In Sunday school, the teacher focused on John Chapter 9. He had an interesting take on the healing of the blind man. First we know that the man was blind from birth and was begging when Jesus came. He wasn’t given money like he was asking, but Jesus made clay with his spittle and anointed his eyes and was then told to go and wash. Okay, this is where the interesting part comes in.
Sometimes we are like the blind man. We ask for blessings from Heavenly Father and want them to come in a specific way (begging for money). Then what we get is spit and mud in our eyes. NOT what we asked for at all! And then we have to go wash it off. And being blind still, this makes it pretty hard to get where we are going. We were fine sitting in the street begging, now it’s all ruined. But what God gave was actually better than what we were asking for. He gave us sight and the ability to earn our own money and not have to beg again. Only it wasn’t completely free. We had to exercise a little faith and do something before the blessing came (wash in the river).
I have always known this to be a true principle, but looking at the incident of the blind man in the same way put it in a different light. It reminded me again of how I need to be seeking the Lords will and not my own when asking for blessings. Maybe what I see as the need isn’t what I need at all. I have to look for the greater blessing in the trials that come my way. I am 47 and this process is still something I need work on. I have always been faithful and lived the commandments, but the part about bending my will to match the Saviors is a lifelong pursuit for me. Recent events have helped me put this into clearer perspective. And recent answers to fervent prayer have shown me I really NEED to let Jesus Christ take control and not fight to stay on the same course I had in mind for my life.
I am a little excited about this new outlook. I have put my total faith in Christ about where my life is leading. I have no idea where that might be, but am confident it is a better plan than I could have made for myself. It will hurt more along the way than I want I am sure. I will get lots of mud in my eyes, but what I turn out to BE is going to be closer to God than ever before.
Many people go through tremendous trials and are then asked if they could or would do it again. They tell you that “No, Never!” But they are also just as quick to tell you that they wouldn’t trade what they learned and the closeness they felt to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ either. I am feeling a little the same. Though my burdens are heavier now than they have been in sometime, I actually feel more at peace having put Jesus Christ in charge of the outcome. I am not worried, which is HUGE for me. I have let go of the steering wheel and don’t feel like fighting to “stay in control” of the life I was leading. I was never really in control anyway.
If you know me well, you know I like to have all the answers. I like to work things out and find the plan or solution to all my problems. Then I want to jump in and tackle them right now. Gitter’ done basically. Then I try to enlist the help of my Savior, get him on board to see the solution the same way I do. But that has changed over the last couple months. I of course still have to do my best to solve my problems, but when I bring possible solutions to the Lord, I know to include in my prayers and in my ATTITUDE that “They Will Be Done.” And though I may have said this before, the difference is this time I REALLY mean it!! Then I seek to clarify that what I am asking is in keeping with His will. But I don’t let this paralyze me waiting for firm confirmation. I just move forward with the plan (start that walk to the river with spit and mud in my eyes) and when something comes up to change the direction, I can now see the course correction as something from Heavenly Father, and not as a stumbling block to my happiness.
In the past, I mostly just asked for what I thought were righteous desires. Righteous as those desires may have been, they were not always what was best for me. I see that much more clearly. I do feel a little like the blind man who has just “seen” for the first time. Though my trials be greater today, I am in such a better place in my life than ever before.
May it be the same with you. Read John 9 and see what lessons you walk away with!
Sometimes we are like the blind man. We ask for blessings from Heavenly Father and want them to come in a specific way (begging for money). Then what we get is spit and mud in our eyes. NOT what we asked for at all! And then we have to go wash it off. And being blind still, this makes it pretty hard to get where we are going. We were fine sitting in the street begging, now it’s all ruined. But what God gave was actually better than what we were asking for. He gave us sight and the ability to earn our own money and not have to beg again. Only it wasn’t completely free. We had to exercise a little faith and do something before the blessing came (wash in the river).
I have always known this to be a true principle, but looking at the incident of the blind man in the same way put it in a different light. It reminded me again of how I need to be seeking the Lords will and not my own when asking for blessings. Maybe what I see as the need isn’t what I need at all. I have to look for the greater blessing in the trials that come my way. I am 47 and this process is still something I need work on. I have always been faithful and lived the commandments, but the part about bending my will to match the Saviors is a lifelong pursuit for me. Recent events have helped me put this into clearer perspective. And recent answers to fervent prayer have shown me I really NEED to let Jesus Christ take control and not fight to stay on the same course I had in mind for my life.
I am a little excited about this new outlook. I have put my total faith in Christ about where my life is leading. I have no idea where that might be, but am confident it is a better plan than I could have made for myself. It will hurt more along the way than I want I am sure. I will get lots of mud in my eyes, but what I turn out to BE is going to be closer to God than ever before.
Many people go through tremendous trials and are then asked if they could or would do it again. They tell you that “No, Never!” But they are also just as quick to tell you that they wouldn’t trade what they learned and the closeness they felt to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ either. I am feeling a little the same. Though my burdens are heavier now than they have been in sometime, I actually feel more at peace having put Jesus Christ in charge of the outcome. I am not worried, which is HUGE for me. I have let go of the steering wheel and don’t feel like fighting to “stay in control” of the life I was leading. I was never really in control anyway.
If you know me well, you know I like to have all the answers. I like to work things out and find the plan or solution to all my problems. Then I want to jump in and tackle them right now. Gitter’ done basically. Then I try to enlist the help of my Savior, get him on board to see the solution the same way I do. But that has changed over the last couple months. I of course still have to do my best to solve my problems, but when I bring possible solutions to the Lord, I know to include in my prayers and in my ATTITUDE that “They Will Be Done.” And though I may have said this before, the difference is this time I REALLY mean it!! Then I seek to clarify that what I am asking is in keeping with His will. But I don’t let this paralyze me waiting for firm confirmation. I just move forward with the plan (start that walk to the river with spit and mud in my eyes) and when something comes up to change the direction, I can now see the course correction as something from Heavenly Father, and not as a stumbling block to my happiness.
In the past, I mostly just asked for what I thought were righteous desires. Righteous as those desires may have been, they were not always what was best for me. I see that much more clearly. I do feel a little like the blind man who has just “seen” for the first time. Though my trials be greater today, I am in such a better place in my life than ever before.
May it be the same with you. Read John 9 and see what lessons you walk away with!