The manual suggests we pray to understand and recognize the insights necessary for us, to read and then to take note of what stands out to us. This is what I try to do. What stood out to me:
Luke 21, verses 1-4, Jesus witnesses the poor widow casting her two mites into the treasury and teaches how her offering is much more significant than the others because it is all she has. It makes me ask, “What do we offer Him?”
We are taught that our sacrifice to Him is supposed to be a broken heart and a contrite spirit. My interpretation of this is to live meekly and humbly with reverence and gratitude continually in my heart for the Savior. What this actually looks like in life is a little more difficult to discern. Life gets busy, and if we don’t intentionally check ourselves, much of it can go by without us offering our broken hearts and contrite spirits. It doesn’t mean we are bad people, just that life is busy. Stopping to check ourselves, to take spiritual inventory, to live intentionally is a choice, and, yes, it is work, but I need to remind myself to do it. I want this.
I need to stop throughout the day and REMEMBER (there is that word that surfaces so many times throughout the scriptures) the blessings God has given me, remember the specific times He has rescued me, the times He has comforted me and guided me – there are so so many!
I need to stop and be still, to have quiet moments where I allow myself to feel instead of think – this is where gratitude arises within me, I feel gratitude – I don’t think it. Understanding comes from feeling. We have to know how to feel and allow ourselves time to do it.
Our Savior has given us everything. What do we offer Him in return?
The next thing that stands out to me is a saying in verse 14, “Settle it therefore in your hearts …” This saying could be read in so many different ways. It could mean “Decide now.” It could mean “Allow your hearts to be at peace.” But I think, in this specific reference, it means “Trust me.”
Jesus is warning His disciples of the hardships they are going to go through in this section. He tells them to settle it in their hearts to not premeditate the things they are going to say and teach people because the Spirit will guide them instead. Maybe that phrase means all of those things I mentioned above? “Decide now to allow your hearts to be at peace because you trust me.” I like that. That makes smile. Settle it therefore in your hearts.
Verse 19: “In your patience possess ye your souls.” Whoa! This one scares me. I am terrible with patience. I know I am in the process of learning it. I have been for a long time now (ha ha). It is not easy for me. I can have patience with other people, but I have a hard time having patience with life and with myself. I rush so many things. When I read this phrase, it hit me and scared me. I feel like I need to be careful. The details about all of that? I’m not certain.
And finally … verse 36, “Watch ye therefore …” The preceding verses tell of signs of the Second Coming. They warn that we need to be aware and pay attention, that we cannot let the cares of our daily lives distract us from what is really important – from the bigger picture.
Verse 34 reads, “And take heed to yourself, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” Take heed, and don’t be unawares! Again, I feel like this comes back to making choices and living intentionally. When we know what we want and are making efforts to work toward it, we are aware of it. What is the scripture? … “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” 3Nephi13:21
