Parable of the Indian Butter Chicken
This last Thursday I
received a text message around 3:30 in the afternoon reminding me that the
sister missionaries were coming to eat dinner at our house and asking if 6
would be a good time. I was so excited to cook up my favorite meal for them:
Indian Butter Chicken. Unfortunately I was nowhere near ready. I had an online
test to finish for school, the house looked like a tornado had touched down,
and I was missing an ingredient on my list.
I rushed to finish my
test and pick up what I could around the house, judging that I could run to the
store around 5 and be back in time to get the food finished before they
arrived. Little did I know that in the course of me “running” to the store and
back I would get stuck behind not one, but TWO trains and that my six-month old
would throw up all over the seat of the car right as I was putting her in. Not
only that, but, my glorious Indian Butter Chicken recipe would create a garam
masala volcano all over the kitchen soon after I began the cooking process.
Needless to say, it was well after 6 before dinner was finally ready. Luckily
the sister missionaries took pity on the headless chicken that I was and kindly
helped me finish up.
Parable of The Ten Virgins
Now, fortunately I have
been studying my scriptures this week preparing for this talk and as all the
mayhem was occurring the Spirit whispered an important thought into my heart: I
was being the foolish woman Jesus talked about in his parable of the ten
virgins! I had the chance to have representatives of Jesus Christ come to my
house for dinner and I had waited until the last moment to prepare!
In the New Testament we
read about the parable I referred to. During his last week on earth Jesus
taught his disciples about the dangers of procrastination by telling a story about
ten women waiting to go to a wedding. In the parable the women take their lamps
in preparation to wait for the bridegroom, who according to Jewish tradition
would come at a time that was decided by his father and not known by anyone
else. The women waited what must have been a long time, and then at midnight
the call came that the bridegroom was on his way! 5 of the women were prepared
for his coming and lit their lamps with the extra oil they’d brought while the
other 5 were left scrambling, much like I was in preparation for dinner with
the missionaries. They wanted to make that last trip to the store, but it was
too late, the festivities had already begun and they were left behind. I wonder
what those 5 women were busy doing while the others were preparing? Were they
slaving away trying to make their houses spotless? Were they occupied with
comparing one another’s outfits and hairdos? Were they catching up on the
latest entertainment series or news report or social media discussions?
Where Will This Lead?
In a talk this past
April President Oaks stated: “We make many
choices between two goods, often involving how we will spend our time. There is
nothing bad about playing video games or texting or watching TV or talking on a
cell phone. But each of these involves what is called “opportunity cost,”
meaning that if we spend time doing one thing, we lose the opportunity to do
another. I am sure you can see that we need to measure thoughtfully what we are
losing by the time we spend on one activity, even if it is perfectly good in
itself. As we make current decisions, we should always be asking, “Where
will this lead?” (Oaks, 2019).
There
was nothing wrong with the activities that I had planned to accomplish before
the missionaries arrived, but when reflecting on the “opportunity cost” between
making sure my house was spotless and having dinner prepared I chose to focus
on the outward appearance of my home in place of having food ready so that the
missionaries could be effective and timely with their schedules.
Small
and Simple Things
This
instance might not have been an eternally significant one, and oftentimes the
situations in which we have to make similar decisions don’t seem to be that
important either. However, the Lord has taught that “by small and simple things
are great things brought to pass” (Alma 37:6) For example, when my husband and
I were first married we determined that we would make an effort to attend the
temple weekly while living here in Rexburg. Unfortunately that goal has been
thwarted many weeks due to the preference we give to less important activities.
One week in particular we delayed our temple attendance until late Saturday
evening. Feeling good that we were still making an “effort” we hurried to the
temple only to find that the doors had closed just minutes before we arrived. I
don’t remember exactly what things got in the way of our opportunity to be in
the house of the Lord, but I do remember the disappointment I felt as I looked
in at the temple workers through the locked door. Had we asked ourselves with
each activity “Where will this lead?” we might have had the chance to
participate in saving ordinances that week, a blessing that would have added to
our reservoir of faith.
Does
It Make A Difference?
Another
example of this important principle can be seen in the story of the starfish. One
day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something
up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “What
are you doing?” The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The
surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”
“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and
hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!”
