Devotion

What are you devoted to?
What happens when you live by what you are devoted to?
๐ƒ๐ž๐ฏ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง – “an ardent love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person or activity. A strong attachment, an eager inclination, an animated zeal, a loyal affection.”
Later this morning, I will begin my weekly activity of responding to email letters sent to me by each of the missionaries serving in the mission. Every preparation day (P-day – a Tuesday in our mission), every missionary sends an email letter to the Mission President.
Every week, I take some time to sit down, read each of the letters, one by one and prepare an appropriate response for each missionary.
Prior to starting, I prayerfully consider the activity at hand, and seek guidance from on high as to how best to respond by preparing a personal reply to each of the missionary letters.
Preparing for my day ahead, the word “devotion” has come gently to mind once more.

Service

It strikes me that in reading and responding to all of these letters for the last 20 weeks or so, without fail, I find that each of these young missionaries have an unwavering commitment to their calling as a missionary. They are indeed as the dictionary definition of the word ๐’…๐’†๐’—๐’๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’ outlines, filled with “an ardent love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person or activity. A strong attachment, an eager inclination, an animated zeal, a loyal affection.”
It strikes me too, that as they have lived by what they are devoted to, their lives start to change. By that I mean, ๐ข๐Ÿ ๐ฐ๐ž ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐ž ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐†๐จ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ž๐ฅ, ๐ฐ๐ž ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ž ๐ข๐ญ, ๐ข๐Ÿ ๐ฐ๐ž ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ž ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐†๐จ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ž๐ฅ, ๐ฐ๐ž ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐ž ๐ข๐ญ. Day in, day out, week in, week out, I see exceedingly strong evidence of that in each of our full time missionaries and in those whom they teach the Gospel too.
Being a missionary isn’t easy, in fact it is down right tough! Yet on the flip side it is also filled with the most miraculous of daily experiences.
Daily, each missionary devotes their lives to the service of others and helping so many to draw closer to Jesus Christ. Oftentimes, they place the needs of others, above their own.
It is clear that a devotion to something gives each of us a sincere enthusiasm about life and an ardent love for those things we are responsible for. I believe that when we have a strong devotion to something and it lies at the very centre of our life, then somehow our lives become much more worthwhile, filled with purpose and meaning.
Shortly, I’ll begin my weekly devotion to missionary responses.
What would you like to be devoted to?

Mission Service

Recently, I have been asked this a few times; โ€œWhat do you do as Mission Leaders?โ€

My response was โ€œMany things!โ€

One of our key responsibilities that Monic and I share is for the well-being of our missionaries.

Let me explain furtherโ€ฆ.

Mission life is segmented into a 6-week transfer cycle.

Each cycle starts and ends with arrivals & departures of missionaries.

In between our days are regularly filled with preparation, planning, training sessions, conferences, leadership meetings, travel, medical issues, phone calls, zoom sessions and much more, not forgetting of course, our precious regular catch-up time with family time too, via Zoom!

Professionally, as a coach and counsellor, one of my favourite things to do in life has always been 1-1 coaching sessions. During the 6-week cycle, every missionary in the mission (currently 51) has personal 1-1 time with each mission leaders. In mission lingo, they are called interviews, but essentially, having sat through thousands of coaching sessions, that is exactly what they are.

The last few days have been filled with these sessions.

Each interview (mini coaching session) begins and ends with prayer.

In between, we slow down, talk, laugh, cry, catch up, share, consider, counsel, challenge, soften, teach, learn and ultimately, we listen.

Listening

In fact, we listen a lot.

Then we listen a little more.

Some time ago, I shared a thought about the word โ€œlistenโ€.

The word has six letters. Rearrange them and the word โ€œsilentโ€ is formed. In Dutch the six letters become even shorter, with only four โ€œstilโ€

Frequently, I find as I listen, oftentimes a missionary will suddenly go quiet. Years ago, I used to feel a little awkward when the first quiet spell sets in, but now I understand that these are the moments of real inspiration, when they are thinking.

I donโ€™t know what they are thinking, only that they are thinking!

