"Remember the words which I have spoken. For behold, ye are they whom I have chosen to minister unto this people. Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?" -3 Nephi 13:25-26
This scripture was one of the reasons I decided to go ahead and start working on my papers. This was a confirmation to me that if I put the Lord first, and accepted His call, He would prepare my way. In this time of my life I don't need to panic or worry about money, or food, or whether or not I can afford to live in a specific manner. The Lord will provide for His servants, just as He provides for the fowls of the air.
This brings me to my next thought. My home ward has been positively stellar in providing for both my brother and I. They will be funding the majority of our missions, and various members have given gifts of money, talents, and time. My brother and I have been terribly blessed by them, especially our wonderful Bishop and his wife. That's not to say that we have laid back and let ourselves be pampered. We have worked as much as we can, and the ward has been kind enough to fill in the difference.
But today I went out to lunch with a wonderful Sister, the mother of one of my dear friends at school. We sat and traded stories of our families, talked missions, life, and had a wonderful little outing. When she asked me what I wanted/needed for my mission, I brushed her aside and assured her I was fine, that I didn't need anything. She persisted. I again, told her not to worry, I needed nor wanted for anything. She looked me in the eyes, and sat quietly for a moment before she said,
"Stop being so stiff necked. Please do not deny me these blessings. Let me help you. What do you need?"
Finally cowed by both look and tone, I explained that I only really needed for one thing: money for travel. She happily gave me a lovely little sum that eased my mind greatly. My pride did not allow me to accept her help at first, and I'm sorry to say that it gets in the way very often in situations like this. It's something I need to work on.
The reason I even brought this story up is this: when someone offers the help you need, take it. Whether it be service, money, time, or effort. Take it. Especially if you are a missionary. Do not deny the people around you the blessings they will receive in giving you these things. Do not let your pride get in the way of accepting help. Allow the Lord to provide for you through His other children. Allow Him to bless you and them! If you do that...
..everybody wins.
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