lost.
I tried to put myself in their situation- like if somebody bombed a bunch of temples or something like that how would I respond? Of course temples being bombed is different than the ark being stolen- but- I know that God is in control. Especially with the things that are His- like the Ark. So, I would've been ok. I would probably be a little sad- but I’m not going to assume that means God is angry at us or that he’s not real.
I was telling Elder Holladay about this and he helped me catch a way better lesson. I hope a lot of people feel the same way- like “oh ya-my faith is 100% set. Not even the ark being stolen would shake me.” Elder Holladay was saying “How are we ever going to be ok when something as drastic as an Ark being stolen- when we get upset at something a family member says at dinner? Or get offended by something someone does? Or get annoyed at somebody’s opinion?”
That struck me pretty hard. I think often we really want to believe we are willing to give 100%. . but we’re not ready to even for the 2%’s of discipleship and life like being a peacemaker, reading the Book of Mormon, showering every day, drinking enough water, waking up on time, saving money, keeping our thoughts pure, doing family history.. . . . .
How are we ever going to be able to give 100%? Give our lives? If we cannot do these little things I choose to call “2%’s”?
There's something to consider as we start a new year.
Love ya!
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