Chapter 42: Mindful

"Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart..."

1 Kings 3:9

What an eventful week! But, ironically, as I look back it feels as if nothing happened. Crazy how that works. We just had another week of setting up a lot of appointments and having them all fall through at the last second. It's a little frustrating, but at the end of the day, I know that this is God's work, and I trust that he has it all under control. He knows that we are doing our best, and that is simply all we can do.

So what did I learn this week?

I was blessed with a lot of opportunities to talk to many people, knock a lot of doors belonging to less active members of the church, and just try to help people feel loved. In it all, an important lesson I've learned many times was strengthened: to be completely present wherever you are, especially when you are with others.

Every place we go, we are given opportunities to serve. There are simply infinite possibilities in front of us in all of the situations we are blessed with. Being mindfully present with other people, activity listening to what they say, observing how they behave, and striving to understand how they feel allows us to be instruments in God's hand to bless them. We increase our capacity to feel the spirit prompt us with discernment and insight into the souls of the people we interact with.

However, so many times we are always overly worried with either what's behind us or what's ahead that we don't treasure what's happening now.

We miss out on the present.

We miss out on the people.

We miss out due to misplaced priorities, distancing ourselves from the possibility of perhaps even hearing still and silent promptings from the Spirit on how we can be used now by the hands of God.

And so we must strive to be mindful. We must pray to our Heavenly Father to give us an understanding heart, to give us a greater ability to help others.

This week I saw the blessings of mindful interactions. As I said, since we are opening up an area that hasn't had missionaries in a long time, we don't have anyone to teach. Additionally, the members here have really struggled over the past year. This gives us a ton of time to simply talk to people. As I've tried to push out the temptation to worry about the results of our work, and simply strived to focus on each moment I face, I've felt the spirit teach me about the people we've met. With such spiritual tutoring, I've been able to help people come closer to God.

It's a simple pattern, and ultimately, it's the pattern of God: we open ourselves up, and he blesses us with what we need.

I know that God blesses us with so many things, but ultimately, he blesses us with opportunities to serve others.

He blesses us with people.

As you seek to be present with others, to really listen to not only them, but also the spirit, I can promise you that you will be blessed with an understanding heart. And that will make all of the difference.

Life is good.

God is wise.

Don't give up.

Elder Childers

Pictures from the park near to the Dumbarton flat

Dinner at Absurd Bird, a fun restaurant in Glasgow with the boys

The beloved mission home, got to go there for exchanges

Fourth of July dinner with the Macdonalds, the Bishop's family in my ward! So grateful for them taking care of us.