Sunday, August 15, 2010

Annual vs. Perennial

I'm not sure why I've been thinking about testimony's lately but I have.
I've been thinking why it is that we can be so solid during one season and so
weak or unsure during another.
I'd like to think sometimes our testimony's are like flowers.
Either its an annual or a perennial.
Annuals must be planted each spring and they die off in the fall.
Perennials are planted once or every so many years and come back each spring.
Perennials either re-seed themselves or they are bulbs and just hang out during the winter.
So many times I've been so strong and firm in the faith that I would have to say I was a hardy perennial.
Other times I've been an annual and had to re-seed over and over depending on the season.
Alma 32:26-27
" Now, as I said concerning faith- that is was not a perfect knowledge-even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know if their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge. "
27. "But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more then desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words."
Now I'm sure you all know what comes next.
vs.28-43
Comparison of the seed.
A classic reading for missionaries.
I wanted to focus on vs.26 and 27 though.
"...awake and arouse your faculties,..."
I take this to mean that we need to have the thought first. Engage our minds with idea's. Expose ourselves to situations that might teach us. Our faculties could be our hearts, minds or hands. Just having a question about a principle can open doors to other principles that we hadn't really thought about yet.
"...if ye can no more then desire to believe,..."
Sometimes we want something that we may not be ready for.
And that is okay.
As we learn the basics and come to really know them, feel them and want them in our lives
the rest seems to follow in the order it was intended.
The Lord is more looking for those who desire to do his will. He knows we may not be ready just yet.
"...even untill ye can give place for a portion of my words."
Isn't it nice to know that Heavenly Father doesn't expect us to accept his words without thought.
He wants us to make room in our minds for learning, exploring and then accepting it in our hearts.
So maybe I've been thinking about testimony's lately because I need to make more room in my mind to ponder these things.
Then with the help of the spirit, my heart can be filled with truth and light.
Like a perennial.
Season after season.
S.C.

1 comment: