Sunday, May 31, 2009

Strawberries and Happiness


Yesterday my mom and I went to pick strawberries at a local farm. It was great fun. She had been before, but it was my first time. We went to the entrance and got a couple of baskets. Then the nice owner man told us how to get to the field. We drove around and got out and he was there to meet us. As we approached him, he gave us very specific instructions. Most people he told to just go up this one row and put down a flag where you stop. Because I was "energetic and responsible" he gave me a specific task. He said that I could go up and down ALL the rows south of where Mom was working. These berries here were mostly green and not ready, but every now and then, he told me, I would find a nice big purple strawberry (meaning nice and tasty). But because they're few and far between, he doesn't tell many people about them.

So I start  on my hunt, and begin to doubt as I only see lush green foliage and tiny green berries. And then I find a huge perfect strawberry hiding deep inside the row. A ways down, I find another! Indeed, they were few and far between, but they were all wonderful and perfect. The owner came back to check up on me, and was pleased that I was having success in my task. I had to cover about 4 times the distance Mom did and work twice as fast to find as many, but as we compared out bounties, it was pretty clear that my berries appeared much darker, and fuller, and plain better.

It's my testimony, once again reaffirmed, that the Owner knows his garden. Heavenly Father is the Lord of the vineyard and we are the workers fulfilling His great work! It's so tempting to go off and do our own thing, but if we will take strict heed to The Lord's Voice, as received from prophets and personally through the Spirit, we will be able to find those perfect strawberries of happiness and success. The strawberry could represent a new job or happiness in the family, or success at work, or anything! But the best will always require double the effort, and might take more time - but it is always worth it! The Owner, our Father, is interested in our success and will often visit us (usually through other servants and his leaders and our friends) to guide and encourage us further. 

By following He who Knows and being willing to put forth the required effort, we can all enjoy the fresh homemade jam and delicious strawberry pies of life!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Life Lessons from a Road Trip

My good friend was married a few weeks ago in the LDS Washington D.C. Temple and my other friend and I made an epic road trip down south, and then down to South Carolina for the reception.  We learned a few things...

1. Always listen to the still small voice. 

As we were passing through Virginia, notorious for its policemen, my friend was speeding along talking to his girlfriend in the passenger seat. From the back seat I was carefully monitoring his speed on my GPS. I quietly reminded him to slow down (we got a ticket last year doing the same thing!). A second time I had to remind him and finally he went down to the limit. Just then, we passed a nice police man parked on the side of the freeway! 

For some reason, I was able to play the role of the "still small voice." We always know what we should be doing, especially when some of God's commandments are as clear and precise as speed limits (such as tithing and word of wisdom), but sometimes we just a need a little reminder. I'm so grateful for the Spirit and His little reminders in my life, whether through friends to slow down while driving, or - as a man in Russia described it- "a feeling to grab the umbrella when it's still sunny outside."



2. It pays to plan and act now.

Over the weekend we needed a hotel 3 nights, all in different places. Because we weren't quite sure what was happening and where we were going to be, we didn't book any of them ahead of time. The first night it was 10:30 pm in Washington D.C. when we started just driving around hoping to find a little no-name place. After about 2 hours we gave up and drove all the way home to PA, just to return to DC early the next morning. BAD. Another night we began looking for a hotel about 9:30 pm in Fayetville, NC. We used the GPS to get phone numbers and called around until we finally found a cheap enough hotel nearby. We didn't pay a lot, but I never expected to pay for the dead bugs, broken sink, disturbing bathroom, and ripped sheets that we found. BAD. Another night we began about 3:30 pm to call all around. We called a ton of places and really worked hard and finally found a wonderful hotel close by. It was peaceful and rejuvenating. GOOD!

When we procrastinate, we only make trouble for ourselves. As President Monson says, "when the time for performance has come, the time for preparation has passed" or "proper prior preparation prevents poor performance." I think about this principle with things like reading and praying and going to the temple.  If we wait until the "11th hour" to do these things, they'll either not happen or be a bad experience, just like with the hotels. But if we just get down on our knees right when we have the thought, or open the Book of Mormon right then, or make going to the temple our top priority, it will likewise be peaceful and rejuvenating. Let us all keep the dead cockroaches out of our lives by planning, preparing, and acting now!



3. Life is not a competition. 

My best friend brought his girlfriend along for the trip. Over the weekend we began to realize that we both felt that we were competing for my friend's attention. At one point we had him ask us questions about his life to see who knew more about him. Of course, there was no winner, and most of it was in jest to begin with.  We can all be friends together! Instead of she and I competing for his attention, we found that instead we could be more united thanks to the common link of our mutual best friend!

When we begin to compare ourselves - our talents, abilities, knowledge, experience, appearance, etc - to others, we only begin to short change ourselves. What a true gift and blessing it is to be satisfied and content with what we have. Life is not a competition. Through prayer we can gain a profound gratitude for all the wonderful things in our lives. Instead of always competing with those around us - our brothers and sisters - we too can find a peaceful unity and brotherhood, bound together by our common Father in Heaven who loves us all equally!


