Patience........

This past four weeks I have been in the process of submitting my mission papers to receive my call. Four weeks ago, I was completing them and thought I had filled them out completely and I turned them in. During this time my parents were out of town so I drove down to meet with my stake president. After reviewing them he saw that they were complete and was going to send them out. It turned out that there was a problem with some of the medical information that needed to be filled out correctly, that I was not aware of at the time. My stake president called my home phone number and left a message stating this, but I was not home, nor my family. So...for a week and a half, I thought my papers were submitted, until my parents came home and called me up with the bad news, telling me that I had to correct the medical information and then they could be sent. All my excitement had been building up, expecting my call to come that week. However, they never went in; I completed the medical stuff and we submitted them on the next Monday. As we called my bishop to check the status of my call, now expected it to come in two weeks, our excitement slowly was building. To my surprise, yet again, my papers had just barely been processed and were still waiting to be reviewed by the brethren, so...yet another week.

I have always thought that I had patience with most things in my life, and now I have learned that I may have been somewhat patient, but I can be more patient. They say that patience is a virtue, so I guess you could say I'm learning to be virtuous. I have been so excited to receive my call to serve, and I guess I get to receive a lesson along with it. I know the past few weeks have been kind of disappointing, but I have learned a great lesson.

Think about those children of God that have passed on to the next life, without ever hearing the gospel here on earth. Think about how excited and desirous they are to be baptized into His church. There must be millions or billions of them seeking this vital ordinance. I have nothing compared to these amazing people as far as patience goes. When I thought of these wondrous souls it calmed my thoughts, and now I know that my time to wait is so very short and I can learn so much with this added time. I am so grateful for the ordinance of baptism that I have received here on earth. I am grateful for a worthy father that baptized me, confirmed me with the Holy Spirit, and also has ordained me with the preparatory Aaronic Priesthood, and the fulfilling Melchizedek Priesthood. I hold those blessings, those ordinances, so close to my heart and I am so grateful for my father's worthiness to bestow them upon me.

As this next two weeks unfolds, I watch and wait, calmly, for my call to serve. I know that in the time that He wants them to come, they will. I have learned that I can be much more patient and more grateful for what I do have. I love this gospel and all the blessings and guidance and purpose it gives me in my life. I am grateful for Ashley and her patience with me to help me through this great lesson, and I am so excited to take care of her, always. But first a mission for the Lord. Thank you for the lesson.