After
listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it
back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said…” I made a difference for
that one.”
The
boys small act of service seemed only to impact the lives of the few starfish
he was able to save. However, I am sure that young boy saving starfish would
grow to become a man saving souls. The small acts of service that we perform
throughout our lives take effect on our character to develop us into dedicated
disciples of Christ. Elder D. Todd Christofferson stated, “The more we serve our
fellowmen in appropriate ways, the more substance there is to our souls.” In
addition to asking ourselves “Where will this lead” as we make daily decisions
I wonder if we could include the question “Will this make a difference?”
Have I
Done Any Good?
It is
interesting to note that according to Jewish customs, the ten virgins waiting
for the bridegroom were most likely bridesmaids whose responsibility it was to
light the way for the bridegroom. If we are to consider ourselves those
bridesmaids, we see that our actions indeed light the way for others to come
unto Christ. The opportunities to present this light to others will not always
be clearly spelled out beforehand. We must be prepared to serve in any instance
that the Lord asks. President Thomas S. Monson, an incredible example of
constant service stated, “I am confident it is the intention of
each member of the Church to serve and to help those in need. At baptism we
covenanted to “bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light.”8 How
many times has your heart been touched as you have witnessed the need of
another? How often have you intended to be the one to help? And yet how
often has day-to-day living interfered and you’ve left it for others to help,
feeling that “oh, surely someone will take care of that need.”
“We
become so caught up in the busyness of our lives. Were we to step back,
however, and take a good look at what we’re doing, we may find that we have
immersed ourselves in the “thick of thin things.” In other words, too often we
spend most of our time taking care of the things which do not really matter
much at all in the grand scheme of things, neglecting those more important
causes.” In adding to our list of evaluating questions I add, quoting my
favorite hymn, “Have I done any good in the world today?”
I
understand that we all have many tasks calling for our time and attention. Many
of these tasks really are important to our temporal well-being, but perhaps we
could aim more effort to sacrificing the unimportant to make room for the
eternally essential. Or as President Oaks put it, “We have to forego some
good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they
develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families” (Oaks).
Prepare Now
In the Book of Mormon
the missionary Amulek teaches “NOW is the time and the day of your
salvation...THIS life is the time for men to prepare to meet God…” (Alma
34:31-32). Working as a nurse at the hospital I witnessed the challenges that
many people go through as they face unexpected illnesses and accidents. Of the
patients I watched slip from this life to the next, few were forewarned that
their time on earth had come to an end. I have often wondered whether or not I
am prepared to be in their shoes. Just like the ten virgins waiting for the
bridegroom we “know neither the day nor the hour” when we will be called up to
our heavenly home. Our time on earth is so small compared to forever, but each
moment is a brushstroke on the canvas of eternity. The choices that
we make will ultimately make us.
If you are anything like
me you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed by the quantity of “to-do’s” and
“to-becomes” on your agenda. Fortunately for us we have been blessed with the
fortifying teachings of the gospel and the guiding influence of the Holy Ghost.
Elder Uchtdorf teaches ,“Strength comes not from frantic activity but from being settled
on a firm foundation of truth and light. It comes from placing our attention
and efforts on the basics of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. It comes from
paying attention to the divine things that matter most” (Uchtdorf, 2010).
When the time comes will
we be scrambling for that last ingredient or will we be ready to invite the
Savior in confidently, knowing that we will feel comfortable in his presence
because we have tried to be like Him. The choice is ours and the time to decide
is now. With each decision that faces us, let us ask ourselves “Where will this
lead?” “Will it make a difference?” And ultimately “Have I done any good in the
world today?”
I have faith that my
Savior will return. This faith encourages me to “try a little harder to
be a little better” each day as President Hinckley used to say. I look forward
to that day with hopes that I will feel confident in His presence. I cannot be
perfect until that day, but in the meantime I will try my hardest to be perfect
at repenting. I know that we are children of God and that this life is part of
an eternal plan of happiness and salvation. I know that families indeed can be
together forever. I know that Jesus Christ lived, suffered, died, and lives
again for me and for you. I know that by following the gospel of Jesus Christ
we can find true happiness in this life and in the life to come.
