Who is Lot's Wife? Watch this Video to find out a little about her!
Now why in the world am I writing about Lot's wife, and why do I have these pictures of a carnival up?
Well, let me explain. . .
A couple of weeks ago Sister Christensen (my companion) and I were going to visit someone when we happened across this very inviting carnival! Now for most people seeing a carnival is not a big deal. You just see it as an opportunity to have some fun and eat cotton candy, right? Well, as a missionary things are a little bit different. When Mormon missionaries leave their homes and families behind for 18 months to 2 years, we also leave behind all forms of worldly entertainment and devote all of our time and attention to serving the Lord. We leave behind the carnivals of the world to dedicate and consecrate our lives to God.
Don't get me wrong, going on a mission is the best thing I have ever done, but when I saw this wonderful, colorful, and only slightly distracting carnival, I had a moment where I looked behind me. I had a moment of thinking how nice it would be to just sit back and eat some cotton candy or popcorn and go on a dizzying carnival ride instead of walking around talking to complete strangers. Thankfully I was NOT turned into a pillar of salt like Lot's wife, and I remembered all of the wonderful things about being a missionary. Talking to people about Jesus and helping them make changes in their lives, changes that will make them happier and allow them to access the Atonement more fully in their lives is the most fulfilling work that I have ever done, it is one of the hardest as well. I am sure that it was hard for Lot's wife to leave everything behind, but her attitude of looking back was what got her into trouble.
I know that looking forward to the blessings awaiting us in the future is always going to lead to a more abundant life than looking at and dwelling on what we are leaving behind. I know there are costs to being a disciple of Christ and it isn't always as fun, but the benefits to following the example and striving to be like Christ will ALWAYS make those sacrifices worth it!
*and. . .side benefit. . . we probably won't be turned into giant piles of salt too. :)*
No comments:
Post a Comment