So I'm a bit pathetic...

We spent all of Thursday afternoon in a car hospital and then had to desperately call around for a ride because they decided not to give us our car until the next morning. Doing adult-ish things is not fun. We have to take our car up to the dealership tomorrow, and we will probably spend the rest of our lives there. Also, I just called somebody to make an appointment for our troublesome car, and apparently they want to know what make and model and other things our car is. I do not know so setting up an appointment was a fail. BUT the lady on the phone got a good laugh. 

 This week was basically lots of biking, some vacuuming, a little bit of bunk bed building, way too much sweating, saying goodbye to an investigator, a lot of getting lost, and a road trip down to Florence. It was a good week. 

 There are so many valuable lessons I learn all the time. The great thing about having a blog is that I can document them as I live my life and hopefully some of them will stick. This week’s lesson comes from the brother of Jared. A well-known event in the Book of Mormon is the brother of Jared's viewing of the finger of the Lord. The Jaredites have been commanded to build barges (which they've done) and cross an ocean (which they have yet to accomplish). After they've built the barges and before they embark on this particular adventure they run into three major problems. 1. They can't breathe in the airtight ships they've built 2. There is no light in the barges 3. They have no way of steering.

 The Lord gives pretty straight forward answers to problems number 1 and 3. Number 2 is a little less detailed. Jesus tells the brother of Jared what he already knows he cannot do and then asks him to research it and come up with his own idea. The process the brother of Jared goes through

teaches us a lot about how revelation works. Today I want to focus on a different truth we can learn about from the experience of the brother of Jared. My favorite part of this story is found in Ether chapter 12 verses 1-6. This is when the brother of Jared, having put in the work and done the research, goes stumbling up a mountain with rocks in his pocket. Up the mountain he goes, excited all the way I'm sure, to present to the Lord this grand idea he's had. I can picture so clearly this grown man, this noble, commanding prophet, finally getting to the top of the mountain and falling to his knees. He begins to pray, asking the Savior to do His part to make this plan work, and out of his pocket, he pulls...rocks? What. Your big idea is rocks? I know that there is more to it than just simply rocks but I love the idea that comes with this part of the story. The brother of Jared is desperate to do his part and find a way to provide light for the people. His idea is rocks, and his faith is that the Savior can touch the rocks and make them glow. His faith is great, but his idea is somewhat...pathetic. I laugh every time I read this part of the story because I think of how often I come up with the silliest ideas and then Jesus takes my efforts and makes them shine. Right now, my goal is to strive for humility. My offering to the Lord is small (I'm writing down five things I'm grateful for each day), but my faith is at least greater than my idea. 

 So often our faith and our efforts seem so small, so insignificant. We view the mountains to climb and read the to do list and look inward on what we have to offer and...cry...on the inside...probably. We throw ourselves a pity party until, like Enos and Alma, the promise of a Savior comes into our remembrance. And then, the mountains aren't so insurmountable, the to do list not so long. Because we know that with one touch, the Savior can cause us and our efforts to shine forth divine light. 

 The only question is, are we inviting the Savior to come into our lives? Remember last week’s email? When I recommended you make a goal? Did you do it? If not, that's okay; repentance is a wonderful gift. If you did, what blessings have you seen come from it? Take a moment and reflect on the ways the Savior has come into your life, write them down, offer up a prayer of gratitude. 

 Whatever is going on in your life, whatever you can or can not give the Lord, please note that He will always love you and will always help you if you but ask Him to. Offer Him the small things, and He will enhance and enlarge your capabilities. 

 In the mean time, laugh a little at yourself during the process because sometimes we are just ridiculous beings. And if you don't feel like laughing at yourself, you can laugh at me when I tell you that the other night, during district calls, one of the elders told me a joke and I didn't get it until the next morning. 

And now, I am off; I have to go destroy my fellow missionaries in a game of basketball (lol not really I am not good at the game involving the large orange ball and the really tall baskets).

 Love, 

Sister Barlow