A few weeks ago, we went to Lake Powell with some great friends. We were there over the weekend so, on Sunday we boated into the marina and drove to church in Page.
I love to go to church no matter where I am but the reality of getting there always requires a tremendous amount of effort. It's painful... Often the pushback I get from my family makes my goal of getting there seem like it isn't worth it... But once I get there, it always is.
This day was like every other. No one wanted to go. Those who weren't actively protesting were passively protesting. Life was painful. Eventually we made it to the chapel in Page and settled in. It was fast Sunday and after the Sacrament was passed there was sharing of testimonies. It was a great meeting and I was particularly touched by one of the testimonies.
Another visitor stood and shared this story.
She had gone to the Louve (one of my favorite places) and she had gone on a tour with the docent. The guide told them at the beginning of the tour that there are over 40,000 items on display at the museum and thousands more in storage waiting to be rotated in. He commented that after seeing about 300-400 items (only about 1% of the museum's collection), people usually begin to wonder why certain items are there. He said that the Louve is the MOST important museum in the world and if an item is on display there, it is because it is very important. It has historical significance and is very valuable. Then they began their tour.
After they had been touring for an hour or two, right on cue, a lady in her group began to be tired, irritated, critical, and judgmental. She saw something she just didn't think had importance that was significant enough to warrant a place in the Louve. What's the point? To her it seemed silly and unimportant. She finally spoke up and said, "Why is this even here?!? I just don't get it..." The group paused and turned to the docent to hear his response. He responded by saying, "Yah, but don't you wish you could?".
The woman's understanding or comprehension of the item's worth or significance didn't change it's value. What a lesson to learn. How many of us don't understand? Don't get it? Discount things of value because we don't understand? We can't see so we don't value... We don't get the signifigance so we don't see the worth... We don't understand the context or history so it must be worthless...
I watch people around me everyday who mock what is of most worth to me - the gospel of Jesus Christ. They discount it's value because they don't understand - they can't see or they don't want to see - they don't comprehend how things fit together so they decide the best way to combat what they don't comprehend is to criticize and complain.
It boggles my mind sometimes that things that are so plain and precious can be such a stumbling block and source of contention for others. And at the same time, I wish I understood more... there are so many things I don't know.
I guess that is the point of my journey here - to learn enough, to understand enough, to see clearly enough so that I value what I have right in front of me - which is a beautiful world, a loving father in heaven, a plan to return to him thru Jesus Christ my Savior and a stewardship to help others see clearly too. That I give worth to things that have eternal value and significance.
So the answer to the question, for me, is "YES! I wish I could!"
I wish, with all my heart, that I could understand more than I do. I wish so much that others could see that our understanding/comprehension of things does not add or subtract from it's true worth. We cannot devalue the worth of something by simply saying it isn't important. We cripple ourselves, hinder our own progress when we discredit things because we don't understand.
So it's worth it to me to struggle to get my family to church. Sometimes I don't get it - why it has to be so hard but I know that in the end it is always worth it. I don't get it either... a lot of the time but...
I wish I could.
So I will keep on trying until I do.
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