Just the other day I was making a box out of wood and wanted the lid to have a slot in it. We don’t have a jigsaw, so I tried the next best thing - a drill. I drilled holes all along the center, and then tried to use a chisel and hammer to connect the holes. In the process I split the wood (making it so I would have to go back to the hardware store to purchase another piece and try again). I had no idea what I was going to do the next time. I decided to say a prayer. I asked that if it were at all possible that I could find a jigsaw to make the slot.
It took a few days before I made it back to the hardware store. While there I showed the gentleman the split wood, told him I didn’t have a jigsaw and asked if he knew of any other way to make a slot in the wood. He thought for a minute and then said he would ask the guys in the back if they had a jigsaw and if they could do it. They did! To them it might have seemed like a small—even silly—thing, but to me it was an answer to my prayer.
Many years ago I had a very clear impression that I needed to join my roommate and spend a summer with her as a sales representative in a different state, selling door-to-door. It was something that I felt very strongly that I should do, and when everything fell into place in a very short amount of time I felt confident that I was where the Lord wanted me to be.
I realized very quickly that I am not a sales-person. I absolutely hate trying to convince people to buy something they may or may not care about. There was a team of about 9 of us, including our manager, who worked together. On average, each person on my team (and in the company, for that matter) made about 14 sales each week—except me. By the 5th week of the summer I had finally achieved 14 sales. My manager pulled me aside one day and said that this job didn’t seem to be the right fit for me. Because of the way everything had fallen into place at the beginning of the summer I knew that I was where I was supposed to be and I told him I wasn’t leaving. He gave me one more week.
I had been praying to be successful in selling and to find people to sell to—but to no avail. My prayers seemed unanswered. After talking with my manager that day I decided that I needed to try something different. For the next week I determined not to ask the Lord for a single thing, but to only express gratitude. What an amazing experience! When I turned everything over to the Lord, and simply expressed gratitude, He was able to work miracles. In that week alone I had 31 sales.
Thinking of simple things I am reminded of the story of Naaman. Naaman was the captain of the host of Syria. He was a good man, honorable, and a man of valor. He was also a leper. (see 2 Kings 5:1). He went to the prophet Elisha to be healed of his leprosy, and when Elisha sent his servant out—telling Naaman to wash in the Jordan River seven times to be healed—Naaman left in anger.
“But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
“Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage” (2 Kings 5:11-12).
Naaman’s servant had great faith in the prophet of God. He recognized that Elisha was a prophet and that Naaman could in fact be healed if he would just listen and obey. He said: “My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?” (2 Kings 5:13). Naaman, humbled by his servant’s remarks, went to the River Jordan and washed seven times, “and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (2 Kings 5:14).
How often do we look for big thing to do to show our great faith, or our love of the Lord. The Lord doesn’t ask us to move mountains, but He does ask us to do simple things that require patience, sacrifice and faith on our part. That is how we grow.
In the parable of the ten virgins we read of five virgins who are wise and “took oil in their vessels with their lamps” while the foolish virgins “took their lamps, and took no oil with them” (see Matthew 25:3-4). The oil in their lamps represent simple things—simple acts of obedience that cannot be shared. President Spencer W. Kimball explains why,
“Attendance at sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps, drop by drop over the years. Fasting, family prayer, home teaching, control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures—each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions … —these, too, contribute importantly to the oil with which we can at midnight refuel our exhausted lamps” (Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle, p256).
The Lord won't ask us to “run faster than [we have] strength” (Mosiah 4:27), nor will He ask us to do more than we are able to—with His help. He doesn't ask us to build a huge roaring bonfire, but asks that we do what we can and “Let [our] light so shine before men, that they may…glorify [our] Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Through our faith, and actions, ourselves and others can be blessed.
Nephi was instructed to build a ship to carry his family across the great ocean to the promised land. Nephi was not a shipbuilder, but he knew that the Lord would help him. When Nephi asked the Lord he did so with the intent to act. He didn’t ask the Lord to tell him what to do, but instead asked for help with something specific—a good lesson for each of us.
“And I said: Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me?” (1 Nephi 17:9).
With the instruction he received he then went to work. He did what he could do, and turned to the Lord frequently for more guidance. Guidance which he abundantly received.
“And the Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I should work the timbers of the ship.
