Winds - From August 28, 2017

This week was great!

I got sick!

Tuesday night I didn't sleep at all cause I felt like throwing up all

night, the next day was the same, and then the following night, with

still some sickness the next day. Pretty much have had health problems all week but it's been great! I've been thinking a lot about the role of afflictions in our lives a lot. In the Book of Mormon this week I was reading ether chapter 6. This was a people trying to cross the ocean and they had made these ships that we totally enclosing. No sails, no paddles or anything. So God has to cause winds and storms upon the ocean in order to get them to move across the ocean. So these winds were blowing towards the "promised land" and the waves would come crashing down upon their vessels and they would then be tossed around and even sometimes totally submerged and deep in the ocean until they prayed and were brought back up to the surface to then again be hit with a wave. But a verse in this chapter is this: 8 And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind.

I can't imagine what these people were thinking. Maybe, "why is God

punishing us with all these stormy windy waves when we have been

good?" They may have wondered why God couldn't just have a gentle wind gently blow them over, across the ocean, into the promised land. But the fact is that God just doesn't work like that. He uses the recourses of the earth and the elements and season of the earth to perform such miracles. But what caught me in this scripture is that the winds never did cease to blow towards the promised land. We will always face some kind of wind, trial, or affliction in life. But the other half of this statement is that it will be for our good, it will always be blowing us towards the promised land, toward Him.

So this week when I got upset or something I just said, "keep blowing me to the promised land baby!!!"

Speaking of wind. A tornado happened across the river from us. We were driving home though and it started raining soooo hard. The winds just blew against the car so hard. We couldn't see out the window with the

blades going all the way even when we were stopped. I got so scared I had my comp say a prayer while I was driving. I thought I was about to die. Ahaha. But I was just being a baby.

Friday was super good! President Bednar had a special conference and he rebuked the mission! It was awesome. He set us straight! I liked it

so much. Haha. Why did I? Because he did it with such love. Love was his force, not power. I can honestly say I've never felt so much love from someone that is not family, than from president Bednar. He is

awesome.

My testimony this week I feel to share is that the words of Christ will tell you all that you should do. I know.... that is true. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.