We have had a good week this week. We have been working hard to help the people here in Santa Ana come closer to Christ, and it is always fulfilling.
The highlight of the week was the baptism of one of our part member family. It was the son of a less active brother that we've been working with. It was a wonderful day to see him baptized and confirmed.
I've also been doing my best to notice the little miracles in my life, and write them down. It is always a blessing to me. Just for a little example, there was one day this week when it felt like we were running in to barrier after barrier. Things were not working out like we expected, and I came home and ended up just sitting on my bed pondering. I was a little worn out and worn down by the day, and I was wondering why all these problems kept on cropping up when we were doing the best that we could to serve the Lord. As I was thinking about that, I decided to pull out my journal and write a little bit. So I started to write, but before I got very far into writing, I ended up just reading. I went back through some of my old entries from this, and past areas. As I read, I remembered all the wonderful things that God had done to help us in the past, and everything that he is currently doing to help us, and with all of that, I forgot the little trials that we were facing, and it was replaced with trust that the Lord would deliver us from all trials and afflictions.
Alma once in speaking to the apostate church at Zarahemla asked this question, " And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, you that belong to this church, have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell?" (Alma 5:6) It is a question that we could each ask ourselves. Have we remembered everything that God has done for us and for our forefathers? Or are we with the large group of people today who are quick to forget the goodness of God and ready to complain? And once we are able to say that we have remembered the goodness of God, we would do well to ask ourselves if we have made our spiritual experiences available to ourselves and our posterity for future reference The seemingly small experiences today will turn out to be the miracles in our life, if we only remember those experiences.
I really do have a testimony that the Lord does help us. He does have a very real role in our lives. But we need to make sure that we are always aware and grateful for all of the blessings that He gives us. When we give in to complaining about current situations, we blind ourselves to the miracles happening all around us. But as we choose to see through faith filled eyes, we will see never ending miracles, and we will become very aware of God's love for us.
So I would invite each of you to take time every day, but if not every day at least every week, to reflect on all the miracles, big and small, that God has been working in your life, and then write it down somewhere where it will not be lost, so that those experiences can be a source of strength to you in the rainy seasons of your life.
I love you all!
Elder Childs
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