Gifts of the Spirit

This month was full of gifts. As we look forward to a New Year, let’s focus on how we are using those gifts we received.

Last week we spoke about gifts from God and the role of Jesus Christ as that central and most important gift in our lives. To further this discussion, let’s talk about the spiritual gifts God gives us.

The scriptures speak of spiritual gifts such as, wisdom, healing, tongues, etc (1Corinthians 12 & Moroni 10:1-19). I would venture to say that spiritual gifts might also extend beyond the talents and blessings listed in these scriptures. To God all things are spiritual because all things are given of Him and are meant for His purposes (Doctrine & Covenants 29:34). So, in a way, all gifts, talents and blessings are really Gifts of the Spirit. I do not say this to take away from those gifts listed in the scriptures, but rather to open your mind to potential gifts that you personally have received from God.

What God Expects

To help us better understand spiritual gifts and what God expects us to do with them, let's turn to the parable of the talents. In the scriptures, the Savior tells of a lord with three servants, whom he provides with a portion of money. The first servant receives five talents (or money), the second receives two talents and the third receives one.  The first and the second both used the lord’s talents wisely to double their increase for the lord. "But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money (Matthew 25:18)."

When the lord followed up with the servants, the first two had great things to report, but the last explained, “…I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine (Matthew 25:25).” In other words, this servant assumed that it would be better to hold onto the talent than to risk losing it. The lord was not happy with this explanation and responded:

Matthew 25:26-30 

26 ….Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
 27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
 28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
 29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Why did the lord respond this way? The servant was only trying to ensure that he took good care of what was given to him and not lose it. But that was not the point. The lord did not give him the talent to simply maintain it—he could have done that himself.

The lord gave this man a single talent because he wanted him to cultivate it and increase his gain. At the very least He wanted the servant to try--even if he gained nothing. This is why the lord called him “slothful” and an “unprofitable servant.” The point of the servant receiving this talent was cultivate it and provide and effort to make a profit, not just sit on it. But the servant did not even try. Instead, he gave way to his fears rather than exercising faith in the trust the lord placed in him. The same sometimes holds true in our own lives. 

Applying It To Our Own Lives

What I love about this story is that the money is called “talents.” It provides an easy comparison to our own lives. How is this story true for you? How many of us have God-given talents or opportunities that we ignore, hide, bury, pass-by, forget, neglect or do not take the time to discover?

God has given unique talents and opportunities to each of us personally. What have we done with them? Have we been profitable with our talents? If one talent came to a dead end after a sincere effort, did we just give up on it or refuse to put our efforts into other talents? Not just temporally, but also mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We should use our talents to increase both the quality and quantity of each. All of us hold different talents and play a unique and equally important role in God’s comprehensive plan of happiness.

1 Corinthians 12:12 

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

As we move forward into this New Year and think of resolutions for ourselves, reflect on those talents, gifts and blessings that God has already given you and use them for your benefit, for the benefit of others, and for God.

Have a very happy New Year!

Gifts God Gives Us: A Tribute to Stephanie Jeppsen Bennett

Tonight my thoughts are with my wife's extended family. Just this morning my wife got a phone call from her mother about her cousin. Yesterday, she went to the hospital with pains thought to be related to her pregnancy, but once the baby was born, they found she had passed away.

Although I knew her only briefly through occasional family gatherings, my heart breaks no less for her and her husband, children, family and friends.

What can be said more about love and sacrifice than a mother who gives her life for the birth of a child? Few acts of love and sacrifice are even comparable, let alone comprehendible. The reality of life at times like these may seem blurred, but two things should remain clear—her selflessness and God's love.

What a gift this young mother was from God to her family and friends, but losing her in this life is not a gift lost forever, because of the gift of Jesus Christ.

