Think of the best shower you've ever taken-when the pressure is so hard it hurts.....well that is exactly what a southern rainstorm feels like. And that is exactly how God wants to bless us-with showers not squirt guns. In a recent talk given by Dieter F. Uchtdorf, a counselor to the prophet, he related obedience to rain and umbrellas. We receive blessings by obeying Gods commandments (D&C 130:21), and the windows of heaven are open. Yet we often hold up umbrellas and block them because of our own limited knowledge, pride, and lack of faith.
Many of us don't want to obey God because it doesn't make sense. Clearly, it takes faith to believe in God and it takes faith to obey Him. In the Bible we learn a fabulous lesson of obedience from Naaman (2 Kings 5:1-14). He is a leper who wants to be cured. He goes to the prophet Elisha believing he can be healed, but instead of magically fixing him, the prophet tells him to go dip in the Jordan River 7 times. Naaman doesn't want to because it seems difficult and illogical. The Jordan River was far away and there were other rivers closer and cleaner. Yet he obeyed. After dipping for the 7th time his leprosy was gone.
Shouldn't we all follow the example of Naaman? Sometimes God asks us to do things we don't want to. Sometimes we don't see the logic. We think He is asking too much. It is just too hard. But when we humbly obey, we see miracles. Just as we don't know if an unfamiliar dish of food is good until we taste it, we will never know God's truth until we live it (John 7:17)!
Sister Platt and I have experienced this like no other this week! We decided to assess our missionary lives and step up our level of obedience. As we've eliminated small and simple things, we've seen great miracles come to pass (1 Nephi 16:29). We have closed our umbrellas and the showers are dumping. A week ago we had no one to teach. Now we have a wonderful family of 5, a classy 70 yo black man, an alternative 40 yo lady, a 39 yo dad with a recent divorce, and a cute young couple with a 3 yo old. All of these people have been looking for a church to go to, are going through a hard time, or simply need the love and peace we offer. As we've taught them the gospel, we have felt the love of God. This is His work and He is directing our paths, no question about it.
I've never been happier. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!
Love y'all. Be good.
Sister Ella Rae Madsen
2 of my favorite talks on obedience:
getting rid of all our old clothes.....
our new friends the copelands. we helped them tie their washer to the back of their car. so classic.
HAHAHHAHAHAH trying to take an awkward typical missionary pic....we succeded.
Just our daily dose of Platt and Madsen loving
It was Sister Shattuck's 21st birthday so we made a cake!! Chocolate whipped cream, chocolate whipped cream with chocolate ganache on top!!!!!!!!! SO DELICIOUS!
We found a COTTON field!!!!!!!! We had to pull over and take pictures! It was the coolest thing ever! btw-this is on self timer balanced on a piece of cotton-miracle.
we love all the same foods! this was lunch during our weekly planning session!!! so yummy!!!
Sister Johnson and I found this random lake while looking for a house.....so beautiful!!
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