Letting Some Things Go
I have always loved indoor plants and I have several that have grown to be quite large because I have cared for them for many years. When it came time to leave for our mission, I asked my son and his wife, who are living in our home, if they would care for them. They were kind and readily agreed because they knew how much I loved them.
A few weeks ago, I unexpectedly returned home to get a small nefarious skin growth removed because I was told it could be skin cancer. I had excellent care from a family friend who as a doctor specializes in these things, so the procedure went very well. As I recovered over the course of two weeks, I enjoyed visiting with my kids and grandkids and loading up on a few comforts from home like my favorite lip balm and dental floss to take back to Arequipa.
During my stay, I couldn’t help but notice that all of my large plants were barricaded with piles of furniture and stuff to protect them from my cute little 9 month-old grandson who was spending nearly every waking hour trying to crawl across the barricades to eat fistfulls of dirt from the pots. He was relentless and unfortunately quite successful even when his parents spent much of their time chasing him. As I witnessed this absurd struggle, my plants seemed silly now that my grandchildren were living in my home. I could see that I needed to get rid of them so I did so without hesitation nor regret. It was remarkable to me that what I considered to be a huge sacrifice two years ago, seemed insignificant now because of how I’ve changed and grown through my service. To serve as a mission leader is an extraordinary opportunity and blessing because I get to watch the process of change in our missionaries as well as those they teach. I have learned much about the depth of God’s love for each of his children and I have learned to trust God and his ways. This growth doesn’t mean that I have no worries because we all do, but now I am able to move forward with greater confidence to accept change because I know God will take care of me.
Elder Uchtdorf summed this idea up well when he read Matt 6:32-33, “Your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matt 6:32-33) Then Elder Uchtdorf simply stated, ”It requires letting some things go and letting other things grow.”
This experience has caused me to reconsider and look for other things in my life that I should let go so that I can continue to grow. Honestly, can anything be considered a sacrifice if we gain a better knowledge of our Savior and gain our ultimate Salvation through Him?
