Can You Hear the Birds?

Good Morning! 

This has been a really great week! Richfield is full of potential, and I am grateful to be a part of it! We had the end of March, and things are looking pretty solid for April! I'll share my favorite finding miracle this week: 

We met Jontay in our car. We were idling at a stoplight, not knowing what to do, so we just kind of sat there like good missionaries I guess. Then Jontay walked in front of our car, and I decided it would be a great idea to roll down the window and talk to him. Without thinking that thought through, I simply rolled down the window and yelled; "Hey, do you know anyone we could teach?" He looked confused (as he should) so I followed it up with "You should come over here so this is less awkward." I know, I'm brilliant. 

Turns out he's not a member and goes to church. Why he talked to us after that interaction I have no explanation for, other than God. We scheduled a visit with him, and then he even came to sacrament in the Richfield YSA ward! He's doing great, and has a belief in Jesus Christ and is willing to read the Book of Mormon. He has a lot of member friends already in the Young Single Adult ward. I'm excited to keep teaching him! We in fact just set a baptismal date for April 15th with him tonight! He's fantastic, and super sincere in his desire to learn. 

In church the other day one of the speakers referenced the deaf man that Jesus Christ healed. More specifically she touched on the difference in his life from being unable to hear, to recognizing a bird's song for the first time. It never struck me that the background noises of singing birds is such a precious thing to hear, especially for someone who's never recognized that before. 

I would like to compare this to our spiritual life. What do you do on a daily basis that drowns out the singing birds, and what little things do we not notice, when in reality the birds are singing to us, trying to pass on a message. 

I like to think of the Holy Ghost. Often, we receive faint promptings to do good for another, yet too often I find myself ignoring these promptings. Not always, but often enough. One example of me acting on a prompting is with Jontay! It would have been too easy to let him walk past us. Elder Mason and I were discussing how we could have found him if we hadn't said anything, but nothing we could come up with would have been super reliable. Jontay was a miracle sent from Heaven, and the internal urge to speak with him that day in the car, was a little singing bird. Too easy to ignore, life changing when heeded. 

So I ask you; can you hear the birds? How often do you listen to that still, small voice? Ponder on when heeding that voice has positively impacted another, and reflect on what you can do to better follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost. 

An excellent time to do this is during General Conference! This happens twice a year, where the church leaders take time out of their busy schedules to broadcast messages of hope, healing, and the Savior to the world. They are called of God. I know that! Take the time to watch their speeches, and heed the little birds whispering promptings to your heart and sending peace to your soul. It will happen, and you will leave, if you are sincere and intentional, with greater purpose, direction, and peace. 

I know that my Redeemer lives. That phrase is also a popular Hymn sung in the Church, one that a local church choir sang yesterday during our worship. You can know that your Redeemer lives when you seek to apply His Atonement in your life, daily. Consciously choose to grow your relationship with the Savior. It will influence the course of your spiritual direction through not only this life, but the one to come. 

Remember to be patient with yourself. Patience indicates a trust for human dignity, and the willingness to allow others to use their agency righteously. This applies to yourself as well. Remember to trust your own human dignity over your human flaws. Believe that over time, you will grow in your capacity to make righteous judgements, and choose the things of God over the things of the world. It's a process, but it's changed my life. 

For Preparation Day today we met as the Richfield Zone at Elder and Sister Chappell's (the localsenior missionaries) home, and played games. We also pied each other, and Elder Payne got me very well. It was my first time being pied, but it worked out well! It was probably one of my favorite Preparation Days. Lots of quality time with the Zone. 

I'm having a ton of fun. Today was very busy and hectic yet fantastic! I wouldn't want to be doing anything else other than serving here in Southern Utah with so many wonderful friends! 

- Elder Williams

Pictures: 

Just see below, there were a lot.