Friday, February 10, 2012

Whether it's a bookmark or a quarter, God cares

I can't go to bed without sharing this one.

A few days ago I got a package in the mail from my family that included a magnetic bookmark my brother brought home for me from Russia. I LOVED it the moment I saw it. I was so excited that I started using it immediately.

Tonight as I was getting on the elevator I went to move the bookmark from towards the end of the book back to mark my place. It was gone.

I wanted to cry (in fact, my eyes did tear up a bit . . .) and I had to call my brother, who I hadn't even had a chance to thank for the gift to let him know that while I really appreciated what he sent me, I no longer had it in my possession. I was crushed.

My brother was so, so nice about it. He told me he was sad for me, but that it was alright. He even had another one that was not so perfect for me, but that he could send me as a replacement. I asked him to tell me the English translation of the Russian words on the bookmark.

The literal translation: You are expensive in God's eyes. Or, in a little less literal terms, You are very valuable in the eyes of God.

I said a little prayer in my heart that went something like this: God, I know this is not a big deal, but if it's not a big deal for me to find it, can that happen? I'd really like it and it means so much that this is what my brother picked for me personally.

My assumption was that the bookmark fell out on the train. And I told myself I'd re-trace my steps in the morning and see if I could find it (I'm going back to the same place in the morning anyway.) As I thought about it, I realized that if there was any chance of finding it, the sooner I looked the better the chances were. Despite being dressed for bed, I decided to put shoes and my coat back on and at least go see if it had dropped between the train platform and my door. It had! I found it right by the turnstile I exited through earlier this evening.

This time I really teared up. I felt the truth of the words of J. Devn Cornish in a talk titled The Privilege of Prayer:

"In His mercy, the God of heaven, the Creator and Ruler of all things everywhere, had heard a prayer about a very minor thing. One might well ask why He would concern Himself with something so small. I am led to believe that our Heavenly Father loves us so much that the things that are important to us become important to Him, just because He loves us."

Here is his story that helped teach him that same lesson:
When I was a young resident physician at Boston Children’s Hospital, I worked long hours and traveled between the hospital and our home in Watertown, Massachusetts, mostly by bicycle since my wife and young family needed our car. One evening I was riding home after a long period in the hospital, feeling tired and hungry and at least a bit discouraged. I knew I needed to give my wife and four small children not only my time and energy when I got home but also a cheery attitude. I was, frankly, finding it hard to just keep pedaling.

My route would take me past a fried chicken shop, and I felt like I would be a lot less hungry and tired if I could pause for a piece of chicken on my way home. I knew they were running a sale on thighs or drumsticks for 29 cents each, but when I checked my wallet, all I had was one nickel. As I rode along, I told the Lord my situation and asked if, in His mercy, He could let me find a quarter on the side of the road. I told Him that I didn’t need this as a sign but that I would be really grateful if He felt to grant me this kind blessing.

I began watching the ground more intently but saw nothing. Trying to maintain a faith-filled but submissive attitude as I rode, I approached the store. Then, almost exactly across the street from the chicken place, I saw a quarter on the ground. With gratitude and relief, I picked it up, bought the chicken, savored every morsel, and rode happily home.

For me, that very minor thing was a bookmark, for J. Devn Cornish it was a quarter. Either way, I do know that God hears prayers, even about seemingly little things. I know that He wants us to be happy, and since little things can tip the scales one way or the other, it is no surprise to me that little things are important to Him. For that I am very, very grateful.

Monday, February 6, 2012

The Whole is the Sum of the Parts

Peter Buffet talked about a concept in his book Life is What you Make of It that really resonated with me. He said that each of us must act as though our part is the most important part.

He was not saying that we should be egotistical or that we are more important than anyone else. Rather, he was teaching the same idea that Paul conveyed to the Corinthians:

14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:


I learned the same lesson while involved in theater and band in high school and college.

It's all about each part coming together. Without any one of those parts the entire presentation or production is not complete, whole, or perfect.

Said another way, if each part or person does not function optimally, the whole is sub-par. And when every part of person gives their absolute best, everyone is elevated.

26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

1 Corinthians 12:26



Thursday, February 2, 2012

Really a Question of Faith

Many times I have thought to myself "I am so glad I live after the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I feel it would be so much harder to believe in something that hadn't happened yet." I've been thinking a little more about that lately, and had some interesting realizations.

For one thing, I realized that there is no amount of physical evidence (be that a written record, or visiting Jerusalem or anything else) that can PROVE that Christ lived, died and rose from the dead. In that sense, the written or oral accounts of Christ and his role as Savior compiled before he lived on this earth, while he lived on this earth or after he was resurrected are not really that different. Accepting those accounts is a  matter of faith. I can feel a confirmation of truth in my heart through the Holy Ghost just as easily as someone who lived hundreds of years before Christ was born could.

As I was reading from the Book of Mormon during my commute earlier this week, I came across a wonderful passage of scripture that expounds on this idea. There is a group of people who have recently been converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ and struggled to repent of all their sins and fully turn their lives over to God. They are about to be attacked by their enemies, and turn to their king to know what they should do. Here is part of what the king tells his people:

10 And I also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things, and also that he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders which we have committed, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son.

11 And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do (as we were the most lost of all mankind) to repent of all our sins and the many murders which we have committed, and to get God to take them away from our hearts, for it was all we could do to repent sufficiently before God that he would take away our stain—

12 Now, my best beloved brethren, since God hath taken away our stains, and our swords have become bright, then let us stain our swords no more with the blood of our brethren.

13 Behold, I say unto you, Nay, let us retain our swords that they be not stained with the blood of our brethren; for perhaps, if we should stain our swords again they can no more be washed bright through the blood of the Son of our great God, which shall be shed for the atonement of our sins.

14 And the great God has had mercy on us, and made these things known unto us that we might not perish; yea, and he has made these things known unto us beforehand, because he loveth our souls as well as he loveth our children; therefore, in his mercy he doth visit us by his angels, that the plan of salvation might be made known unto us as well as unto future generations.


These verses reveal a deep commitment to the complete lifestyle change these individuals undertook. Their commitment was so deep that they would rather die than ever kill another human being. Verse 14 was especially striking to me - this king had complete faith that Christ would come to earth and perform the atonement. He knew that Christ's sacrifice would open the door to eternal life, contingent upon the choices of the individual and their willingness to repent. He also praises God for "[making] these things known to us beforehand, because he loveth our souls as well as he loveth our children."

There it is - one of the bedrocks of my faith - God loves ALL His children, yesterday, today and forever. He will make, and always has made, truth known to those that seek it. For all mankind in all generations of time, the question is whether we will exercise faith and seek that knowledge.