Just keep Pushing. . .

What a crazy/busy time it's been since my last update. Just a few of the main events that have happened between then and now. . . Completed my student teaching/last semester of college, applied for jobs, Graduated college, applied for more jobs, went to Hawaii for a week with my mom, applied for and interviewed for jobs, started working back at good ol' Cedar Ridge for the summer, applied and interviewed for more jobs, got a new calling in my ward. . .Relief Society Pres., and continued applying and interviewing for a teaching job. After applying for a job or two. . . now I can say I got one! :) VERY unexpectedly I was selected for an interview and offered a job to teach full day Kindergarten at my old elementary school. . .Helen M. Knight in my hometown of MOAB!!!!! and. . .I accepted their offer. They just built a new school so I will be in a brand new building, I'm so stoked!!! So in the next few weeks I will be scrambling to get my classroom set up and ready to go for the year and be moving back home. I never thought this great opportunity would come, but it has so I'll take it. In preparing my Relief Society lesson for today I shared a short story I heard at a fireside that I loved and feel applies to my life quite well so I wanted to share it. . .

A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light and the Savior appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might.

This the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing it with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore, and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.

Noticing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, the adversary decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the man’s weary mind. “You have been pushing against this rock for a long time, and it hasn’t budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it.” Thus giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These troubling thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. “Why kill myself over this?” I’ll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort and that will be good enough.

And that is what he planned to do until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his thoughts to the Lord. “Lord” he said, “I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even been able to budge that rock. What is wrong? Why am I failing?”

The Lord responded compassionately, “My friend, When I asked you to serve me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so?”

“Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven’t moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in my wisdom. This you have done. I, my friend, will now move the rock.”

At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is simple obedience and Faith in Him…

. . .I hope that I can continue pushing and working on the boulders in my life. Even during the times when I'm tired, worn out, and want to give up. I want to remember Heavenly Father has done and will continue to do the hardest part for us, and move our boulders. All we have to do is be patient and obedient to what he asks of us, and continue to push.