Experience has taught me that it is in these very quiet active times, when the least seems to be happening, that the most is actually happening.

In those quiet moments one missionary recently shared this verse of scripture, found in Psalms 46:10 โ€œBe still and know that I am Godโ€ฆโ€ Regularly, we hear the whisperings of the Holy Ghost to guide each of us in our missionary work. It is beautiful, reassuring and fills our hearts with love and pure knowledge.

Learning to be still

To listen and to be silent (still) are inseparably connected.

These short interview sessions are by design an opportunity to learn, to listen and grow.

What I have learned most in my life has come in many ways, but the largest part has come from listening to those with much greater experience than me. Generally, it tends to be those who have lived longer and learned many important things that I needed to know โ€“ one of which is learning how to be quiet, to be still and to listen.

Now however, we are being taught frequently by those much younger than ourselves. Daily we find, tender mercies from the Lord, as He has prepared these young people (18 to 26 years of age) to preach the gospel to the world. Indeed, it is a mighty miracle.

We are off to do some more mini-coaching sessions.

Please choose to slow down, be quiet, learn to listen, listen to learn, then you too will hear the whisperings of the spirit of the Lord.

#HearHim

Ask first!

Standing in the kitchen, Monic passed me the jar of beetroot.
Having tried to open it already, Monic didn’t have to say anything, the look in her eyes said it all… “can you open that please?”
Taking the jar from her hands, I gave it a go.
Holding the jar in my left hand, I tried to open the jar with my stronger right hand.
No joy.
Holding the jar in my right hand, I tried to open the jar with my left hand.
Reflecting now on that silly moment – as expected, no joy!
“Try holding it under hot water” Monic said.
Under it went. Several attempts later, and after straining my right wrist – still no joy.
“Try it with a cloth” Monic said.
With my right wrist strained, it was back to holding it with my right hand and then trying with my left hand.
No joy.
Monic took the jar back again.
“I remember my mum said if I pry a knife under the lid, it may let a little air in and that may help” – said Monic.
So, taking a knife she pried it under the lid. Hey presto “pop” went the lid, a little twist with her hand – job done!
Moral of the story….
Pause, reflect and ask the question first…
“Has your mum given you any tips as to how to open that jar?” ๐Ÿ˜…

Ministering

Several times in the last week or two, I have been asked “What is ministering?”
In my answers I have used different words like listening, observing, helping, serving, sharing by effectively learning to attend to the needs of others by lifting and strengthening those around us.
This morning, as I was reflecting further I recalled this experience from a few years ago in Blackpool, England. Whilst facilitating a learning workshop, I experienced something I’d never witnessed before, in such a way that everyone in the room was moved to tears, when one delegate shared a very personal story, that brought great insight to the point we were discussing…
I wrote the experience up in one of my blogs, see https://darylwatson.org/2020/02/19/touched/ย however, I will share it below too….
“The energy in the room was high. Then in a reflective moment one participant shared โ€œI can relate to thatโ€ and tears started to flow freely.
The atmosphere changed.
We had already created a safe environment for sharing that day, but the authenticity in the room soared to a different level. Attentively, everyone focused on the personal story being shared. It was a moment of high emotion and an intimate turning point in the workshop. In opening up in such a manner the participant had taken a great risk in approaching a vulnerable area in their life by sharing it so deeply.
The silence was palpable.
Unwittingly, by speaking so candidly and tenderly, the participant had completely engaged everyone in the room.

Then it happened.

I watched, as those on either side felt impressed to reach out in a compassionate and reassuring way by physically touching our storyteller.
The whole experience had a profound effect on all of us in the room. There was a feeling of connection, togetherness and unity for a fleeting moment in time.
Deep and meaningful learning moments come quite unexpectedly at times. When they do, donโ€™t be afraid to welcome them, gently explore them, embrace them and cherish themโ€ฆ.forever.”
That day, in that moment, we were all “present”. Every part of our being was sensing something very different.
Each of us in that room were moved in a compassionate, loving and gentle way as we listened and observed one by one to the story being told.
Everyone in the room was emotionally touched.
So much so, that each of us then moved physically, to touch the storyteller in a gentle, kind and supportive way.
That is ministering.
Can you reach out, minister and touch someone today?

