Lesson Learned

Last week, as I was sewing with Karen, I was having some trouble with the bag I was working on.  I told her that I couldn't get my machine to work right, and I couldn't figure out what exactly was going wrong.  She took one look at what I was doing and said, "Shouldn't your fabric be going the other way?"  Well, DUH!!  I was trying to force the bag to go the wrong way, no wonder things weren't working right!!  (this should tell you a little about my abilities as a seamstress, they are very limited)  I laughed at my mistake, ripped out the seam that was going awry, and started over, this time headed in the right direction.

Yesterday, I was finishing up a different project on my ancient machine (sidenote-if I had a better machine, this issue never would have come up, because it never would have let me sew the wrong direction!)  As I picked up my bag and started it through in the RIGHT direction, I thought again of that lesson and laughed. 

Then I started to think about how this lesson fits in my life every day.  So many times, I try to force things to go how I THINK they should go.  Let me just state for the record that I am an instant gratification kind of girl.  I want what I want, when I want it, which is right now.  Especially if I feel that my want or need is a righteous one.  Sometimes my prayers go something like this:  Heavenly Father, I really feel like we need more harmony in our home.  Could You please help my children to get along better, right now?  I really want to work in the YW's program again, could You make that happen next Sunday?  I really think we should have another baby, can You please help us to conceive like yesterday?  (sidenote to my Mom- this is just an example of how prayers have gone in the past, I am NOT praying for another baby at this moment)  Then, when the blessing that is asked for doesn't happen immediately, I wonder why Heavenly Father isn't giving me what I need.

The problem with this thinking is just this:  I am trying to make my Father keep MY schedule, not HIS.  I am pushing things on Him, and trying to force the fabric of my life to fit or go in a direction that might just be contrary to His desires for me.  That isn't to say that He doesn't have the same righteous desires and blessings in store for me.  It's just that He sees the whole picture, and KNOWS what is best for me, all the time, not just right this very second.  So if He isn't giving me a particular blessing right at the very minute I ask for it , there just might be a really good reason why He isn't.  Maybe I need to have more faith, or maybe the timing just isn't right.  Maybe I need to work harder for the blessing (like harmony in our home), instead of just having it handed to me on  silver platter.

As I pondered on this, one of my favorite scriptures popped into my head.  Alma 37:6-7:  Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold, I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.  And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.

Next time I am pushing for things to go how I think they should go, I hope I will remember this lesson.  I hope that I will look for His hand in the small and simple blessings He gives me every single day.  I hope that I will look at my struggle, and see how it might bless the lives of others, that their faith might be strengthened as they have the chance to bless me.  I pray that I will remember that He brings about great things, by small and simple means.  And I hope that I will be able to sit back, be patient, and stop PUSHING!!