The birth of the Savior Jesus Christ was only an earthly beginning. The greatest gift God gave mankind came through Jesus Christ’s life, ministry and His atoning sacrifice in our behalf. This act alone broke the bonds of sin and death for all mankind, making it possible for all of us to live with God and our loved ones again, if we will but follow Him.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

Jesus Christ took upon Him not only all of our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane, He took upon Himself our pains, afflictions, sorrows, and burdens. His love is real. If we can turn to Him, He can take these pains from us. If we pour out our hearts to Him, He will help us see more clearly the brightness tomorrow holds. He will give us hope in all the goodness that surrounds us, even when the day seems dark or dim. Jesus Christ paid recompense in our behalf to bring to pass our salvation.

Through the heartache of this young mother’s passing, I pray that her newborn child may stand as a symbol of her sacrifice and love, of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice, and of God’s love for all of us. How beautiful is the life of this newborn child.

Jesus Christ’s willing sacrifice made it possible for all of us—especially this young mother and her little family—to be reunited in God’s eternal realms with our families forever.

The greatest gift God ever gave mankind was Jesus Christ! May we never forget this truth. May we find hope, solace and peace in Him—The Prince of Peace. And may the true spirit of Christ be with us this Christmas.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Bennett Family this Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Please help Stephanie's young family this Christmas by clicking on this link: Stephanie “a mother’s love knows no bounds!”

Gifts We Give God

I was unsure how to approach this week's topic at first. It seems that most of the types of gifts we give to God (at least the ones that come first to my mind) are those that we give to our fellowmen. Like service projects, providing for those in need, preaching the gospel, or donating to a worthy cause--all similar things to last week's topic:

Matthew 25:40  

Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

So I turned the question upside-down. Instead of asking what gifts I can give to God, I asked myself, "What gifts am I holding back from God?"

Gifts We Hold Back

Asking this question opened my heart and mind to the types of gifts that we can only give to God. Rather than give my own example of what I mean, let me share a parable from the Lord:

Matthew 19:16-22

16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 

17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.  

18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,  

19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  

20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?  

21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.  

22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

Do you think this parable was really only about material possessions or giving to the poor? Like this rich young ruler, many of us say to ourselves, “I am doing all the things the Lord has asked me to do.” What holds many of us back are not the things that we are doing (right or wrong), but rather the things that we will not let go of in our hearts.

You know what I am talking about. Those selfish little vices. Those “favorite little sins.” Perhaps there is a person that you have not forgiven. Maybe you have refused to take accountability for something that you did wrong. Perhaps there is a talent you refuse to use or cultivate. For most of us holding our gifts back from the Lord usually boils down to laziness, apathy, doubt, anger or pride.

What We Can We Do About It
Change laziness to diligence. Change apathy to willingness. Change doubt to faith. Change anger to love. Change pride to humility. But how?

Exodus 35:5 

Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: whosoever is of a willing heart , let him bring it, an offering of the Lord;...,

As this scripture illustrates, we need two things: 1.) A willing heart. 2.) To bring it to the Lord.

The gifts of the heart that we give to God do not always come instantly because we have been holding onto the polar opposite for so long. Sometimes we can flip the switch and give our hearts to Him all at once. But other times (if not most) we have to consciously work on incrementally giving our hearts to God. We need to simply be willing to try, with a hope and a prayer that He will help you remove the negative and fill it with the positive. Giving our hearts is really just another way to describe faith. 

Just remember that giving God your heart is not all or nothing from the start. It is a willingness to start and actually do it. In truth, He does want all our hearts in the end, but He realizes that it takes time for us to get there. Remember, “The Lord looketh on the heart” (1Samuel 16:7). Which means that the Lord sees your willingness, as well as sincere efforts and desires.

So this Christmas, ask yourself, “What gifts am I holding back from God?” Then you will know the gift you need to start giving to God this year.

May we all find within ourselves a willing heart and bring it to Him this Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Gifts We Give Our Fellowmen

THE GREATEST GIFT IS LOVE

Last week we spoke about why we give gifts and what is a real gift. For the next two weeks we are going to talk about the gifts we give.

In Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus Christ teaches that the two great commandments are to love God and love your neighbor.

We are going to approach this topic backwards, like a countdown.  

God teaches that “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40

What type of gifts do you give others or do others give you?

How do we give this gift of love to others?

One gift of love that I have both given and received recently is forgiveness. A little while ago at a job, I had a boss who praised my efforts and the results I brought the organization. She often told me that in five years she wanted to see me in her position.

