Promises

“For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37).

In Genesis the Lord promises Abraham that he will be a father of nations and his wife Sarah will be a mother of nations.  That was probably a confusing promise.  They were old, they had no children; how could a 90-year-old, infertile woman have a son?  I imagine it was difficult to understand, but as they trusted in Heavenly Father all of the blessings promised to Abraham and Sarah were brought to pass.  They did have a son and they did become the parents of nations, but I doubt the process was quite what they anticipated.

In August I was a missionary in Chile.  I had been ill for nearly a month and the mission was making plans to send me home.  During this time I asked for a Priesthood blessing.  In this blessing I was told that I would go home to recover so that I could return to the mission field with greater strength.  As difficult as it was to leave, I took great comfort knowing that I would return to the mission.

But I didn’t.  At least not in the way I thought.

When I got home the severity of my spinal condition became more apparent.  On the outside I looked fine, on the inside it looked like I had been in a car accident.  I realized I couldn’t go back to Chile, but the promises of that Priesthood blessing stuck with me.  It was confusing.  Would I be going somewhere else?  How could I return to a full-time mission when my recovery was going so slowly?  Why was my recovery going so slowly?  Did the Lord forget His promise?  Did I do something wrong?  What should I do to make it right?

Firstly, I know that getting sick was not my fault.  I make plenty of mistakes otherwise and take quite a lot for granted, but I know that Heavenly Father loves me and He knows that I am trying my best.

Secondly, full-time missions are not our only missions and the mission field is certainly not limited to Southern Chile.  We will all have many opportunities to serve in many different capacities.

Thirdly, I have learned from Abraham and Sarah (and countless other examples) that the Lord always fulfills His promises when we are obedient to His commandments.  He does not ever deceive us or ignore us or forsake us, but His way is different than our way.  He knows what we need to learn and how we need to learn it.

So even though it didn’t come in the way I anticipated or wanted the Lord has already fulfilled His promise to me.  Instead of a full-time mission, the Lord has allowed me to participate in a service mission.  Instead of giving me perfect health, the Lord blessed me with some degree of wisdom to understand why.  In short, instead of giving me what I wanted, the Lord gave me what I needed.  Did Sarah want to have a baby boy when she was 90 years old?  I seriously doubt it.  Was what the Lord gave her better?  I am sure it was.  His ways are not our ways.  Whether we are waiting for material successes, marriage, children, physical and mental recovery or any other seemingly distant blessings, someday the promises made to us by the Lord will be fulfilled according to our faithfulness and righteousness.

I am so grateful for a just and merciful God who loves us infinitely and unconditionally.  I know that God fulfills all promises as long as we are worthy to receive those blessings.  Considering He has offered us eternal increase, that is absolutely amazing!  That sweet priesthood blessing offered to me months ago in the south of Chile was a wonderful testimony to me of a loving Father in Heaven who wants us to be the best we can be and who wants the best for us!

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