Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. Doctrine and Covenants 50:40
Sister Bullock, our mission president's wife, always gives great talks using stories and allegories. She told us about the family being outside a few years back and hearing rustling in the leaves in their window well, but not seeing anything in there, they didn't look further. Occasionally, they'd hear it again, but did not investigate, thinking it was just some critter that liked it in there.
After about three seasons of this, they decided to dig out the leaves and find what was still in the window well hidden under the leaves. They removed the grate that covered the window well, and as they carefully cleared the leaves, they discovered a good sized toad.
Wondering how a toad that size could have possibly fallen through the tiny grids of the grate, they realized that he was once a very small toad and had probably fallen in there and couldn't get out. He liked his warm little spot where he could get the food and water he needed without venturing any further than his safe pile of leaves within the small space of the window well. He didn't have to put out any effort and he didn't even know he was confined. In his ignorance, he thought that was all there was to the world--simply lazily existing. He had no idea what else was in the world to enjoy and no way of truly growing from broader experience. He could not have a fullness of joy in that environment and would never know what that was if he remained trapped.
Sister Bullock asked us to contemplate upon our lives and see if we have climbed out of our comfort zones and allowed our spirits to grow. Do we stay in our own little window wells of safety and contribute little good to the world? When their toad was let go into the world, he happily hopped off to new adventures. Think how different the toad's life is outside of the window well. I'd like to think he is seeing some of the things he missed those first few years of his life. His world has to be much brighter and more colorful than it was in that dark, brown-leafed window well.
Below are things I'm seeing outside our apartment. Perhaps these are the things the toad can now enjoy.
Sister Bullock, our mission president's wife, always gives great talks using stories and allegories. She told us about the family being outside a few years back and hearing rustling in the leaves in their window well, but not seeing anything in there, they didn't look further. Occasionally, they'd hear it again, but did not investigate, thinking it was just some critter that liked it in there.
After about three seasons of this, they decided to dig out the leaves and find what was still in the window well hidden under the leaves. They removed the grate that covered the window well, and as they carefully cleared the leaves, they discovered a good sized toad.
Wondering how a toad that size could have possibly fallen through the tiny grids of the grate, they realized that he was once a very small toad and had probably fallen in there and couldn't get out. He liked his warm little spot where he could get the food and water he needed without venturing any further than his safe pile of leaves within the small space of the window well. He didn't have to put out any effort and he didn't even know he was confined. In his ignorance, he thought that was all there was to the world--simply lazily existing. He had no idea what else was in the world to enjoy and no way of truly growing from broader experience. He could not have a fullness of joy in that environment and would never know what that was if he remained trapped.
Sister Bullock asked us to contemplate upon our lives and see if we have climbed out of our comfort zones and allowed our spirits to grow. Do we stay in our own little window wells of safety and contribute little good to the world? When their toad was let go into the world, he happily hopped off to new adventures. Think how different the toad's life is outside of the window well. I'd like to think he is seeing some of the things he missed those first few years of his life. His world has to be much brighter and more colorful than it was in that dark, brown-leafed window well.
Below are things I'm seeing outside our apartment. Perhaps these are the things the toad can now enjoy.
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