All Callings Have Claim On Revelation

[Carborendum]

One of my callings is the ward music chair.  That means that I pick the hymns each week.  This has been on hiatus due to the quarantine.  But since Sacrament Service is starting up again, I just experienced something wonderful.

The topic for the week was "The Rest of the Lord".  So, I went through a very methodical/scholarly/intellectual method of picking the hymns.  I checked them against my past log of hymn to ensure that we did not have too frequent repetition of any hymns.  I sent them in.

But immediately after I sent them in, I was caught up in thought regarding those hymns, then other hymns came to my mind.  It was a whirlwind of thought with momentary pauses on certain words and phrases.

Finally, the words of the hymn "How Great Thou Art" came to my mind.

Quote

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.

I couldn't stop thinking about that phrase.  I thought it fits the weekly topic by that phrase alone.  But most of the time, that song was about how inspired one feels when seeing the workmanship of the Lord's hands.  I'm inspired by my watermelons :).

But I realized that my mind was being focused for me.  I was supposed to change the closing hymn to How Great Thou Art.  So, I sent a revised email to the ward clerk.

Today, there was a talk that was based on the blog post on the Church website.  She explained the peace she feels from seeing the handiwork of the Lord.  Here's an excerpt.

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Group sizes are now down to ten. And why is finding baking soda such a mammoth endeavor?

          (But have you noticed the warmer temperatures? Spring is here, and you can go walking every day! What a perfect season to be alive.)

I am lonely—I am scared. And now the earth is quaking.

          (But have you noticed the bright green hues of rain-soaked lawns? Have you touched the soft soil? There is dirt under your children’s fingernails; they are happy.)

The parks are caution-taped. Even the swings! And I still can’t find dry beans at the store.

          (But have you noticed the goats that live on the corner? They jump and bleat and make you laugh!)

The library is officially closed. How we long for fresh stories!

          (But how nice it felt to get caught in the rain today! Even the hail, stinging your hands, brought sensation and feeling and zest for life.)

...

Joseph Smith encountered God the Father and Jesus Christ in the woods, “on the morning of a beautiful, clear day” in spring (JSH1:14). Those details—the woods, and a clear spring day—are significant.

I don't know if anyone else in the ward noticed the inspiration involved here.  But I sure did.

The rest of the Lord is to be found all around.  We just need to see it.

Edited June 21, 2020 by Carborendum

[anatess2]

Last Thursday, I was walking with my son to the park where the park equipment are still closed and, I kid you not (pun intended), we saw a goat on the yard of the mobile home that is inside the park.  I'm quite not sure why there is one mobile home towards the entrance of the parks around here.  I'm thinking they work at the park or something.  Anyway, it made our day seeing the cute little goat.

[Traveler]

@Carborendum Revelation through callings - I believe to have many more dimensions than you may be realizing.  Do not miss understand me, your feelings of inspiration are likely an important element of callings.  However, it seems to me that often the revelations to one because of their calling are quite different than the revelations to others.  I cannot tell you how many times I have been involved in my calling and have had great difficulty - especially with what I classify as leadership callings.  Many years ago I remember teaching a Sunday school class of 13 year old's.  Each lesson seemed to be a frustrating bust on dead ears.  I was not connecting and all the things I found interesting in the lessons failed to generate any kind of response in the class.  I remember on particular lesson of fasting and prayer.  None of the class had ever fasted for anything and they hated fast Sundays.  A ward member was dying of cancer and I suggested we fast and pray as a class in their behalf.  I remember because coming home from the lesson and their flippant attitude about fasting - I would have loved to called down fire from heaven if I could have.  A few months later the ward member died.

Sunday school classes move on at the end of each year.  I never saw much improvements while I was teaching the class.  I would have forgotten the whole thing and chalked it all up to sometimes having callings that make no sense and obviously did not fit my particular set of skills so well - but for a few things.  A number of years later one of the boys that was once in my class was leaving on a mission and referenced a Sunday school lesson on fasting for a ward member with cancer and how that lesson had changed their life.  But they did not even remember who was their teacher that taught the lesson.  I also discovered that the lesson and the class was pivotal to a number of class members.   All this was a revelation to me about callings and how the spirit works through Saints.  Sometimes we like to take some credit for our service - but the truth is we seldom deserve much of any of it.  There is great joy in being a part of and being allowed (privileged) to serve - perhaps even more so when we serve not fully knowing or understanding our seemingly worthless contribution.

 

The Traveler

[Carborendum]

1 hour ago, Traveler said:

to serve - perhaps even more so when we serve not fully knowing or understanding our seemingly worthless contribution.

I once shared a parallel experience on this forum.  But it's been a while, so I figure I can repeat it.

I had a home teaching assignment to one of the less active families in the ward.  I'd visited with them enough that I felt we had become friends.  And I believe the feeling was reciprocated.

One day, I was really minding my own business when I just got this idea to put together a month's supply of food for one person -- from my own storage.  I did so.  As I looked at it, I saw that it would be nice to give it to someone.  The first people I thought of was this family.  There were three of them.  So, I put together three of these packages.

I started taking the boxes out to the car.  Mrs. Carb asked what I was doing.  I told her.  She asked why.  I said.... Because... I'm supposed to.

OK.

So, I took it.  I handed it over.  They said thank you.  I left.

To this day I don't know what particular purpose that served.  But I know I was supposed to do it.

[laronius]

I think sometimes we underestimate just how much the Lord is willing to reveal to us. And not just about really important spiritual matters but even at times somewhat mundane and not necessarily eternally significant things. Part of it is the training process to help us grow into the principle of revelation. So if He is willing to do that then He is more than willing to grant us revelation about our callings. Unfortunately there have been far too many times over the years where I have simply relied on my own wisdom in decisions relating to callings I've held and while the Lord doesn't want us to wait to be commanded in all things He nevertheless wants us to seek His guidance.