The hardest trial on trek seemed to be waiting. Our children
didn’t mind the dust, the cold, the lack of smartphones, the pulling, the heat,
the food, the rain, the amateur acting. The only complaint was stopping once we
had begun to roll. Or while waiting for our turn to join in line. Is standing
still the greatest struggle? We stopped often, rarely knowing why or for how
long. We would stop and start with little warning. Occasionally we knew the
cause. For example, when the cart just ahead had to re-tie a rope that broke.
One time a girl got hurt and we waited while she was treated. I tried to share
what info I knew about the delays. But mostly we didn’t hear or see any reason
for the traffic jam. We just stopped. And waited. Why was that hard?
Mostly I think it was because they were young and impatient,
hoping to plow through and be done. Overcoming impatience seems to come easier
with age. I tried to think of some other
lessons to be learned.
I think we must be careful about our trials of faith. Could
we be like Naaman? Perhaps we need someone to remind us that humility is
required. Naaman went to Elisha to be healed but when told that the cure was to
wash in the Jordan he went away in a rage. His wise servant stopped him, saying
“If the prophet had bid thee [to] do some great thing, wouldest thou not have
done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?”
Naaman washed and was healed. Elder
Faust gave this explanation in his Oct 2001 address. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2001/10/some-great-thing?lang=eng
He are two quotes from that talk,
“We do not prove our love for the
Savior only by doing “some great thing.” If the prophet personally asked you to
go on a mission to some strange and exotic place, would you go? You would
probably make every effort to go. What about doing your home teaching?”
“May we all be faithful in doing
the day-to-day, ordinary things that prove our worthiness, for they will lead
us to and qualify us for great things.”
Everyone pulling the cart was pleased with their
accomplishments of pulling up a hill and over rocks, through the mud. That was
a great thing. We must also be prepared for day-to-day waiting. We must never
be looking to do a great thing and over look daily scripture study and
prayer.
We must be also patient in our faith. This was a great talk
about waiting upon the Lord from Elder Robert D Hales in the Oct 2011
conference.
He says that we must stand fast in our trials. To be
immovable in our faith. To have hope and to trust. This is especially hard when
we don’t understand the cause or the purpose of our trial. He concluded with
this. “I bear my special witness that our Savior’s promise is true, for He
says, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall
mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall
walk, and not faint.” May we wait upon Him by pressing forward in faith, that
we may say in our prayers, “Thy will be done,” and return to Him with honor.”
Those boys could surely
run and not be weary. I am certain that patience will come.