Then, over time, attitudes changed as conflicts in the office occurred with co-workers butting heads, myself included.  Everyone complained to my boss and we all looked dumb and childish in retrospect. Long story short, I left the organization after finding a new job with unkind feelings toward my boss for allowing the problem to go on and toward some co-workers for fueling the fire. The irony was that I loved that job and my co-workers more than any other before and since.

Fast forward, I recently went to an event where I knew my former boss would be. I thought that it would be hard if I saw her, but instead of avoiding I chose to forgive by seeking out my former boss and giving her a BIG hug. There is something about forgiveness that helps you find inner peace.

Then, just moments ago, I received a message on Facebook from one of my former co-workers—the person whom I felt fueled the fire more than anyone else. He proceeded to tell me that he had wanted to send me a message for a long time. He said he wanted me to know that he thought I was a wonderful person regardless of our differences. In other words, he was both asking for forgiveness and giving forgiveness. It was mutual.

I found peace knowing that through this gift of love and forgiveness, no hard feelings were harbored. We messaged back and forth and even talked about getting together with some of our old co-workers for lunch.

It is amazing what gifts of love can do not only for those we give to, but also for ourself.

So this Christmas, what gifts of love will you give to your fellowmen? Forgiveness? Service? Laughter? Your company? An invitation? Fulfilling a need? Something else?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Why Gifts?

www.lds.org/media-library

Meaningful Gifts
I am the type that loves gifts with meaning. I always hate it when someone asks me, “What do you want for Christmas?” Quite frankly, the types of things that I want are items that I need to save up for myself, like a truck or a trip to Disneyland with my family. What I really “want for Christmas” is a gift that shows you care and took time to be thoughtful.

However, I have been guilty of not appreciating well-meaning and thoughtful gifts. Take the nose hair trimmer my brother got me one year. No, seriously. He heard me complaining about getting old and…well…having nose hair (TMI, I know). So he bought me a hair-nose trimmer that actually had various attachments so that I could also trim my hair because I cut my own hair. I still laugh about that gift. 

The next year as we drew names for sibling gifts I jokingly whined about the nose hair trimmers. My family saw what I was saying, but another brother made a sarcastic comment about being ungrateful and made me sound like a whining 5-year old. Immediately, I realized my hypocrisy, because my brother truly did put thought into the gift. Not only was the gift thoughtful, the mere thought of getting a nose hair trimmer for Christmas has brought me continued laughter and joy just thinking about it. It really is the gift that keeps on giving ;)

What is a Gift?

The world needs more meaningful gifts and we need to do a better job at appreciating the thoughtfulness of the gifts we receive. Christmas gifts should not be like a waiter’s gratuity. We should not expect a minimum of 15% from others and we should not complain if we receive the bare minimum or less than what we expected. Likewise, our own thoughtfulness in giving gifts to others should not justify us in complaining about (what we think are) thoughtless or lame gifts that we receive from others.

Gifts are meant to be given WITHOUT expectations in return. Just Google the definition of “Gift” if you don't believe me:

Noun: A thing given willingly to someone without payment; a present. "a Christmas gift" 

Verb: Give (something) as a gift, especially formally or as a donation or bequest.  "the company gifted 2,999 shares to a charity"

Why We Give Gifts

My point is that gifts are not the point of giving gifts. Confused?

The point of a gift is to show thought, honor, respect and/or love for someone or something that we care about. You cannot tell me that when a little child draws you a picture for your Birthday, Christmas, or just for the heck of it, that your heart does not melt at their instinctive nature to love and give you a meaningful gift. That is why we give gifts. That is why the Wise Men gave gifts to the Christ child.

Matthew 2:10-11

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.  And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

The Wise Men did not give gifts first. They joyed and worshiped first. They did not give gifts because it was an expectation. They did not feel a sense to show up one another. Their gifts were meant to be a simple outward expression of their joy, worship, respect and love for Jesus Christ who would someday sacrifice his own life for the sins of all mankind. 