Nobody is a Nobody

๐๐จ๐›๐จ๐๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐š ๐ง๐จ๐›๐จ๐๐ฒ!
Through my life, career and church service, oftentimes I’ve heard phrases like “what does it really matter, I’m nobody,” or “I’m just one of the thousands, I’m nobody really”.
Perhaps in the past you may have felt you were a nobody, or maybe you are feeling right now that you are a nobody?
“We do ourselves a great injustice when we allow ourselves, through tragedy, misfortune, challenge, discouragement, or whatever the earthly situation, to so identify ourselves. No matter how or where we find ourselves, we cannot with any justification label ourselves โ€œnobody.โ€” – said Marvin J. Ashton.
Frequently life, work and family challenges can get us down and cause us to question who we really are. We doubt ourselves, we doubt our self worth and confidence may fail us. I have been in too many coaching conversations where that has been the case.
Please, please be assured – you are a somebody!!!
You are endowed with great gifts, unique capabilities, special talents all waiting to be discovered, developed and finely tuned.
Each of us are needed.
You are unique.
You are where you are supposed to be.
No one, absolutely no one can take your place.
Everybody is somebody to me.
My simple invitation today is to invite you to be somebody, nobody thought you could be.

What personal battles do you face?

What do you wrestle with?
What is your biggest personal battle?
As unique individuals, we fight incredibly personal battles – daily.
In the Book of Mormon we read in Mosiah 3:19 “For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.”
Bending the will of our “๐’๐’‚๐’•๐’–๐’“๐’‚๐’ ๐’Ž๐’‚๐’” tendencies to the “๐’†๐’๐’•๐’Š๐’„๐’Š๐’๐’ˆ๐’” ๐’๐’‡ ๐’•๐’‰๐’† ๐‘ฏ๐’๐’๐’š ๐‘บ๐’‘๐’Š๐’“๐’Š๐’•” is not easy.
In fact it is downright difficult.
Yet it is also simple.
It is something that requires daily, consistent, disciplined effort.
Prophets of yesteryear throughout the Bible and The Book of Mormon, and now in our time, modern day Prophets, constantly address their voice and their lives to these key matters:
– Spirit over flesh
– Discipline over permissiveness
– Reverence over scorn
As you wrestle, there are beautiful joyful moments to be found in daily prayer, repentance, seeking forgiveness, all to be found through the atonement of Jesus Christ.
A perfect day will come.
The doctrine of Christ teaches us that we can overcome these mortal trials as we yield our will as children, to the will of our Heavenly Father.
It is a simple invitation. The Saviour said “๐‘ช๐’๐’Ž๐’†, ๐‘ญ๐’๐’๐’๐’๐’˜ ๐‘ด๐’†.”

Enough!

Okay people…. seriously, when is enough, enough?
Are you chained to a to-do list for today and gauging your personal value and self worth on its completion or not?
There is hope!
Don’t beat yourself up, why not slow down andย  show some self-respect!
What does that mean?
Simply – not being overly self-critical, judgmental, or restrictive!
Start today and practice making purposeful shifts toward self-kindness.
Why not say to yourself as you finish one particular task and consider the next – “I could choose to do this, or I could choose not do it. If I choose to stop now, I will allow whatever I have accomplished today ๐’•๐’ ๐’ƒ๐’† ๐’†๐’๐’๐’–๐’ˆ๐’‰.”
Enough definition “a sufficient number, quantity, or amount”
Let whatever you get done today – be ๐ž๐ง๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก!

Adapting to Change

Years ago, I worked for a company whose logo incorporated a dandelion.
Yesterday, whilst visiting Hengelo for the weekend, we met with our new friends Gert & Nicky Aalderink for a lovely dinner. During our conversation we talked about dandelions for a minute or two.
As a child I learned that blowing on dandelion puffballs can tell you if itโ€™s time to go home, how many years it will be until you find the right person and get married, or perhaps even how many children youโ€™ll have โ€“ and naturally, if you catch a flying dandelion seed, you can make a wish!
All of this is just plain nonsensical childish fun – of course!
Dandelions however grow and flourish almost anywhere.
Why?
Simply stated – they can adapt exceptionally well to any changing conditions.

