January 11, 2016

When Christ told Nicodemus, "The wind bloweth where it listeth", he was most certainly referring to the roaring winds that whip through the narrow valleys of the Hancock Ward. Well, maybe not, but it puts the point across. Bone-chilling winds are a daily occurrence these days and it adds to the beauty of serving in the rolling mountain sides over here. Coincidentally, when Jesus spoke of the wind to Nicodemus, he was teaching of what it means to be born of the Spirit. My padawan Elder Flandro and I were at a crossroads on Saturday, our plans exhausted and ears frozen, when we were faced with the choice to visit one of two families, one was north, the other south. Neither had kept previous appointments, but we knew we had to visit one of these two families with the time we had. 

In an attempt to help train Elder Flandro on how to follow promptings of the Spirit, I said a prayer asking the Lord which way to lead, then had Elder Flandro listen to his feelings on which path to take. After waiting for a moment to ponder, he confidently said, "South." Off we went down the dirt country road to Tom and Shelby's home, really not knowing what to expect. Upon pulling up into their driveway we saw a uhaul truck full with their belongings and Tom packing up his truck. He told us quickly that they had one day to move out into a better rental home on top of Buck Valley Mountain and they were having a rough time moving while keeping a handle on their two 3 year old daughters at the same time. Immediately we offered our help to unload their truck later when they reached their new home (which still happens to be in our area). Tom and Shelby's eyes opened wide in astonishment and quickly accepted our help.

Saturday night at 6 p.m. was a nasty evening. 38 degrees with wild winds and heavy rain made the roads muddy and foggy. Still we drove to their aid, once again catching them by surprise. "I figured you weren't going to be able to make it up this far for us," Tom said through his thick hill billy beard. With us three unpacking and Shelby watching the kids we managed to unload all of their boxes and furniture in an hour and a half. There was absolutely no way they could have unloaded that together in the rain and dark with those two crazy kids. God directs those who seek His council to where they need to be at the exact time and the exact moment they need to be there. It's difficult to explain how it feels to be led and in turn born by the Spirit of God other than through the description as flowing on the wind. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and, we attune ourselves to its pattern, we in turn are led to where God will lift us.

xoxo

Elder Burgess

Derp on the mountain a week ago: