Thinking about where we are

I have three other posts in my head about the parable of the sheep and the goats, as a whole, before spending some time on the individual needs and meeting them. I wasn't sure what order to put them in, but my hard drive appears to have died. While I am typing on an expired laptop with no access to documents, the obvious answer is to write up the short one. (And pray for a speedy resolution to the hard drive issue.)

I have been thinking about the way things have come together. I have spent most of this year carefully studying the Savior's life and thinking about how to emulate it as a weak and fallible mortal. That seemed like the right thing to do. 

Before that, I spent most of the previous year carefully studying the Constitution, and how we think about that. It also seemed like the right thing to do at the time, though it wasn't expected. The end part that focused on un-ratified amendments? I had no idea that was coming, but it was valuable. It mattered. 

So now, if I find that the thing that I most need to delve into is how we meet the needs of others, and it looks at both individuals and governmental and societal structures, that may be what I have been laying the foundation for all along without realizing it. 

It appears to be something that is needed, and more necessary than I could have imagined when I was starting, but I didn't know I was starting.

This may be more important for me than for anyone else, because I really like being able to tell the end from the beginning. I hate having so many important things unclear. I have still been able to look back many times and see the hand of God guiding me. That is important.

Listen for that voice. Watch for that hand. If you can get an idea of the destination along the way that is great, and it may help you follow better, but sometimes there are things that it is okay not to know, and to just trust. You have to be able to discern good influences from bad influences, but we can do that.

I believe we are all capable of doing much good and feeling much joy through that, but we have to be open to it.