Top Tips

Recently, I have been asked a lot about adapting to change. And so, I thought this morning, (having facilitated many learning sessions on the topic over many years,) I’d share my top ten tips on adapting to change. Here they are…..
1 – Focus on what you can control
2 – Accept and embrace change
3 – Recognise, understand and acknowledge your emotions
4 – Avoid catastrophising about the future
5 – Regulate your stress levels by slowing down
6 – Always get support from others
7 – Establish daily healthy routines and good habits
8 – Always be curious about the new experience
9 – Take one baby step at a time
10 – Seek out new opportunities that will certainly arise.
Dandelion seeds blowing in the wind, land in all kinds of different places. To survive, grow and flourish, they have to adapt to their ever changing environment.
In a like manner as each of us face an ever changing environment at home, in the workplace and most certainly in the mission field, we must adapt quickly to survive, grow and flourish!
What is one your best tips on adapting to change?

From Dark to Light

Are you fumbling around in the darkness?
The storms of life, dark, difficult moments, trials, tribulations, sickness, loneliness, resentment, fears can overwhelm us and we may fall into despair.
Arising early this morning, it was dark, very dark.
Autumn is here.
The thick early morning darkness of the season is upon us.
Carefully in the darkness, I cautiously moved forward into the vast darkness of the bedroom. As I placed one foot in front of the other, I became acutely aware of my tiny steps, wary of any obstacles in the way.
Moving forward apprehensively, I slowly, gingerly stretched out my arms, feeling, touching, sensing in the denseness of that dark moment, in which direction to move onward, towards my objective.
My pace was deliberate and measured.
After a few seconds, my goal was achieved.
Clutching my dressing gown and slippers, I turned around and once more faced another dark period of retracing some of my steps and out of the bedroom, into the hallway, down a flight of stairs and finally arriving in the living room.

Turn the Light On

I then chose to turn the darkness off, by turning the light on.
Figuratively, many of us may be in a similar space, right now, right at this moment in time.
Searching, seeking, inquiring, exploring for a new direction and answers, yet feel surrounded by gloomy darkness, filling our thoughts and actions.
This is a time for faith, not for fear.
Throughout life, I have learned that when the night is dark, when thick gloominess surrounds us, each of us have an opportunity to move forward by exercising our faith in Jesus Christ.
He is the light.
He is the light of the world.
Little by little, step by step by putting our hand in the Lordโ€™s hand and relying upon Him, will help each of us through, even the darkest of nights.
Doing so will strengthen our faith and answers will come.
Choose to turn the darkness off.
Please choose to turn His light on.

Culture

“What is that for?” she asked.
“Its an egg cup.” I replied.
Then she responded “How do you use it?”
Picking up a boiled egg, I then demonstrated how an egg cup works!
Using a knife I showed our guests how to cut the egg open and eat it using a teaspoon.
“Fascinating” I thought.
Sitting around the breakfast table that morning, we were informed that it wasn’t a common thing in the USA to use egg cups. Yet for generations in Europe – egg cups have been quite a thing!
It was a wake up call for all of us.
๐‚๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ž – traditions, societal norms, languages, what we wear, how we sit at the table, how we greet visitors, unwritten rules that govern our social behaviours, foods, ceremonies, pastimes, architecture or simply put – they way we do things around here – is part n parcel of our everyday experience at the moment.
In our interconnected world, our cultures are fluid and in continual motion.
While change is inevitable, this little egg cup experience reminded me that no matter what culture a people are a part of, one thing is for certain, we constantly make random discoveries of cultural norms all the time!
I am writing this from a hotel room in Copenhagen this morning. Walking around the city yesterday, Monic and I came across a cultural icon of this nation – Hans Christian Andersen! He too has influenced the culture of this society for generations!
From a little egg cup, to a prolific writer, what cultures have impacted your life?