Jesus Christ's sacrifice was the greatest gift ever given to all of God’s children—that includes you—even if we refuse to accept or acknowledge it.

While the Wise Men’s gifts may have seemed meager in comparison to Jesus Christ’s ultimate gift to all of us, it was not the gifts that mattered—it was what those gifts represented. May our gifts this Christmas be in the same spirit of love for the Savior of the world and those around us.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Daily Thanksgiving

Room For A New Tradition

One of the new traditions I really enjoy about Thanksgiving are the daily posts I see on social media from various people. At first I thought it to be a bit hokey and contrived—in other words—cheesy. It also seemed to be somewhat of a bragging session with some people.

However, this year I saw a person post how excited they were for November to be able to express their gratitude on a daily basis. This is where my attitude changed. I realized this new tradition provided a way for people to actually take the time to think about what they are truly grateful for and express it over an extended period of time—not just on Thanksgiving Day.

Still A Need For The Old Fashion

On the other hand, I have to give credit to my brother who also gave a call to action, petitioning his Facebook friends to do more than make blanket statements of gratitude through social media. He admonished people to actually express their gratitude in person or through a true sentiment to those whom they are grateful for—not just through social media.

Thanks And Joy

This brings my mind back to last week’s post about service. I am the type who is most happy when I forget my own troubles and help others. There is nothing more gratifying to me than helping someone in need or doing something nice for someone else. Seeing the appreciative glow on their face fills my thoughts and heart for days. I also feel this same gratitude, love and joy when others take the time to serve and help me. There is something to be said about serving others that brings both the giver and the receiver joy—and it’s nice to feel that joy from both ends.

So what brings this joy? A thankful heart!

“Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.” - Alma 26:27

Think about it. The things that we are truly most thankful for are generally the things that bring us the most joy and vice versa. I can tell you that I was full of thanks and joy when my brother and neighbor helped me reconstruct the awning to my front porch. I can also name a few other things, like my wife and my children (which I am most grateful for), like the sister in church who selflessly helps with my kids every week (she is a lifesaver), like a warm house after putting up the Christmas lights (too early, I know), or even those little chocolate mints after eating at an Italian restaurant (mmmm...).

Joy and thanks seem to go hand-in-hand. However, we often indulge in the joy, yet forget to express the thanks that so naturally compliments it. The expression of thanks can open our eyes to the blessing that we were blinded to before and help us find an unrealized degree of joy. Not just this month, but on a daily basis. Let that sink in for a bit.

So instead of loafing around while gravy drips down your face or planning your Black Friday special-ops strategy this Thanksgiving, spend a little more time this week—and from now on—giving thanks! It could do wonders for you and those around you—but only you can make it happen.

Live In Thanksgiving Daily - Alma 34:38

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Find Yourself In Service

This afternoon I got home ready to tag-team the kids with my wife and begin work on this week's blog post and topic. As my wife was headed out the door she asked, "Would you mind cleaning off and wiping the counters in the kitchen?" I explained I already had plans for the next hour before we had to tag-team the kids back again. She said it was okay...with hesitation.

That should have been my first clue. After she left, I begrudgingly convinced myself that I needed to help out, but all I really wanted to do was get started on this post, because I didn't know when else I would have time to do it. Then came my second clue--I remembered my topic for this week is Service!

Let's just say that I wiped down the kitchen chairs too.

What is Service?
When you hear the word "service," what do you think of? Do terms likes, cleaning service or repair service come to mind? Or is it that cheesy dance movie from 2004, "You Got Served." I hope not. That movie got a 3.3 star rating (out of 10) on IMDB.

The top definition that popped up when I Google searched "service" was: "The action of helping or doing work for someone."

We are not talking about paid service here. No, what we are talking about here is serving others. You know, helping people out when they need a hand and without any sort of expectations in return. Not familiar with that kind of service? Well, let's get acquainted.

Service We Receive
In my mind, service is the opposite of laziness. Let me give you a great example that involves the awning to my front porch. You know the type. Falling apart, rotting away. An eye-sore. Blight. Okay, maybe not that bad, but it definitely needed to be taken care of.

