We don't have to walk alone

 

2-15-21

Hello beautiful people, 

Transfers have come and gone. I have now been in Kaw Valley for 6 weeks. I am staying here with my current companion Elder Unsell (I'm happy and content about that). My district leader who lives with me is leaving. I'm so sad - Elder Forbush is gonna be a district leader and a trainer whitewashing into an area. (District leader- responsible for a group of missionaries, trainer- training a brand new missionary, whitewashing- two people going into an area together with no prior knowledge.) But yeah, that is exciting.  Also, I have a friend being made an STL (which is a leadership position for sisters).  She's gonna do great! 

Another Note: we made contact with people that we've been out of contact with (that were on date for baptism so we seriously needed to be in contact with them). So yeah, that was a huge blessing. But our way of contacting was door knocking grey dots (please read my past emails for an explanation of grey dots). So Elder Unsell and I were out knocking in 10° weather, and then Elder Hooper and I were on exchanges and went out knocking in 2° but it felt like -16° because of the humidity and wind. But yeah, changes are coming.

Spiritual thought: 

A lot of this is references and quotes from a BYU devotional called "It Is Not Good That . . . Man Should Be Alone” by Kevin J Worthen. In reading it, I learned a lot. 

"Very little that is positive is solitary. When was the last time you laughed uproariously? The last time you felt indescribable joy? The last time you sensed profound meaning and purpose? The last time you felt enormously proud of an accomplishment? Even without knowing the particulars of these high points of your life, I know their form: all of them took place around other people." - Dr. Martin Seligman

These questions were heart opening and soul searching questions for me. I think often we can tend to think we have to do everything at once and be perfect NOW. In the words of Russell.M Nelson, "Perfection is pending." 

We don't have to do anything alone, nor should we. Heavenly Father wouldn't have given us friends and families if that were the case. Now sometimes we lose dear loved ones or friends, and that is all about God's timing. It's like a chapter book where you laugh with some characters then cry with other characters. Then at some points you turn a page and a character leaves. (There's a lot of that in the mission). But sometimes characters can come back, and sometimes they don't. 

But the point is we don't have to walk alone. A perfect man already did that. He walked up a hill carrying a cross and kept walking up the hill to accomplish his Father’s will because he loves you and me. To think that you need to walk alone or are unworthy of love is completely disregarding wounds and pains of loneliness that the very Son of God closed himself in a private garden then on a public hill.

 I am afraid I'm guilty of feeling unworthy and at times I disregard the love and gift of the Atonement. I'm terribly mistaken at times. None of us should walk alone. Even when it feels like we are alone, we are not. Heaven's angels are always near on both sides of the veil, and the Holy Spirit is always lovingly nearby. 

Love you all, 

Elder Hedrick