However, as I look back on my life, I can see that the Lord has gently led me to where I need to be, and most of the time I didn't even know I was being led. When I got home from serving my mission in New York City (which was exactly where the Lord knew I needed to be - more New York later), I was heading back to BYU. I was the first of my friends to come home, so I had to find an apartment for us to live in. I went down to Provo with my mom to try to find a place. We looked around all morning, but when we came to a certain apartment complex and went into the model apartment, I just said that we would live there. But, it wasn't really a very dramatic feeling or anything like that. It was just where we would live. I ended up living there for two years, and it was there that I met some of the most important people of my life. I was taught and supported and loved by some of my best friends I've ever had. But, that morning I didn't know I was being led. But I was.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in His own hands and prepared for you;
"And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for
I will lead you along."
Doctrine and Covenants 78:17-18
If I think I dont want to be led by God do you think he is leading me anyway?
ReplyDeleteThis totally happened to me.
ReplyDeleteI looked all day for a place to live and nothing really felt right so we gave up and went to my roommate's girlfriend's house. We saw a vacancy sign around the corner and thought we'd walk over and check it out. It was a pink, cinder block home. It was dark inside and trashed and piled high with junk. It didn't have a dishwasher or garbage disposal or air conditioning. It felt perfect for some strange reason. I felt like Indiana Jones finding the holy grail among a bunch of chalices.
Of course, the roommate got engaged right after we signed the lease but who knows if I would have ever asked out Julie without the additional association from randomly and unknowingly moving into her ward by moving into that pink house.
Response to: "I think I don't want to be led by God do you think he is leading me anyway?"
ReplyDelete-I hadn't thought about that. But, God is involved in all our lives. He loves us and wants us all to be happy and to get close to Him. There are certainly times in our lives when it may be difficult to want to be close to God, but many people I know have said that as they have looked back on their lives, they could see that God was still leading them and teaching them, even though they weren't aware of it.
Even though God leads us, He certainly does not make us do anything, good or bad. He will never take away our ability to choose. He may provide us opportunities and stuff, but it really does come down to what we choose to do.
Joe, that's awesome. It is kind of amazing to look back and see how naturally really important things just happen. The gift of the Holy Ghost is a really significant deal.
ReplyDeleteThis has happened so much, especially in my married life! We've been put in places we'd never thought we'd be (Indiana, Russia for a summer, New York, & soon to be Florida), for reasons that we didn't understand then. But looking back, we were placed exactly where we needed to be for the next step to occur, & where we were able to meet lifelong friends.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. It reminds me that I do not need to fear the future or worry overmuch about what will happen because everything is in the Savior's hands.
ReplyDelete