Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Alma 37:6

"Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise."
Alma 37:6


Sometimes I think that we want something dramatic to change our lives. Kind of like John Donne's Holy Sonnet 13, saying "batter my heart" ... we want God to come down and strike us with lightning, or burn away all the parts of use that aren't pure... change us inside and out entirely. Even with non (or less) spiritual things... the perfect software, or the perfect diet... We jump to something dramatic like a cleanse or a fast before we consider the daily, everyday things that we need to change. Or we jump to a new software program without improving the process. It is so tempting to look for that quick fix, the fast, easy, one-time-only thing that will come in and make it all better. Small and simple means aren't only the way that God works with us, but how we can change our own lives. It's so tempting to want the lightning bolt or the angel, but remember Laman and Lemuel who saw angels and still went astray. It isn't the dramatic things that usually change us permanently. It is the smaller, internal habits and actions that we take every day. We know most of the things we need to do. We need to pray. We need to read our scriptures. We need to attend church. We need to love other people and treat them well. The basics. It's the Sunday School answer for a reason... because it works. The little things change us dramatically if we do them consistently... and they can harm us dramatically if we fail to do so. Today, I need to remember this... and thought maybe we could all use a reminder. :)

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