The Experiment

The second half of Alma 32 is where he asks us to "experiment upon my words". he asks us to exercise a particle of faith, even if it is just the desire to believe. He compares the word to a seed. He says if we plant it in our heart and nourish it it will swell and we will know it is good. If we have unbelief and don't nourish it it will not grow. If the seed is not good then it will be cast away.

I often am looking for answers and seeking God's will for me. There are a lot of days when I stop and realize that my thoughts have only been for myself and not for my Heavenly Father. I really want to be better at really seeking the Lord's will everyday because I know I will accomplish more worthwhile tasks. One are that I always feel lost in is parenting. I am always asking and trying to figure out what it is I should be doing with my children. I don't know that I have felt exact guidance, I know generally what I need to be doing...pray, scriptures, family home evening and stuff like that. We always do library time once a week and playgroups with friends, but just one on one I never know what to do. Today I decided that I wanted to just listen and to just do what seems good. I knew that if it wasn't right I would feel something not clicking...that would be the bad seed...it would just be cast away. If I was doing good then I would feel it. There was a moment today while Danielle was at school and Travis and I were eating lunch. I sat there with him and we talked a bit and just were kicking back enjoying our time. We weren't in a rush, nothing was on my mind...it was just us hanging out. For a moment my mind opened up, everything seemed so clear and peaceful. I realized that the seed was good. Just spending that calm time together without any distractions was the right thing at that moment. I know Heavenly Father was telling me that it was good. I get so caught up in feeling like I need to be "doing" with my children when sometimes I need to not be "doing" anything but just being with them and enjoying them.

I think to experiment upon the word isn't just about faith in the gospel, but about our faith in all things. To experiment by placing faith in the areas we feel weak and as we nurture that seed and it swells we will perfect it and can experiment in another area and continually grow to become more like our Savior. I am so glad for the small experiences in my life...they are the ones that fine tune my faith and really anchor it to the foundation my parents raised me on.

Things to ponder today: What can experiment my faith on today? What are my weak areas that need improvement? What other experiences have I had where I can see the good seed swelling or the bad seed being cast away? How can reflecting on these experiences help me in the future?