Classic story here: Man sees project. Man attempts project. Man discovers bigger project than he anticipated. Man gets stuck with heap-big mess and no real solution.

Needless to say, I called my younger brother as a recruit. We spent most of the day trying to solve the problem, but found it growing larger. As my brother and I made our attempts, my neighbor from down the street drove past a couple of times and gave us a curious grin and wave each time he passed. Meanwhile, my other neighbors thought we are putting up Christmas lights and proceeded to put their kids to work on their home (awesome).

As dusk approached, the neighbor from down the street drove up again and stopped to see what we were doing. I explained the project and he followed up with a series of logical questions--you know, like stuff about proper tools and materials--all of which we had not really thought about. Seeing our plight, he took me to his home and dished out supplies, then followed me back and watched us fumble for a little bit. However, before I knew it, he was a part of the team. In the end, we had a full-blown, professionally shingled roof for the awning (Oh ya, double awesome)!

As it turns out, my neighbor is a general contractor. That morning he had already driven about three hours south for a job, returned home for a bit, and then drove an hour east for another job. By the time he stopped at my house it was well past dinner. By the time we completed the roof for my awning it was past 10 pm. To top off the night, my Christmas light neighbors realized we were not as festive as they originally thought and came over to see if I needed additional help.

That day four people came to my aid (well, actually five, if you count my wife taking care of everything else for the day). Each served in their own way, but I was equally grateful for all of them. None of them had to do what they did. They all had a lot on their plates and sacrificed their own time just to help out. I could not have been more grateful.

Service We Give
Not all service requires the same commitment of those who helped me. Service comes in many forms, like the example of simply helping my wife with the kitchen counters. What I didn't mention earlier was that my wife had already scrubbed all the pots and pans (the worst chore in the kitchen), all while taking care of a sick child. Other people serve by making donations, teaching a life skill or just providing daily help to a loved one in a difficult situation.

Why We Fail To Serve
I find that the greatest service opportunities I pass up are not when I am too busy, but when I am too lazy. Often, when I am taking the chance to sit down after a day of work, my kids come and ask me to help with something--usually trivial--like tying a bow on something in their room. My robot response is generally, "I will help you in a minute." Then after using that line for about 10 to 20 minutes, I find myself agitated by their relentless requests and resort to doing it. In reality though, if I would have helped them in the first place, I could have been done in less than a minute and truly relaxed for the remaining 19.

The Benefits of Service
I am starting to realize that the little opportunities to give service are never trivial and often have the biggest impacts in our lives. As my children are starting to get a little older and learning to refuse to help around the house, I realize that my own laziness has taught them laziness. However, if I can serve them with the same swiftness that I wish they would render when I asked them to do something, perhaps their reactions might be more positive. Why? Because I will have showed them how to respond in a more positive way. This may sound too idealistic, and sometimes it really is, but as I have gotten my rear off the couch and tried, I have found that it is true for the most part.  I have found that they naturally want to show me service in the same way I showed them service.

Service incorporates selflessness, kindness, and sacrifice, which are often accompanied by love and gratitude from those whom we serve or serve us. Who wouldn't want that, right?

Enough with my stories, because I want to hear yours! There are hundreds of ways to serve and probably a thousand more benefits that come from service. I have not even scratched the surface. What has service meant to you? From who? Why? Name just one. Like a friend, a family member, an act, a sacrifice, or a type of service, like that of our military "service" men and women.

Here are a couple of scriptural references to study more about service:

The Good Samaritan, Luke 10:30-37

King Benjamin, Mosiah 2:11-19

Be sure to share!

Nourish The Seed of Faith

Nourish Your Faith

So often we forget that faith takes nourishment in the same way that a seed needs water, sun and soil. It takes faith that a seed will grow into a tree and produce good fruit. But we cannot expect a seed to grow and produce good fruit if we do not nourish it, prune it, and pull out the weeds. We have to do our part. We need to nourish our faith.

Shed The Negative & Pay Attention

How often do we forget to nourish our faith with positive influences, prune out the excess in our lives, and weed ourselves from the doubt that pulls us down? In fact, so often many of us do the opposite. 

Whenever I am stressed, struggle with a situation or have a bad day, I find myself counting and listing off every little stress, struggle or problem in my life, almost as if no one could achieve so great a feat as having as many problems as me. Admit it, we all tend to do it. It is only human that when we are stressed our minds naturally gravitate to everything else that is stressing us out.

There are lots of valid excuses, exceptions, and problems in our lives to negate our faith. However, sometimes our problem is that we simply do not pay enough attention and place enough focus on the right things. We can't expect to grow an apple tree if we plant seeds for a lemon tree. Similarly, you wouldn't spray poison on a seed or rip it out because you were unsure that it would grow. So, why would spray poison on your faith or rip it out of your heart because of a fear that it will not work? 

Shed the negative and pay attention.

Believe It Can Work

Paul from the New Testament taught, "...faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1)."

Some people can honestly say, "I tried everything and nothing came of it." 

However, failure--or what may seem like failure--is only a failure if we learn nothing from it. Faith is always a success if we learn and grow from it. 

Likewise, faith is not truly faith if we try, but do not believe that it can actually work. You need both belief and effort. Believe it can work.

Keep Trying

No real success ever came without effort. God will bless you for your continued efforts. So don't give up.

I started this week by talking about building faith. So let me close this week by advocating that if we want to build faith and find the benefits of it in our lives, we must:

1. Nourish our faith
2. Shed the negative and pay attention
3. Believe that it can actually work
4. Keep trying

Want to read more about building and nourishing faith? Read: Alma 32: 27-43 & Hebrews 11

Share your stories, create uplifting conversation, build character and spread the goodness by sharing this blog!

#ThisWeekInFaith #TWIF #faith

Building Faith

I don't know about you, but in my life it seems like "Faith" is a reoccurring theme. Not only faith in God, but also faith in myself, faith in others, faith that my family is safe when I am not with them, faith that I will get that project for work done on time, faith that my wife won't kill me when she finds out that I forgot to do the dishes (oh wait, that's hope...probably vain hope too), faith that I can keep up with my high-energy children, faith that I can do what is right at the right time, faith that I don't screw everything up trying so hard or not trying hard enough--which all kind of circles back to Faith in God. 

If you are anything like me, I learn the most from my experiences and I like to learn by hearing about other's experiences too. I love a good story and finding a life lesson from that story. I have lots of stories, just ask anyone who knows me. So I thought I would kick-off this blog with my most recent story on Faith.

The Direction
Recently, my wife and I have made a lot of decisions surrounding my career path. During this effort I was visiting my dad and he was talking about his service in the Navy and how amazing it would be to have one of his kids be in the military. In the past I have not thought much of these types of comments because I have a couple of past medical issues, like hernia surgeries that I thought would disqualify me. However, this time I felt inclined to entertain the discussion further and soon learned that I might be eligible for a waiver.

The more I spoke with my dad the more I felt a strong and ever-growing prompting to look into joining the United States military. Immediately after our conversation, I looked at my wife and asked her to go for a drive with me. As we drove, I conveyed the strong promptings I felt to look into the military. Over the next month, the more we spoke about it and looked into it the more confident we felt through a strong and ever-growing peace. 

The Fear

But it seemed so contradictory. The whole idea of joining the military scared us! It seemed to contradict everything we prayed for in a job—like being able to give more time to my family. However, one thought motivated me to keep my faith: “I do not want to be swallowed by a whale like Jonah.” I could just picture myself walking by a pond at a local park, when out of no where a giant whale jumps out and swallows me whole! Or for that matter, the next time I visit Sea World, Shamu may jump the tank and swallow me as I sit helplessly licking a Popsicle in the stands. Not really kids. 

The Faith

With kidding aside, what figurative whales could truly swallow me for not listening and not having faith enough to trust that God would not lead me astray? I do not think that God is vindictive. In fact, I believe that God actually saved Jonah that day when he was swallowed by a whale. I believe that when we fail to put forth faith in God, we fail to see clearly the direction He is trying to give us. Thus, by failing to see His direction clearly, we lead ourselves into harm’s way. I mean, Jonah was the one who went on the boat and then told the crew to throw him overboard, not God.

