Monday, July 22, 2013

"…your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things" Luke 12:30



I have almost made it through my first transfer in Korea! Sunday was my companion's last day in our area and then she is going home, so I will be getting a new trainer. I am interested, excited and a little nervous to find out who it will be. Although, I am sure whoever it is we will have an adventure together. And regardless of our compatibility, I am sure that I will learn so much.

It is getting so hot here. The sun is making me break out in freckles. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I have always thought they were cute on other people, but it is different when they're on your own face. I don't really miss the rain very much, but I do miss how nice and cool the clouds made it feel. Walking outside seems like a workout when it's so hot and humid. Somehow I keep going just putting one foot in front of the other and gaining a new appreciation for air conditioning. In other unrelated news, We were taken out to eat by a less-active sister this week. Beforehand she asked us if octopus was okay, and we said sure. I have had octopus before and I can do that, and I love calamari so I was not all that worried. However, it was a new culinary experience for me, and not a good one. In many Korean restaurants the patron cooks their own food at their table. This day the server brought us our raw food in a bowl and sat it on the table. As I looked in there were just a bunch of little octopi, heads and tentacles still attached floating in some water. It wasn't good. Our sister host cooked it up and served and portioned it out. All I could think about was their little octopi brains and everything else that is compacted up there in their heads. This was the image floating through my mind as I carefully picked my plate trying to avoid their heads, and all the while making yummy sounds so my hostess would know how much I appreciated her generosity. I am afraid this is just the beginning of my culinary adventures here. As girls studying for French minors finding their way in Korea say "Bon appetit". 

This week I've been thinking about where my life focus is. As a missionary it is not quite so difficult to keep my focus on the gospel and doing the Lord's work, because that is what I am here to do. I have been called and set apart to teach the gospel and build up the Lord's Kingdom. However, looking back over my short twenty-one years before I started my service, I can see now more than ever that my focus was not always in the right place or on the right things. There were times that I cared much more about material things and about personal problems than I did about progressing in the gospel. I can also see many times when I failed to look for opportunities to help others, especially with their testimonies.

After this self-reflection, I came across a scripture in Luke, in which Christ is sending his apostles out to teach. In His instructions He tells them that they do not need to worry about their clothes or what they will eat ,or any other worldly care. He tells them that "your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things", implying that these things are necessary, but of little significance. In addition, in the following verse He tells them, “But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Luke 12:31).

Heavenly Father knows exactly what we need and He know what we can't go without. But if we seek first to follow God's plan for us, and in doing so to build up His Kingdom, then He will take care of those worldly things. He will make sure that we have everything that we truly need.

To finish, in verse 32  it says, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12:32). On the island of Geoge these words speak to me, as I truly feel like we here are His “little kingdom”. Heavenly Father wants to bless His children on this island, but He can only do it through His servants. That means that He wants to bless me. And that means that He wants to bless you on whatever “tiny island” you live in.  He wants to give us all that we need and if we are living with our focus in the right place we need not fear, because He will take care of us.

I love you all and hope you will take some time to think about where we let our focus go.

Love you and miss you,
Sister Atwood

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