Narooma
Week #3
Hey yous!
:) I had a very eventful week. And it was going to be this way, even until
Friday happened, because I watched conference and had such a cool adventure - which
turned into one of the best spiritual lessons I have ever had about the gospel
and myself. But lets get Friday out of the way first....
So on the
way back from ZTM, I had a gall bladder attack. I wasn't aware that was what
was going on at the time but I felt such a distinct prompting to go to the
hospital. Which is weird, because in our family- we only go if we are literally
dying! Luckily we stopped in Nowra at the sisters flat since the pain was so
bad, and they had more doctors up there, but finding a good GP still took ages!
But we finally found one, and thanks to Australian health care, it took about 2
hours before I was seen. By then, the pain was down and I felt so dumb... I was
like praying something WOULD be wrong. How weird is that? And low and behold it
was, the doctor said having K-Fry the other day was probably not the smartest
(it was just once on the way to ZTM since we have NO fast food in Narooma, so I
was thinking I was being oh so healthy haha) But I guess all the beautiful
Polynesian feeds and my bad eating habits FOR YEARS finally got to me and my
gall bladder is struggling to digest fat. So I have been on fluids and no fat
the last 2 days and I am getting an ultrasound today to see if it is stones. So
stay tuned. I am fine though. Ever since I got a priesthood blessing I have
felt at so much peace. If they tell me I need surgery, then I will be a little
more freaked. Not the surgery itself, just the fact the Backs said if so I
would just go home since I'm so close to finishing. That is what I'm trying not
to think about. So there is the whole spill - so hopefully there isn't too many
other questions....
Now that
we have taken care of business- my spiritual adventure! So to try our best to
stay under our monthly K limits, we take as many shortcuts or back roads as
possible, (just as many in life try to take shortcuts to happiness). At first I
had a prompting... "am I really going to take this road? Am I sure its the
right one?" But I did it anyways. At first it was exciting (how do I know
this? it is because we took videos of this whole experience haha) We were
laughing on this fun little back country dirt road "This is going to such
a fun adventure!" (as are the wrong roads in life sometimes... at first).
Then it started to get bumpier... literally. But it'll be fine, right?! (Ignorance
in a sin). We then come across a big puddle. But we have already come too far
to turn back, and the thought doesn't even cross our minds, rather its, how do
we get through this and keep going in this direction?! We literally get out of
the car, measure the puddle's depth with a stick and think "We can take
it!" Going through this puddle was a little thrill, and adrenaline rush, till
it got deeper than we expected and we felt like we ran over a crocodile haha
(Just how in life we think we can take on a little more, and justify certain
things as we pridefully think we are stronger than the commandments to protect
us).
Then the road we took was way rougher than we ever intended it to be. We
started to become nervous, confused and felt very alone. We start to look ahead
and see where this path is going and realize we can't handle it and we won't be
able to get out safe (just as we can see that the wrong roads in life also
won't take us where we need to go).
So we finally have the genius and much
delayed thought come to mind to TURN AROUND, or to repent. All of a sudden we
realize how dumb we have been and that we were not completely alone. A biker
came by, affirming to us that we did indeed take the wrong road and encouraged
us to turn around (kind of like the role of the Bishop, parents or others
around us that love and care about us and want to help us make the right
decisions and stay on course). On the way back we were shocked at how we came
out so far and sometimes even found the journey back more difficult. Repentance
as well is sometimes difficult and has its obstacles. The whole time we were
thinking "how in the world did we go as far as we did?" as we were
now more aware of the dangers we took on before. And as symbolic as it could
possibly get, right before we made it to the smooth part of the road (or the
straight and narrow, the gospel of Jesus Christ) a GIANT poisonous snake lurks
in front of us.
When we were so close, Satan himself (often symbolized as a
snake) will try to cut us off and stop us because he knows how close we are to
return to the truly easiest and happiest path. We panicked but then remembered
we were safe in the car (or in the Lord's hands) and that the Lord led us the
whole journey back thus far and would not disappoint us now. And after that
final trial passed, we were out. A messy and dirty little corolla but that is
what car washes and the sacrament are for right?! :)
It was
just an eye opening analogy and I'm grateful we were video clipping the whole
thing to read our reactions to this little journey we went on and relate it to
each of us in our lives.
Sorry for
that spill. But I think its really cool and wanted to share that, as well as my
favorite highlights from the general women's and 3 sessions of conference I
have watched so far (still get to watch Sat. Afternoon so I'm excited it isn't
done yet. Because I feel like after conference is over I leave the "real
world" and go back into "missionary world" which means that when
I have to transition back into what everyone usually calls as the "real
world" I am going to be really sad because to me, even as a missionary,
conference is the closest to the real world, everything is put into such a
real, absolute truth perspective!) Wow that was a long parenthesis... so here
we go! :)
-Human judgment
and logical thinking will not be enough, we need constant personal revelation
-Everything
about following and sustaining a prophet in our days, oh how much we need one!
-The Godhead
being 3 separate individual beings yet one in purpose and our potential to also
each be one in that purpose
-
Sacrament and striving to more thoughtfully partake of it
-Walking
AS Christ walked all paths of life (disappointment, temptation, pain)
-Striving
to make Christ the center of my life, for eternal life, which He died to gain
-Focusing
on the fundamentals of the gospel, as Satan tries to distract us to focus more
on the appendages.
-Using
agency to develop good HABITS and to include God in each decision. "The
more we develop these habits the more anxious is Satan to harm us but less
ability to do so"
-If I
continue to live as I am living will the blessings of my patriarchal blessing
be fulfilled?
-We must
be WILLING to change, change is part of the great plan of happiness.
-Missionary
work is not selling a product; there is no reward of prize, sharing the gospel
if a reflection of the Atonement's importance to us.
-When we
think "Someone's gonna have to pay for this!" Remember someone
already has and how infinite and far reaching the Atonement is.
-Which
direction am I facing? Neutrality is actually often being two faced or trying
to serve two masters, self-contentment vs. Self-improvement/repentance. Do good
anonymously as much as possible (This talk by Elder Robbins had to be my
FAVORITE!)
-A God
without demands is a God that doesn't exist
-Put
God's will to the test, LIVE the gospel. Personal testimony is the most
important thing you can gain in this life and the church is a place for those
with all depth of testimony
-The
importance of agency
-And
always having a temple focus (aka the whole General Women's session)
I feel so
spiritually fed, even if I have just been on no fat fluids the last 3 days.
The gospel of Jesus Christ fills us with peace, joy and hope out of this
world. I hope we all carry the messages of conference and the gospel or
"the real world" with us into our mortal world. I learned so much
this week how central Jesus Christ is. Ever since the Fall He is the only means
that we can communicate with, and return to live with, our Father in Heaven
once again. It is only through and by Him and his sacrifice and that is what is
central, everything else in the gospel are
truly appendages. I love my Savior, my Father
in Heaven and the fullness of the gospel that has been restored to an earth,
guided by Them through revelation and a living prophet today, Thomas S. Monson.
I am honored to represent Them in Their work.
Happy and
healthy enough,
Sister
Rushing :)
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