So, with that said, this week has been awesome. The first day, Wednesday, was mainly used in helping Elder Hale get moved in and adjusted to the new mission life down here in Colorado. The transfer bus was late getting down to the Mission Home on Tuesday, so he got here around eight o'clock, too late to do much more than get home and pass out in bed. So, we spent the day getting to know each other, planning for the new transfer, and getting all the groceries and supplies he could need. The day went pretty well, except for our District Meeting, where it was basically just a big get-to-know-you meeting that just went crazy and ridiculous. And I had actually been hoping we'd have a serious discussion this time!
Anyways, both Thursday and Friday were spent about the same way, with Us doing service in the mornings while doing serious tracking in the afternoon. On Thursday, both us and the Lafayette Elders helped out this place called EFAA (Emergency Family Aid Association) by cleaning one of the units that a new family was going to be moving into soon. Once we got to cleaning, though, both Elder Stone and I knew that there was just no way a new family could move in just yet. Just looking at the bathroom was enough for me to think we'd need a professional team and a power-washer to get the place clean enough for anyone to live in. Suffice to say, it didn't look too good.
On Saturday, we did even more service, as the Lafayette Elders asked us once more to help them out, this time with moving a family into an apartment complex in their area. We readily agreed, and quickly went to work. It was a really fun time, because we were able to joke around while doing the work. At one point, when there was a bit of a lag in getting the objects out the truck, one of the other elders stood from the balcony of the third floor and threw empty water bottles down at us like they were throwing knives or grenades. This eventually led to all of us, the family members included, having a water-bottle fight where we tried to shoot each other with water from water bottles. It was a really good way to end the move, as it had been an incredibly hot and exhausting day.
Now, then, that pretty much leads me to the end of my week, which means--it's time for the Spiritual Thought! This week's topic is...don't get distracted. To best explain my topic, I'd like to share a story once told by President Uchtdorf of the First Presidency. As you may have guessed, the story is about an airplane. It's called the Story of the Lightbulb.
"On a dark December night [42] years ago, a Lockheed 1011 jumbo jet crashed into the Florida Everglades, killing over 100 people. This terrible accident was one of the deadliest crashes in the history of the United States.
A curious thing about this accident is that all vital parts and systems of the airplane were functioning perfectly--the plane could have easily landed safely at its destination in Miami, only 20 miles (32km) away.
During the final approach, however, the crew noticed that one green light had failed to illuminate--a light that indicates whether or not the nose landing gear has extended successfully. The pilots discontinued the approach, set the aircraft into a circling holding pattern over the pitch-black Everglades, and turned their attention toward investigating the problem.
They became so preoccupied with their search that they failed to realize the plane was gradually descending closer and closer toward the dark swamp below. By the time someone noticed what was happening, it was too late to avoid the disaster.
After the accident, investigators tried to determine the cause. The landing gear had indeed lowered properly. The plane was in perfect mechanical condition. Everything was working properly--all except one thing: a single burned-out lightbulb. That tiny bulb--worth about 20 cents--started the chain of events that ultimately led to the tragic death of over 100 people.
Of course, the malfunctioning lightbulb didn’t cause the accident; it happened because the crew placed its focus on something that seemed to matter at the moment while losing sight of what mattered most."(Dieter F. Uchtdorf, We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down, General Conference April 2009)
Sometimes, in our lives, we can easily be distracted by things that aren't of greatest importance. Though some of these things aren't the worst things in the world, or even in of themselves "bad", like our work, or television, or...Magic: The Gathering trading cards...they can still distract us from the most important things in our lives. They can distract us from Jesus Christ, His role in our lives as our Savior, and our purpose while on earth. Though our distractions may be great, we can readjust ourselves--refocus on our spiritual altitude rather than the pesky green light bulbs of life.
How do we do this? The answer is very simple--read the scriptures every day. Pray to our Heavenly Father every day. Attend church every Sabbath Day. Do so with a mind set on Christ, with real intent, willing to do the will of the Lord, and the distractions will have no power over us, to bring us away from the work we are each called to do. I know this to be true, if we build ourselves upon a foundation of scripture study, prayer, and worthy church attendance, a foundation upon Christ, "that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm [and other distractions] shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." (Helaman 5:12)
This I say on the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
--Elder Z.S.Weber
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