Complete Trust

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Preparedness has become a theme in my life the last 18 months. I've been in a process. It's more than having 72 hour kits or emergency supplies. It's a constant inventory of where I am, where I should be, where I want to be, and where I am going. Physical inventories have become much less important than internal inventories. So, I have tried to ask good questions, listen, and act on what I hear. I won't share what that personal journey looks like in this post because I think I have mentioned pieces of it in other posts. If not, oh well. I know my journey and the steps I have been taking. :-) You are able to seek and find a similar journey that is personal to just you. That's the really cool think about Divine Inspiration.

I was thinking last week about where I am in my journey and where I am going and how it aligns with my goals. The question came to mind, what more should I do? Is there anything else needed in my preparing? So I prayed about it. I had a kind of what lack I yet moment? The beauty of that is, even though the rich young man was told to sell all he had, that doesn't mean all of us need to do that. That was a custom answer for a custom question. Anyone who asks the question can get a custom answer. See the excellent talk by Elder Lawrence. 

So for a few days in a row, I was praying what else I needed to be prepared for anything that comes, whether it's the unexpected blows life can deliver or the eventual return of the King of Heaven and Earth. Then I went to the temple. I noticed the word prepare. Something I'd heard dozens of times but never stood out before. It occurred to me, Anyone who has such a Wondrous Plan prepared for us is most definitely the King of preparedness. That was my thought. "God is the King of preparedness." As that thought turned around in my head, another thought came. It felt like the Spirit to me and it was in the form of a question.

"What if you had nothing?"What? "What if you lost everything, what if you have nothing?" What came naturally out of me was, well if I have nothing I still have YOU. THAT was a great comfort! Job was certainly faced with that circumstance. I HOPE I am not. I kept thinking about it though.

Since I finished reading the Book of Mormon this week, the theme that seems to have been there for me throughout this time, was there even at the end. I realized as I began reading and I was still the Gospel Doctrine teacher, that there was a theme of preparedness in the Book of Mormon. I wrote about it here, but the gist of it is that God will always provide a way for us and prepare a way for us ahead of our need. We only need to follow Him and keep His commandments.

Friday we were driving to Colorado for the weekend, and I shared my experience with the Teacher Man. He brought up the calming of the wind and waves in Mark 4, which led to an interesting discussion. Without telling the story, we discussed several points. Some of those disciples with him (probably his apostles, the twelve), were seasoned fishermen. They knew storms and danger and being on the waters. The waves filled the boat and they were concerned they might perish. When they woke Jesus and shared their concerns with him, His response was interesting. Why are you afraid? Why don't you have faith?

These disciples had what they likely considered EVIDENCE; a storm, raging winds, a boat filled with water, and yet, humanly, they feared. But Christ knew that there was nothing to fear and their faith should be placed in Him. 

What a lesson for me that went right along with what I was pondering. I may have storms raging around me, winds blowing, a boat filling with water, EVIDENCE that I am sinking. What should my response be? I think I am to understand that just because I have evidence, it doesn't mean it is true in the sense that I am perishing or that He doesn't care that I THINK I am perishing. I think it means I can absolutely trust in Him in any circumstance and have faith in Him, that He is there for me, that He has already provided for me and that a way has been prepared. If I keep His commandments, and I live faithful in every situation, He will give me all the blessings He has promised.

If I ultimately face the end of my days on Earth,  as the disciples feared before Jesus calmed the storm and their hearts, my hope is that I WILL BE so centered in Christ and so trusting of my Father and His greatest plan, that I can go confidently home to Him and rest in His promises. 

Because, He can do this:

I can live so to receive it.  Being calm and trusting my all to His tender care, that is my fondest hope. 

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