Tag Archive for: hands

It’s in their hands…

Over the last three years, I have penned many Sunday morning thoughts, sharing everyday parallels to gospel truths.
This will be my last in the Belgium Netherlands Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
It has been a labour of love and joy.
Each weekend, as I consider the days gone by, some insight or reflective thought always comes.

New Leaders

Our new friends, Marius Natanya Von Mollendorff, will arrive on Wednesday.
By Friday, they’ll be leading the mission, and we will be on a plane back home to Scotland.
Thinking about the future of the Belgium Netherlands Mission, I couldn’t get the phrase “π’Šπ’•’𝒔 π’Šπ’ π’•π’‰π’†π’Šπ’“ 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔” from my mind, as Monic and I depart the scene.

Safe Hands

Indeed, the mission is in a very safe pair of many hands, all trustworthy and reliable.
It reminded me of a quote from President Thomas S. Monson who said β€œWe are the Lord’s hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children. He is dependent upon each of us.”
When I think of our missionaries, I often think of them stretching out their hands to lift, comfort, bless, love, serve, and minister to the one, by offering hope and salvation through Jesus Christ.
Daily they try to emulate the great example of Jesus Christ.
They are called by a Prophet of God, to represent Him and to serve.
To serve, just as Jesus Christ served.
As a result of the Saviour stretching out His hands to touch others, they became stronger and better.
Similarly, β€œβ€¦as we emulate His perfect example our hands can become His hands” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf.

It has been my experience these last 3 years, that as we extend our hands and hearts toward others in Christlike love, something wonderful always happens.

Whilst on the Lord’s errand, I am a witness to the fact, that as missionaries combine their efforts with others, oftentimes impossible tasks are accomplished in miraculous ways.
The result – over and over again, many people become much stronger and happier as the Gospel of Jesus Christ comes into their lives.
I hope and pray that our hearts and hands just like the missionaries, can be stretched out in love and compassion towards many others.
Like the missionaries you too can become His hands.
For the moment, He asks us to be His hands, by β€œdoing good” – Acts 10:38
What good can you do today?

Palm Sunday

In the Christian calendar, today is the start of Holy Week.
My thoughts are already turning more towards Jesus Christ, especially today as we mark His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
The Old Testament tells us that Jews would rejoice greatly, to shout at the Messiah’s coming.
And they did.
The crowd cried “Hosanna,” the Greek expression for “save us now.”
β€œRejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” See Zechariah 9:9.
In adoration, the people laid down palm branches before Christ’s path. See Matthew 21:1-11

An important week

Elder Ronald A. Rasband shared recently about the importance of Palm Sunday, and that it was the beginning of β€œthe most important week in human history.”
β€œWhat began with the heralding of Jesus as the promised Messiah in His triumphant entry into Jerusalem closed with His Crucifixion and Resurrection,” he said.

Remembering

Three years ago, President Russell M. Nelson said. β€œI invite you to make this coming week truly holy by remembering β€” not just the palms that were waved to honour the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem β€” but by remembering the π’‘π’‚π’π’Žπ’” 𝒐𝒇 π‘―π’Šπ’” 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔.”
He quoted the Saviour’s promise in Isaiah 49:16: β€œBehold, I have graven thee upon the π’‘π’‚π’π’Žπ’” 𝒐𝒇 π’Žπ’š 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔.” β€” a promise, President Nelson said, that Jesus Christ β€œwill never forget you.”
Upon His hands, are engraven our sins, our pains and all our afflictions, and if we come unto Him, I know, that each of us will feel of his redeeming love and heal us.

Follow His Teachings

Through repentance and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, you too can feel the joy of forgiveness of His redeeming love, always and forever, just like Gracie Reid and Mallory Grunander.
β€œAfter all that Jesus Christ did for you, I invite you to do something this week to follow His teachings,” President Nelson continued.
β€œYou might make your prayers more earnest. You could forgive someone or help a friend in need. You can start today on a new spiritual quest.”
β€œLet us remember during this Easter season that the restored gospel of our Lord has the power to fill any emptiness and heal any wound” said Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf.
Why not invite the missionaries over this week, and consider why the Easter message is so important for you?