Friday, April 1, 2011

I'm Available Lord

My brother worked in a U.S. Embassy in Pakistan for several years at the time of the first Gulf war. At this time, there were no Pakistani church members in the country and he and his family began to fast weekly and pray daily that the Gospel could somehow be introduced to the nation of Pakistan. It was against the law to proselyte and he did not know what to do, except to "fast and pray."

After several weeks of daily prayer and weekly fasts, he received a phone call one day from a Pakistani man who had joined the church while visiting America. He had just returned home and called my brother to ask if he was a member of the church. He asked Bob, "When are we going to start the work in Pakistan?" They met and my brother's new Pakistani friend agreed to bring people to my brother's home if Bob would teach them the gospel.

Soon several Pakistanis came to my brother's home to be taught and were subsequently baptized members of the church. Elder Nelson and Elder Maxwell then came to officially open the country of Pakistan to missionary work. Bob baptized, and trained the first full-time, native, Pakistani missionaries who were called to serve in other countries. After returning to Pakistan following their missions, He set one apart as the first "Pakistani" Elder's Quorum President and the other as the first Pakistani Branch President. During his five years in Pakistan, Bob's family participated in helping to lay the groundwork so that the gospel could take root in that nation.

Bob gained a simple but important testimony that the Lord has job openings in his vineyard and that as we make ourselves available to him, he invites us to pick up the cross and to follow Him. When Jesus called his ancient apostles, they straightway left their nets and followed Him.

This article is not about missionary work per se, but is about becoming a servant of the Master. Qualification in his service begins by fasting, praying, and asking the Father what you can do today to help someone. There are opportunities all around us to lift and help others.

Recently two people came to my door who suffered from serious physical ailments. Their physical suffering was caused by unusual stress. They asked me how to overcome the real stresses that plagued them. I asked them what they thought was the opposite of stress and they replied, "Peace and Love." I then asked what they could do to be filled with peace and love. They replied that as you lift another's burdens a spirit of love and peace fills your own heart.

I then shared my brothers feelings concerning "availability" and invited them to pray and ask the Lord daily who they could help. They became excited as they considered the peace and love that might come into their lives through earnestly and purposely seeking to help others.

I too was inspired by the conversation and commenced that day to do likewise. I quickly learned that the moment we make ourselves available, the Lord has "open positions" for "all" who are under-employed and who desire to work in His service. Similar to my brother's experience, it has not taken long for the Lord to provide ample opportunities to serve Him. The sweet joy, peace, and love I have experienced from yielding to the enticings of the Holy Spirit in these matters, surpasses my greatest expectations.

I do not know what the Lord will ask of you or me today, but this much I know, if we will ask who we may help today with real intent, the Lord will call to us gently and lovingly and encouragingly to pick up the cross and to follow Him today. And, as we lift one another's burdens our souls are filled with light, truth, and love and peace. If we would become sanctified and if we would see the Lord's face and become His, we must only pray daily to know the Lord's will for us today and then when he calls, we are to leave our nets and straightway follow Him.

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