Do you Block Personal Revelation?
We have entered the last month of our service as mission leaders. We will return home on Friday, June 27 and we will share our experiences in the Highlands Ranch Ward sacrament meeting on June 29 starting at noon. The address is: 9800 Foothills Canyon Blvd, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129. There are two church buildings that share a parking lot. The Highlands Ranch ward meets in the larger building at the far end of the parking lot away from Foothills Canyon Blvd. We would love to see you there!
Three years ago, I thought of what it would be like to be at the end of our mission as we are now. I had assumed that I would be relieved and excited to get back to my life. That is certainly true as I think about reuniting with my family and friends, but I also feel an unexpected uncertainty. I had not considered that after three years Peru would feel like my home and our missionary work would mean so much to me. Both have become such great blessings, and it is hard to leave! Surprisingly, my transformation came so gradually that I’m now surprised that going home to Colorado feels very similar to coming to Peru in the first place!
A few weeks ago, this anxiety was starting to overwhelm me, so I asked Dave to give me a Priesthood blessing of comfort. In the blessing I was told that Heavenly Father was seeking to reach out to me and wants nothing more than to give me the comfort that I seek. I was surprised that in my melancholy and doubt that I could actually block heavenly revelation intended for me. I wondered how often over the years have I made this unintentional mistake?
President Uchtdorf said in the 2022 Seminar for new mission leaders:
Sometimes we struggle to progress because we think we know all the answers and do not need to search for new inspiration, even revelation. Sometimes, we do not receive revelation because we have put up umbrellas that block our receiving heavenly knowledge. …. my dear friends, we need to take down our umbrellas and welcome revelation from the Lord. Remember this invitation: “Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (Matt 7:7-8)
In this same talk President Uchtdorf also said:
It is in the wrestling that we emerge from darkness into the light–that we receive divine inspiration and revelation. Our growth and increase often come because of the struggle. The journey is part of the goal.
I am a witness of this principle personally as I have served as a mission leader, and I have watched with joy as our young missionaries do the same. Our growth has come because we have been pushed beyond our comfort zone. I would have never expected that going home after three years would require this same stretching. With this new perspective, I can look forward to challenging yet rewarding experiences in my future knowing that this is exactly what God has always intended for us so that we can continue to learn and grow. This is what makes life rewarding and purposeful and when I am honest with myself, change is what I truly desire.
