Hold On (#2)

Let me share a story with you from the beginning of my mission--last January.

I had only been a missionary for 6 weeks when I was asked to be the trainer for a new missionary, to show him the ropes and get him acclimated to the new lifestyle.  It was incredibly rainy and I had no idea where I was going as we ventured from Vallejo, CA to Santa Rosa (about a 90 minute drive, give or take).  As my previous companion and I drove up to Santa Rosa, I tried my best to remember where everything was at and how to get back, but I was really unsure and the rain-washed landscape made it even more difficult.

Later that afternoon as I left Santa Rosa, I asked a more experienced missionary if I could follow him most of the way back; he was going to nearby Fairfield and it would be easy to find my way from there.  Or so I thought.  After winding through the back roads of Sonoma for a good hour or two, we found the freeway but missed the exit and had to circle back around until we finally got headed in the right direction just as the rain started really coming down--I mean really coming down, I could hardly see three feet ahead of me!  I was pretty nervous that we were going the wrong way or that we were going to get hit or something, so I said a silent prayer and asked God to help me find my way back to Vallejo.  I remember feeling or hearing or both, as I strained my weary eyes to see the road ahead, the words Hold on.  And I did.  Reassurance replaced my fear and we made it home alright.  Soaking, but alright.

Sometimes in life that's all we can do.  We can't see ahead of us, we aren't exactly sure if we're headed in the right direction or what that "right direction" is... all we can do is hold on.  It's hard to have that kind of faith, that trust in God that it will be OK in the end, but just hold on.  Stick with what you know, follow your heart, and hold on for dear life.  You'll make it! 

Much Love,

Elder Spendlove

Do you have any stories of just holding on?  Let us know below!

Hold On

We all face trials in our lives, whether outside of ourselves or within.  Sometimes, the battles we fight within ourselves are more troubling and more scarring than the ones we fight on the outside.  I think the idea of recognizing our personal inadequacies, especially when they glare us in the face, can have a crippling effect on who we want to become and where we want to be if we aren't careful.

I was reading an article this morning from one of the leaders of our church, and he referenced Peter's experience in the Bible when Jesus was walking on the water toward them and told Peter to come out on the water and meet him.  He started to go, but became afraid and started to sink.  He cried out to Jesus, who caught hold of him and took him to the boat in safety.  Now think about that--Peter was an expert fisherman.  He'd seen plenty of storms before, and surely winds and waves fiercer, higher, and stronger than those on the sea that night.  So what was it that caused him to sink?  The scriptures say "he was afraid", and cite "little faith" and "doubt" as some of the factors (see Matthew 14 for the rest of the story). 

Now, if a great man like Peter was called "thou of little faith", that means I have a long way to go.  But Jesus understands.  He gets the fact that I'm an imperfect person and won't be able to live up to expectations all the time (especially self-imposed expectations!  Goodness knows I give myself a hard time about a lot of things..).  But that doesn't mean I don't try.  That doesn't mean I don't meet Him half way, or 10% of the way, or half-a-percent of the way.  Hold on.  He's coming to rescue you, whether it's the winds and the waves that have you worried, or it's the doubt, fear, internal struggles you've got.  Just hold on.

Much Love,

Elder Spendlove

*Comment below or on my facebook: How do you find the strength to hold on?