The only good story I have for you is that my companion and I were trying to do a "small act of kindness for our bishop who lives at the top of a mountain outside Wrexham. I sorta remembered where someone said he lived and I had been driven there twice both different ways and so I said, Ok lets go we got the time. Well We start riding and we get up on top of the mountain about an hour later and then I say...."hmmm, Elder this doesn't look like the place..." He just stares at me..."Yupp, we went up the wrong mountain Elder..." Well then we rode down and just to let you know the return trip in the pitch black dark at about I would guess 30-40mph took only about 5-10 minutes. Elder Gordon got scared though and hit his brakes so I had to stop and wait for him at a couple places. But let me tell you, I haven't had an adrenaline rush like that for about 3 years or so. It felt a little like Splash Mountain...Too bad it wasn't raining then it would have been exactly the same! We went up to Bishop's mountain a couple days later and it was not as tall nor as fun on the way back...it flattened out at some points which just made it like a normal road...LAME! Wales and its back roads are beautiful though...
Anyways, We have been finding new and filtering through the old investigators we have and trying to figure out which one God wants us to focus on. We will see what we can do for the work here. There is only so many first lessons you can teach before one of them sticks and at the moment we are about 40-1/0 and so we have been evaluating the lessons and trying to figure out where we are going wrong, but the people commit, they have calendars, another time to see, the spirit is there. We are trying to follow up and so that is where we are going to put a lot of our emphasis this week. We have ZC with President Kophishke of the European Area Presidency. There is also another meeting I have to go to in Manchester this friday and with exchanges, I may not be in my area until Saturday. So we shall see how that goes!
There was Stake Conference yesterday. The stake presidency was released. Elder Teixera, 2nd counselor in the Area Presidency, was there with Elder Wright of the Seventy. He mentioned something about his family. And a thought came to my mind. Underdog. Now I am not talking about the movie about a flying superhero dog with a red cape and a yellow U. I am not talking about the underdog of a BYU sports team when Dad was watching them. But I am thinking about the swing set. Specifically in Pennsylvania. I hadn't thought about that for years. I hadn't though about Dad besides talking about the Plan of Salvation on the street. I hadn't thought about him all day really, but rarely a day goes by without something reminding me. But it was only 10 in the morning and nothing had really happened yet. So there I was sitting and this though and the images of the swing sets in Pennsylvania came into my mind. I thought of the word Underdog and how I could hear it as he ran underneath me and us. Again and again and again. I spaced out for awhile thinking about it and then another thought came. This was something I have thought about a lot. Something I knew I would always remember right when it happened.
Dad was in the grey recliner, unconcious from the medicine, he had been there for a couple days. To prevent bed soars, he needed to be moved. Mom was there. Dana was there. Michael was on his way over. Mom asked me to see if I could move him from the chair to the bed. I can feel him in my arms right now, like I just did it. Mom held his head. Dana held the equipment and I slid my arms around him and as gently as we could moved him to the bed. I never knew how much agony he was in or how concious he was until then, but the groan from that lift was not from me, but him. I did it and can remember it because I love him so much. I lifted him who once lifted me. The scriptures that tie this in is this:
3 Nephi 27:14
14 And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—
Luke 22:42-44
42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, aremove this cup from me: nevertheless not my bwill, but thine, be done.
43 And there appeared an aangel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
44 And being in an aagony he prayed more earnestly: band his sweat was as it were great drops of cblood falling down to the ground.
I am grateful for the example he set. Mosiah 24:16. He endured with Patience and Faith and submitted cheerfully to the biggest task ever asked of him. He was delivered from the enemy which held him bound. His spirit had to leave because his spirit had out grown the frail frame. The resurrection is not yet, but when it is, he will be there.
I love you all,
Elder Blackburn
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