Live as though you were an answer to someone's prayer

I watched one of the mormon messages today on the church's youtube channel. I was impressed that such a simple story could give me such a profound feeling in my heart. I told the story to Melia and Savannah tonight when I put them to bed. I could see on Melia's face that she was feeling the spirit. It reminded me how receptive she is to stories and that perhaps I should take advantage of that in these early years while she still is willing to listen and learn.

The story itself made me ponder on the choices that we make when faced with opportunity. It made me resolve to live my life in a way that I can be an answer to someone's prayer.

You can view the story below

The Miracle of the Chinese Bamboo Tree

After the seed for this amazing tree is planted, you see nothing. absolutely nothing, for four years except for a tiny shoot coming out of a bulb. During those four years, all the growth is underground in a massive, fibrous root structure that spreads deep and wide in the earth. But then in the fifth year the Chinese bamboo tree grows up to eighty feet.

Many things in family life are like the Chinese bamboo tree. You work and you invest time and effort, and you do everything you can possibly do to nurture growth, and sometimes you dont see anything for weeks, months, or even years. But if you're patient and keep working and nurturing, that "fifth year" will come, and you will be astonished at the growth and change you see taking place.

(Steven R Covey, The 7 Hapits of Highly Effective Families, pg 23)

Today I read something from a discourse given by Brigham Young that was interesting. He said:

 "An Elder of Israel may preach the principles of the Gospel, from first to last, as they were taught to him, to a congregation ignorant of them; but if he does not do it under the influence of the Spirit of the Lord, he cannot enlighten that congregation on those principles." JD vol 1:3 pg 4

I find this very interesting the way he puts it. In essence he is saying you could say the same words that were used when you learned a principle but if its empty and void of the spirit, those words will not enlighten those being taught. There is something to be said to the way we deliver the message and the way we prepare our mind and heart. If we earnestly pray for the spirit, it will attend us.

I will be posting random spiritual thoughts on this blog. Stay tuned for updates