4. It's okay to have fun. 

The wedding reception was held in the bride's beautiful backyard. The focal point of the yard was a bright blue glimmering swimming pool. As expected, the bride was trying to rally up some troops to get her now-husband (my friend) to change out of his tux so she could throw him in the pool. Very unexpectedly, however, still in their tux and wedding dress he slung her over his shoulder and splashed in. I was actually quite mortified, on her behalf, and couldn't believe it. When another groomsmen tried to throw me in, I was dead-set not to get wet. After about the 3rd wrestling match, I finally gave in and emptied my pockets. And it wasn't that bad. In fact, it was brilliantly fun! A perfect ending.

As important as it is to work hard and "be sober" ("meaning being earnest and serious in assessing your circumstances and careful and circumspect in weighing the consequences of your actions") as the ancient prophets counseled, it's just as important to have a little fun. Know one likes a stickler leader, but one who leads by example and has fun. The wedding party was more united by our crazy experience together, just as having fun while at church will often bring us closer together. As all things in life, it is a happy balance of moderation.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

High School and Celestial Kingdom

Tonight I went to the Arts Festival at my high school. I graduated 5 years ago, and it's still fun to go back and see the halls I roamed, the classrooms I ruled, the jazz band I played in and the choir group I sang in. Wandering around I saw so many people from the past - some I vaguely remembered, some I knew very well and were very excited to see each other.  Most people had changed a lot.  Some good friends had changed so much I didn't even recognize them. After five years, any physical evidence of my legacy is all but gone, and only my friendships remain.

I loved the feeling of "coming home." I spent some time alone out by the track and everywhere I looked I saw specific happy memories of running and track meets and band parades and football games singing in the bleachers and fun with friends. I looked further across the field and saw my Junior High that was torn down years ago, and I could even still see the old hall ways that seemed endless compared to my elementary school.  It was a happy wonderful feeling to be in one place and see so many happy memories.  That's all I could remember - happy memories.  And I wanted so bad to share them with someone.  All I really wanted in the world at that very moment was to have a best friend I could who would excitedly listen to every one of my reminiscent stories of the past.

I have a feeling that the Spirit World and the Celestial Kingdom will be a lot like that in a lot of ways. When we're on the other side looking back I think we'll be able to see all the happy times of our lives. The sorrow and trials of our lives will seem insignificant compared to all the joy we experienced.  We will be surrounded by countless loved ones - some of whom we knew better than others, but we'll have the chance for many joyous reunions. Likewise, the most important things will not have been the things we left behind on earth, but the relationships we strengthened and the eternal friendships we formed.

What a feeling of returning home it will be when we finally reach out Heavenly Father again! Surely His smiling face and Heavenly Abode will seem much more familiar than we could even dream. Just like I had such a desire to share my "feeling of home" with my friends, I think that's what conversion to the Gospel is all about: we get a glimpse of "Heavenly Home" when we feel the powerful influence of the Spirit. Missionary work is that burning desire to share that joy and comforting "at home" feeling with all the world! Hopefully each Sunday we attend church and partake of the Sacrament we can experience that feeling of being at Home - surrounded by loved ones in a place of happy memories.

However strong my desire was to share all my memories and knowledge of my beloved high school, that much stronger are my desires to share all the happy memories and knowledge I have about God's Eternal Plan for us to Return Home to Him!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Army Tanks and Eternal Perfection


This summer I'm working for a company that makes vehicles for the army. The vehicle I'm working on is called the HERCULES (which is actually an acronym), which is basically a large tow trunk for tanks - it weighs 70 tons and can tow, hoist, and lift an entire army tank or pull it out of a ditch, etc. The company has been making the vehicle since about the 70's.  There are currently about 300 or so in the army, and more in the Marines and other international allies. We just received a 12.something million dollar contract to make more.

Even though the HERCULES vehicle has been in production for over 40 years, it is STILL in the design process!  There are at least 50 engineers who every day, year after year, continue to work on the vehicle. In fact, every week there is a meeting with about 15 different leaders, managers, and Army representatives who discuss an 18-page agenda of 50+ items that are currently being worked on. 

I find this incredible!  After so many years, there is STILL an amazingly huge effort to improve and perfect the vehicle, and it is a massive effort and process.

Of course, the same could be said of us.  We've been around for a number of years, and have pretty much become who we're going to be for the rest of our lives - we've defined our careers and personalities, etc. I will always be who I am now. The tank will still be a tank. But the tank will be a better tank.  And I can be a better me.

We too can undergo this massive and incredible improvement project - in one day becoming perfect like our Heavenly Father - one day at a time. Like all the engineers working together on the tank, we can't do this alone. We need the support and love of our family, friends, church leaders, and most surely the Holy Ghost's watchful direction and Heavenly Father's loving care and Jesus Christ's enabling power of the Atonement.  Our gradual improvement process can be as detailed and recorded and goal and task- orientated as the tank's.  We can't afford to be blase about our personal extreme make over - that of growing more like Christ, line upon line, one decision at a time. Goals help us get there by first defining our success, and then pushing us towards a finish line.  Without goals, we may end up in the same spot, but with no clear finish line, we'll feel unfilled.  Goals therefore help us to be happy!

If it's worth a total-to-date cost of 1.4 billion dollars to improve some army tow-tanks, it's worth every bit of sincere effort on our part to improve our lives each day, in the tiniest ways, to one day receive the Greatest Gift:  all the Father hath!