A song that might help y'all

I know I haven't blogged in a while. My bad. I won't lie, sometimes I find it hard to think of something to blog about that is length appropriate, applies to missionary work and my calling as a missionary, and is interesting for y'all to read. I won't pretend that I am supah good at this whole blogging thing. So today to kinda get myself back into the swing of things I am just going to post the lyrics to a hymn that has always helped me through tough times. This hymn has always given me comfort when I needed it; I can always sing it in my head or to myself out loud when I feel down. This hymn fills me with the love of my Savior and helps me remember what He did for me. This hymn may be familiar to some of you, and it may not be. Either way, the words are inspiring and uplifting. Hope y'all enjoy!

Come, ye disconsolate, where'er ye languish;       
Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel.
Here bring your wounded hearts; here tell your anguish.    
Earth has no sorrow that heav'n cannot heal.

Joy of the desolate, Light of the straying,        
Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure!
Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying:   
"Earth has no sorrow that heav'n cannot cure."

Here see the Bread of Life; see waters flowing   
Forth from the throne of God, pure from above.
Come to the feast of love; come, ever knowing  
Earth has no sorrow but heav'n cannot remove.

Come, Ye Disconsolate #115
Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Miracles

God is a God of miracles. I know this to be true. If you have any doubts as to the truth of this statement, read on. Lemme break it down for ya.

So this past week I was transferred from The Hub (Santa Rosa. Center of the Mission. Mission Headquarters located here. You get the idea) to a place up north called Ukiah (Gateway to Marijuana Country. Small town lifestyle. As far north as Spanish Missionaries in our mission get sent. NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE). I have no knowledge of the area. No knowledge of the people. I arrived with another missionary as my companion, who has also never been there before and is just as listless as I am when it comes to missionary work in the area. All we have heard is that the people are nice, but the work is hard. Finding people is hard. Teaching people and helping them overcome addictions and vices is nigh impossible.

We arrive and we walk into our new apartment. We are fully expecting notes and suggestions, tips and advice, an organized apartment, and some solace in what the previous missionaries have left behind.

WRONG. The place is trashed. There is very little tips, advice, help, what have you, left behind. Nearly none, really. We have ZERO things set up for us to do throughout the rest of the week. Great. Awesome. Spectacular.

Would rather have shards of glass in my eyes.

And then I remember why I'm there. Why I have volunteered to go through this kind of thing. Why I am willing to put up with this kind of stuff and move forward and trust in the Lord to make things right as I trust in Him and exercise my faith.

Because I love my brothers and sisters I have been called to serve (that includes YOU), and they need what I have. They need to know that the message I carry in the name of Jesus Christ is true. They need it more than anything else. This message will change their lives.

So me and my companion go to work. We cleanse the inner vessel first (cleaning the apartment and organizing ourselves) and then we plan our first day. All we have to go off of is a list of names.We really don't know much else. So all we had planned to do was visit people, tell them we were the new missionaries in town, that we were here to serve them and help them grow closer to Jesus Christ, and see what happened. More than anything, we resolved to go forth and trust in the Lord the whole way. Otherwise nothing was gonna happen.

So we did just that. Nothing more. We trusted in God and His power to open doors and paths for us, and then we went out and worked. And you know what?

Miracles flowed from Heaven. Every single door every single day was opened to us. Everyone either invited us inside then and there or they said to come back within one or two days, and the appointments held. No one ditched. No one cancelled. Everyone wanted us to come back. The Spirit of God led and guided us to find people who are readily accepting and receptive to the message. People's lives are being changed on a daily basis. People are coming closer to Christ. They are changing for the better. They have felt the Spirit and the love of God for them. They are happier than ever before in their lives.

And we didn't really do a whole lot. The Lord did it all. I mean, COME ON! We're two twenty-ish young men with no prior knowledge of nothing and no one in the area and we definitely have no direction as to how we should be going about doing our work, and it comes. The Lord opens doors. He changes hearts. He drops people practically into our laps! Nothing else but the power of God and the miracles He blessed us with could have done that.We of ourselves were practically powerless to change the face of the area by ourselves. We're in the middle of Marijuana Madness for Pete's sake! Nobody should be willing to listen to us; even less let us in and then act on the message that we share! But they did. It happened, and it keeps on happening.

Like I said, God is a God of miracles.

An Imperfect Tool in Perfect Hands

I have a confession to make to y'all. Right here. Right now. In front of everyone and the Internet. This is where we get down to the nitty gritty. Where I lay it all down on the table. No holds barred. Y'all ready?

I am not a perfect person. In fact, I have a lot of flaws.

This may come as a surprise to some of you. Actually, I know it doesn't. It's pretty obvious to the casual observer. I'm so far from perfect I need a map and a guide to get there.

And that's kinda what I wanted to talk about. See, I have been thinking a lot lately about how the Lord uses imperfect tools (namely me) to bring to pass His holy purposes. One of my favorite scriptures goes like this:
19 The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh—

20 But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world;

21 That faith also might increase in the earth;

22 That mine everlasting covenant might be established;

23 That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers.

24 Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding.

25 And inasmuch as they erred it might be made known;

26 And inasmuch as they sought wisdom they might be instructed;

27 And inasmuch as they sinned they might be chastened, that they might repent;

28 And inasmuch as they were humble they might be made strong, and blessed from on high, and receive knowledge from time to time.

(Doctrine & Covenants 1:19-28)

So I know that that scripture reference was kinda long. But I hope you saw what I see. IT'S OKAY TO BE IMPERFECT. Heavenly Father has a perfect plan for each and every one of His children, and He is always willing to lift us when we are down, to mold us and shape us when we need it and allow it, and to propel us to greater heights than we have ever previously seen. I know that it's okay to be imperfect and that the Lord will still use us for His mighty and holy purposes to bless our lives and the lives of others because that's what He is doing with me. I'm a full-time missionary representing His Church and His Son Jesus Christ, but I am far from perfect. And yet I have been witness to miracles that have changed people's lives; not because of my own talents and abilities to provide such miracles myself, but because the Lord used me in His Hands to bring about such miracles. It was all His doing, I was just the imperfect tool in Perfect Hands. We can all enjoy such blessings and witness such miracles. Simply do the best you can to be your best self and He will use you despite any inherent weaknesses or flaws that you might have.