Broken Bows and Kept Promises: A Plan For Us

Broken Bows and Kept Promises: A Plan for us.
By Jacob Sok

I once heard an old adage that insinuated something to the effect of  "once you think you have life figured out; tell God your plans and prepare to change them". I suppose some innocent satire can be found in this statement (and I will even admit to being guilty of thinking similarly) but if we are not careful with this statement we could cultivate a serious misconception of not just a random deity but our very own Father, in Heaven.

Thinking about this my mind goes back to recent years in my youth and even now as a young adult to interactions I have had with my parents. As I grew into adolescence my mind often facilitated the idea
 of "what I wanted to be when I grew up?". I have thought of everything from pilot to doctor, police officer, even President of the United States; or to something more realistic such as a space pirate..the phases of this conceptual future seemed to have changed more and more frequently as the years passed. Once in my heart I had meditated a future in any stated career I would often go to my father and explain my interest and "planned" profession. My father having passed through much experience and knowing my heart would always have council and insight, whilst still listing to my reasoning behind this possible direction I was thinking of taking. I have always felt I could get genuine insight from him and in no way feel my proposition would be considered irrational in his eyes. His given council would not determine my decision but allow me to harness a much more refined vision of what it would take to get to there, thus helping me make a wiser choice. A rather celestial trait of his I have now come to admire more in recent years.

How often do we devote our time to ideas and goals and share them with others yet forget to include the one who loves us perfectly? I am not sure what causes this disconnect or missing link in the chain of achievement, and I know it is something in my own life that I do struggle with. Be it fear or forgetfulness, choosing not to voice our hopes to the Lord I feel, would be similar to a child not expressing to Santa what he would want for Christmas. Not to say that every request is granted how and when we would want them to be...had this been the case I would be the first Dr. President Space Pirate: Pilot-Officer of Law. But rather I testify that our hopes being they good are always valid and of worth to our Heavenly Father's ears and heart. As depicted here in the painting, I have come to feel our father looks at at us as any loving parent looks upon a growing child. In this painting the Lord is not just listening intently but seeing to the heart of the child and preparing custom made council for it's happiness. The child's gaze, seeds the the idea that there is no second guessing in is mind that the Lord is there in love to help him and listen.

Many times in life we seem to get caught up in the "catch-22's" of mortality's "what if statements" Are supposed to do one thing or another? Take one path or certain carer so far. Is God's plan really this, for me? I testify and I can only do so after many real experiences that have taught me the reality of this truth; that God's plan involves a care much more about who we can become rather then where we are or what we have done. Of course consideration for the latter is part of our journey to become. But much more than that we can in this live harness a harmonious balance of obedience to the Lord and His will and the joy of self discovery. One does not take the place of the other. Its the very essence of the Lord's grace to permits the learning curve of humanity; while not condoning the mistakes us the learners. In the Book of Mormon Nephi eludes to the fact that he while prepare the holy record of the Lord that he is prone to mistakes; and if there be and error he wont excuse it but knows that that error is part of his weakness not a lapse in the Lord's wisdom or plan.

Our Father in Heaven in His love and wisdom listens to our desires and prayers; and designs a plan that will allow us as free agents to learn and grow. As we hearken to His council our ideas grow and mature with us and we become more a ware of the good fruits of these choices while avoiding the potentially harmful.

I love the story of Nephi and in particular his reaction to the unknowns of his mortal experience. In chapter 16 (versus 14-39) of the First Book of Nephi. We continue the account of Nephi and his family traveling in the wilderness. Lehi, his father, who I imagined had always prayed that the Lord would watch over his family, previously revived the Lord's instruction to flee Jerusalem. Lehi's desire for a safe and prosperous life for his family thus embarked them on a journey towards a promised land. In the middle of this pilgrimage the Lord had not only prepared the promised land but even more so in His wisdom prepared a specific way for them to arrive there. Now I do not just refer to the physical terrain that would be crossed but I also have to learn the Lord wanted much more than for them to just arrive but arrive in the promised land as better people. Thus many challenges that would teach and refine this family were prepared on the path. Now the Lord was not making this journey purposefully harder but  again in life He cares so much more about who we are becoming than our current position, status or achievements.

One refining moment in Nephi's character was brought by way when he and his family were in need of food. Nephi and his brothers left the camp of their family to go out and hunt for foot. On a particular excursion Nephi goes to slay an animal with his bow, when is suddenly breaks. His brothers angrily accuse him of there inevitable starvation, for their bows had lost their springs. Of course taken back Nephi and his brother return, to their family's dismay, heavy hearten and empty handed. Thus commences a trying time of murmuring and anger by all except one. Nephi in this time of confusing "change of plans" so to speak, responds not by complaint but by drawing closer to the Lord. He prays for guidance and takes it upon himself to make a new bow out of wood. Ever more humble he beseeches the council of his earthly father, the prophet, to ask for direction of where to go hunt for food. His father had even murmured in this trying time and took Nephi's request as a chance to once more humble his own heart. Guidance was received and Nephi was able to obtain food and the family once more did repent and praise the Lord.

With several more refining moments and tests to come, Nephi goes on to note this about the opposition faced in the wildness on his path to the promised land.
 Chapter 17 verse 3:
"And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness."

Nephi's humble reaction and optimism and spirit showed him that this journey was about much more that his father's hopes of having a good life, but following a personally crafted plan of God to become better people along the way to this desired promised land and wished for good life.

In this life we will have plans and hopes. many time we will find ourselves with broken bows and unexpected opposition. But we too can respond as Nephi with a resolute assurance that God is the author of the plan of happiness; thus the result of this plan will bring about that which will make us happy. He being the first and the last has knowledge from the end to the beginning; walks side by side with us as we let him and as we grow through His designed opportunities can use our agency to reap the joyous blessing of the our efforts matched by His grace. Including Him in our hopes and dreams allots Him the chance to sustain the good in any humble desire and sharpen our vision to provide us with sound understanding for good decision making.

Whether you need to decide on a change of work, or where to go to school. Plan a relocation or set new hopes for you and your family. Whatever the decision maybe, I know that these ideas and desires are the seeds and gateway for us to journey through mortality and become like our Savior. As favorite hymn states "Lead kindly light; I do not ask to see, the distant scene-- one step enough for me" Step by step, and grace by grace we can through him achieve, find and renew our happiness by following His eternal plan.

To further your study I invite you tor prayerfully consider the following sources:
- 1 Nephi 16: 14-39, I Nephi 17 (The Book of Mormon)
- Lead Kindly Light (LDS Hymnal)
- "You're not messing up God's Plan for you." By: Ariel Szuch,
(As published by the LDS Blog found at www.lds.org)

{All pictures provided by Google Imaging, All Paintings are property of LDS Gospel Library}