So my wife and I approached the Lord in prayer. We expressed that we felt His promptings to look into the military and asked for doors to be open. We expressed our fears, but focused on our faith and willingness to follow regardless. Then, as quickly as we asked, doors were opened. I found a position that exactly fit my expertise and it was in the Navy—just like my dad. In fact, it was so good that if I were accepted into the program, I would start four ranks higher than what my dad retired at after 20 years.

The Challenge of Our Faith

The only problem was that I had just three weeks to prepare for the selection board deadline. In that time I would need to study, take a test, conduct three interviews, gather dozens of personal records and history, fill out a ton of paperwork, and get scheduled for a full physical exam.

Unfortunately, with each step we took, we found road block after road block. But knowing of God’s goodness, we took the same steps at each road block that we took before—we prayed to God for direction and His miracles to open doors and clear paths. At one point it looked as though a simple miscommunication with the recruiter was going to foil three weeks of non-stop hard work, only a few days before the deadline. So we prayed for God’s miracles. The next day we learned that the recruiter called the national office to see if he could submit my application and provide one remaining part a couple of days after the deadline. To his surprise, he learned that the deadline was pushed back an entire month. My wife and I also felt surprise and relief, although we immediately recognized God’s hand.

During the next month we put forth relentless effort as my wife continued to work full-time and I worked part-time, helped manage a political campaign and served in the clergy for my local congregation--not to mention caring for our three beautiful kids. But just as before, we ran into roadblock after roadblock with the application process. In fact, only four days before the submission deadline, the recruiter told me that he never received a college transcript I ordered a month earlier. I spent the next day tracking down an amazingly helpful friend and personal connection--all while praying and paying--to have the documentation shipped in time.

The Lessons

With each step I felt humbled at God’s hand and mercy. I felt like I was blind folded and listening for the right voice to guide my next step, trusting that I would not fall. 

I never fell. I never even tripped. I never felt weak or vulnerable. In fact, I felt strong, at peace, and more in control of my life than ever before. 

Strangely, I didn't get accepted into the Navy. And not because I was not qualified. The day before the submission deadline, the Navy's national medical board denied my request for a waiver for an unforeseen medical item 15 years earlier. My application never even made it to the board for review. Three months of searching, working, praying, following and more came to an abrupt dead end. Seems anti-climatic, huh? Emotionally, it was. 

Some may ask questions like, “Where was God when you needed Him?”or "Why would God lead you to a dead end?" or “What happened to your faith?” To that I simply say, “God and my faith were both there all along.” We may not understand all of God’s direction in our lives, but if we listen, our character, integrity and strength will grow beyond what we can measure or accomplish on our own. And really, isn't that what faith is truly all about?

During those three months I learned to trust and exercise patience in a way I had not before. Our willingness and humility deeply expanded to a point we did not realize we possessed. Most importantly, my wife and I grew closer together and to God. We depended on each other and God. Our love and lives became more fortified as we worked together. Prior fears were washed away, while hope filled our hearts and turned into faith.

At the end of Jonah's experience with Nineveh--when he actually went--he discovered that his fears were in vain. To his great surprise, the people listened, believed His words and repented. (Jonah 1 -3)

My point is that faith teaches us to move past our fears and recognize that we don't know everything--but God does. We cannot always be in control of the journey, but we can control our character while we travel. Faith gives us hope to reach further, try harder and do better. It makes us better people.

If you are struggling with your faith and sincerely looking for help, please share and read about other's experiences that may help you. Remember that a seed cannot grow into a tree over night and neither will your faith--you have to nourish it. We'll talk more on that later!

On that note, I leave you with this video about exercising faith even when we reach a dead end. I am sure that a lot of you have incredible experiences of faith to share. Watch this video and please share your thoughts, stories and comments below about faith. What is Faith? How do we build it? Why do we need it? How has it strengthened and blessed you or those you love or admire?

Wrong Roads: http://youtu.be/yNQC-_srxH8

 #thisweekinfaith #TWIF #faith