“Now I, Nephi, did not work the timbers after the manner which was learned by men, neither did I build the ship after the manner of men; but I did build it after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me; wherefore, it was not after the manner of men.
“And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things.
“And it came to pass that after I had finished the ship, according to the word of the Lord, my brethren beheld that it was good, and that the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine; wherefore, they [his brothers] did humble themselves again before the Lord” (1 Nephi 18:1-4, emphasis added).
Nephi approached the Lord frequently to learn step-by-step how to accomplish the task at hand. Nephi moved forward—consistently—a little bit at a time. He showed the Lord his faith through the simple act of asking, and acting on the answers he received. His example of enduring, despite hardship, was key to his brothers humbling themselves before the Lord.
In the New Testament we read of some people who came to Jesus.
“And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee” (Matthew 9:2, emphasis added).
I find it interesting that their act of service, of compassion, of helping the man with palsy, was seen by the Savior as an expression of their faith. There may have been many people who professed to have faith, and really believed that the man could be healed, but failed to act. So it is with us—we show our faith, through our actions. “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26).
I have found that there are times when I am trying to be faithful, but feel discouraged, overwhelmed, or that my prayers are not being answered. If have discovered that if I instead pray to know how the Lord would have me help someone else it seems to open the channels to heaven. My burdens are then lifted as I act on the impressions I receive.
Recently I had an impression to send a simple email to a friend that I haven’t talked to for a while. She responded back with “the Lord works in mysterious ways” and said my email was exactly what she needed to hear at that time in her life. Something so simple, yet profound, gives me a greater glimpse into the workings of the Lord. President Spencer W. Kimball taught,
“God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, p82).
Often times it is our hands that are needed in doing the work of the Lord. He could do everything by Himself, but that would remove the purpose of our existence—we will never learn how to be like Him by just watching.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf told the following,
“A story is told that during the bombing of a city in World War II, a large statue of Jesus Christ was severely damaged. When the townspeople found the statue among the rubble, they mourned because it had been a beloved symbol of their faith and of God’s presence in their lives.
“Experts were able to repair most of the statue, but its hands had been damaged so severely that they could not be restored. Some suggested that they hire a sculptor to make new hands, but others wanted to leave it as it was—a permanent reminder of the tragedy of war. Ultimately, the statue remained without hands. However, the people of the city added on the base of the statue of Jesus Christ a sign with these words: ‘You are my hands’….
“As we emulate His perfect example, our hands can become His hands; our eyes, His eyes; our heart, His heart” (link to talk).
When the Savior called His disciple His words were simple, “follow me” (Matthew 4:19). As they followed Him they were brought to greater light and understanding. The same is true with us.
“We must the onward path pursue
"As wider fields expand to view,
"And follow him unceasingly,
"Whate'er our lot or sphere may be”
No matter what this life offers us, we are here to live it day by day until the Lord calls us home. The Lord has outlined the path for us to follow. A simple path. Step by step we move slowly forward with His help. He will lead us, guide us, and bless us. We just need to be willing to act. As we do so we will find that He is right there waiting with open arms to bless us. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught,
“Our Father in Heaven is an eternal being whose experience, wisdom, and intelligence are infinitely greater than ours. Not only that, but He is also eternally loving, compassionate, and focused on one blessed goal: to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life.
”In other words, He not only knows what is best for you; He also anxiously wants you to choose what is best for you….
“Part of our challenge is, I think, that we imagine that God has all of His blessings locked in a huge cloud up in heaven, refusing to give them to us unless we comply with some strict, paternalistic requirements He has set up. But the commandments aren’t like that at all. In reality, Heavenly Father is constantly raining blessings upon us. It is our fear, doubt, and sin that, like an umbrella, block these blessings from reaching us.
“His commandments are the loving instructions and the divine help for us to close the umbrella so we can receive the shower of heavenly blessings.
“We need to accept that the commandments of God aren’t just a long list of good ideas.… They are divine counsel, based on eternal truths, given to bring ‘peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come’” (link to talk).
As we focus on the simple things in life—prayer, faith, gratitude, service—we will find joy. As we take a moment to look for the hand of the Lord in our life we will find that we are completely surrounded by showers of blessings. As we use these blessings to serve, and bless the lives of others we can find greater joy and happiness than we could have achieved on our own.
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