Oddly enough, the same subjects were talked about in my ward! I must have needed to hear it or something . . . but there was a sister in my ward that shared a story from Sister Jayne B. Malan's talk in the October 1989 General Conference called "The Summer of the Lambs". In her talk she told a personal story about when she was asked to watch over 350 lambs. "All we had to do was feed them."Sister Malan said. They would also get a part of whatever money their father made when they sold the lambs in the fall. Her (12 years old) and her brother (10 years old) made a mix and put the milk into troughs that they had made. However, these lambs hadn't been taught how to eat out of a trough! They couldn't eat the grass because their bodies wouldn't digest it. Now, with one or two lambs this wouldn't be a problem! All you'd have to do is put it into a bottle and feed it like a baby, right? We're talking 350 lambs!!! No matter how hard they tried to help the lambs they just wouldn't drink out of the troughs.
The lambs started starving to death and the only way they could be sure that the lambs were fed was by picking them up and feeding them like babies. Feeding wasn't the only problem; in their area there were a lot of coyotes that would try to eat the lambs whenever they could. Pretty soon the money was far from the children's mind; all they wanted was to take care and protect the lambs. Sister Malan explained that part of their job was to gather up the dead lambs and bury them. She says:
"It wasn't so bad, until I named one of those lambs. It was an awkward little thing with a black spot on its nose. It was always under my feet, and it knew my voice. I loved my lamb. It was one I held in my arms and fed with a bottle like a baby.
One morning my lamb didn’t come when I called. I found it later that day under the willows by the creek. It was dead. With tears streaming down my face, I picked up my lamb and went to find my father. Looking up at him, I said, “Dad, isn’t there someone who can help us feed our lambs?”
After a long moment he said, “Jayne, once a long, long time ago, someone else said almost those same words. He said, ‘Feed my lambs. … Feed my sheep. … Feed my sheep.’” Dad put his arms around me and let me cry for a time, then went with me to bury my lamb."
As the sister in our Ward read this and told us this story my heart broke! I could picture my Savior and Brother, Jesus Christ, speaking to our Heavenly Father. I could see Him watching us, the sheep, passing away and leaving Him. I could see Jesus Christ saying, "Dad, isn't there someone who can help us feed our lambs? Isn't there somebody who can help us bring others unto thee? Isn't there someone who can help us save your children?" As I sat and fought the tears that were starting to form in my eyes I thought to myself "Sarah, do you help Heavenly Father feed His sheep?" After I thought that I had a quote pop into my head from a recent General Conference. The quote was "You are doing better than you think you are, but you can do better." I want to do better and to help feed Heavenly Father's sheep.
As the sister in our Ward read this and told us this story my heart broke! I could picture my Savior and Brother, Jesus Christ, speaking to our Heavenly Father. I could see Him watching us, the sheep, passing away and leaving Him. I could see Jesus Christ saying, "Dad, isn't there someone who can help us feed our lambs? Isn't there somebody who can help us bring others unto thee? Isn't there someone who can help us save your children?" As I sat and fought the tears that were starting to form in my eyes I thought to myself "Sarah, do you help Heavenly Father feed His sheep?" After I thought that I had a quote pop into my head from a recent General Conference. The quote was "You are doing better than you think you are, but you can do better." I want to do better and to help feed Heavenly Father's sheep.
Then, in Sunday school, we talked about personal revelation. I had a thought that, in my mind, was really profound! In D&C 9:7-8 it says: "Behold, ye have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right." The last line of verse seven really stood out to me. I think I finally understood what that line meant. As I read it, I could almost hear somebody saying it in "modern day terms" if you will. I heard "You didn't understand me. You thought that I was just going to give you the answer. You didn't even put in any thought of what you wanted; the only thought you put in was 'maybe I should ask Him!'." I started laughing to myself (I probably shouldn't have, but I totally imagined it in a New York accent). God wants us to be happy, but He wants us to work for what we want too. He isn't just going to give it to us!! I'm grateful for a Heavenly Father who doesn't spoil me too badly! I still have to work for what I want! :D
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