เฮลโล Hello!
This was a pretty uneventful week. Not a ton going on in quiet old Orting, Washington. But I did go on another exchange this week. This time in the Buckely 1st ward. I got to be with Elder Saunders, who was my buddy from my time in Renton! He's the one I threw that textbook alley-oop to a long time ago.
BUCKLEY BOYS
The exchange was a good time, we taught someone in their teaching pool who I think might have a few screws loose, but it was a fun experience anyway. We also broke down some beds at a member's house and carried them downstairs. The last thing they needed us to take down was kerosene water heater. Weird, right? Well, Elder Saunders took a quick bathroom break and I decided to just give the water heater a good lift and see just how heavy it was. It was a hefty one, but I am a man. My age says I ought to be at this point, anyways. I carried that thing all the way downstairs. It just about scared the member lady half to death.
EAT AND EAT SOME MORE
A non member invited us to come over for a barbeque on Sunday. When he said come hungry, I had no clue that meant that I was going to eat until I couldn't eat any more and then eat some more. It was absolutely delicious, but oh my goodness. Food baby is an understatement, I almost gave food birth. We also had them ask us to pray for them at the end for an operation one is going to have this coming week, and they were very appreciative of it. It was cool to see people really appreciate the power of prayer. Kind of inspires me to want to say better personal prayers, to be honest.
LOOKING BEYOND THE MARK
While I was reading Jacob 4 this week, a verse stood out to me. Verse 14 reads:
But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it God hath done it, that they may stumble.
That phrase "looking beyond the mark" really stood out to me. In the context of the verse, the Jews had been given so much, and they rejected almost all of it. They didn't like the simplicity of the gospel, they wanted to complicate it. They didn't like the prophets, they killed them! They were blinded because when God gave them things, they couldn't just accept them. They thought they knew better than God, and because of that they were spiritually blinded. They looked beyond the mark. By doing so, they didn't receive any of the promised blessings, and they stumbled. I wonder if I'm ever looking beyond the mark. I catch myself often looking forward to the next transfer, my next companion, my next area, or even the end of my mission. By looking beyond the mark, looking past the things right in front of me, I know I can miss out on opportunities that have been placed in my way, or even where I am at this very moment. God gives us chances, and He wants the best for us. If we can try to avoid looking beyond the mark, we will unlock the potential of all of God's blessings that He offers.
เอ็ลเดอร์ เข้มแข็ง (Elder is strong)
Elder Barrett
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