The Master's Hands

I have been thinking a lot lately of my mission. Shocker, right?  But it's coming up so fast, and life is happening so fast, and it's just crazy!  It seems like yesterday I received my call, finished my student teaching, graduated college....the days and months have flown by.  When I decided I wanted to serve a mission, I wanted to get everything processed as quickly as it could be so I would be in and out of Omaha, lickity split.  Omaha didn't hold anything for me. I viewed it as a holding cell rather than as a place of opportunity.  The Lord always knows best though, and so my waiting period extended from what I hoped would be one month to five.  How blessed I have been.  For the people I have met, the things that I learned, and the person I have become while staying here.  There is a reason I have been in Omaha this long, and even though I still don't know exactly why, I choose to be grateful for the goodness in my life.

Anyways...I digress.  Back to the good ole' mish.  On a mission, you consecrate all your time, energy and efforts fully to the Lord and his purposes.  I am so excited for this opportunity that will allow me to forget about myself and fully focus on what the Lord wants me to do.  I find that I sometimes lack happiness when I do not include other people in my life.  Being a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints uniquely allows me to do just that - surround myself with people in varying stages of spiritual growth and strength and help them in ways I can.  Sometimes I feel that we take people at their face value.  We determine their excellence based upon a criteria that we, or society, have created.  We see people as they are, not what they have the potential to become.  Just like Jethro urged Moses in The Prince of Egpyt to look at his life through the eye's of heaven, we should allow our eyes to align with the views of heaven as we glance at our mortal companions on this journey.  We all sin.  That's a fact.  The toll of sin may be more apparent on some than others.  However, one truth remains.  We are all children of God.  Because we know that truth, what else do we know?  We are all loved by God.  And because of His love for us, He sent His son.


And when I think,
that God His son not sparing,
sent Him to die,
I scarce can take it in.
That on the cross,
my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.



He sent His son for me and for you and for everyone in this world so that we could learn of Him, become as Him, and eventually return to live with our Father in Celestial Glory.

So.
Let's change how we view one another.  We are masterpieces in various stages of creation and can each become as clay in the Master's hands.  The Atonement is for all.  And my sole purpose for 18 months will be to show and teach and remind people of that plan.  The Plan of Salvation.  The Plan of Happiness.  The plan that allows for us to become like Christ.  Let us allow that plan to be present in our lives as we all strive to be a little better, and see the potential for growth in others.  Let us allow ourselves to see each other through the eye's of heaven as we continue on this mortal journey.

Because, who knows better what a violin has potential to do than the one who helped create it?

Courtesy of: http://ldsnotebookingpages.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-touch-of-masters-hand-free-copywork.html

Regardless of where we've been, regardless of what we've done, the Atonement allows us to change as we allow ourselves to become like new through Christ.

God loves me and He loves you.
And at the end of the day, that's a pretty awesome truth to know.

'Till next time.

Emily.