The Parable of the Light(house)!

Here is part 2 of the parable experiment.  In Matthew 12, the Savior gives the parable of the Sower.  Afterwards, the apostles ask Him for the interpretation of the parable.  He does so, explaining what each of the examples in the parable mean.  So that's what I'll do too!  Remember, this is open for anyone to interpret, just because this is what I got out of it doesn't mean that it's the only answer. So, without further ado, I give you my interpretation of the Parable of the Light(house):

The Stormy Night:

 Is this life on Earth.  It isn't always stormy, night, cold and wet, or threatening.  In fact, there are times, when it's bright, calm, and clear, that things like lighthouses seem entirely unnecessary.  That, however, is not addressed in this parable, and could merit one of its very own.  This is about the storm; when life is dark, when we feel lost and lonely, and when the waves of tribulation just seem relentless. 
 "...when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you..."

The Other People on Deck:

 We are surrounded by people.  Everywhere you go, there are men and women, brothers and sisters, who are each living their own lives.  Many of them are weathering storms of their own, and are struggling to find peace and solace in their trials.  They don't know where to look for help, but they are strong and are doing everything they can to survive and weather the storm as best they can.

The Flashlight:

 Is the Gift of the Holy Ghost. It is a light that we can rely on to direct us personally in all things.  However, it is a gift we must receive.  That doesn't just mean it needs to be given to us, but we also must choose to seek it.  A flashlight is useless if you don't press the button.  The Holy Ghost is dormant if we don't ask for it's guidance.  Also, although the beam is brilliant and clear, it only works for us.  Others cannot see the light it brings us, or receive it's witness secondhand.  Although it can guide us here and now to find shelter in the storm, it cannot guide the ship as a whole to shore.  It can only direct you. 
However, you can use it to help others.
 "For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do."

The People Locked Below Deck:

 Are those who have received a witness, but do not use this knowledge to help others.  They feel safe knowing they have secured their salvation, but they do not offer this hope and light to others. 
"Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor."

The Wheel:

 Is the call to lead and serve others.  We all must be a leader at some point in our lives.  It may be in the mission field.  It may be in the home with your children.  It may be as a captain on a sports team.  It may be as an older brother or sister, a concerned friend (or stranger), giving a talk or accepting a church calling.  We are all called upon to take the wheel at some point in our lives, for the betterment of others.  When that time comes, we must all make the decision: Will I grab the wheel?
 "And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies."

(and finally)

The Lighthouse:

 Is the Prophet of God.  We all receive our own portion of the light by the Holy Ghost, but only one is called to direct the children of God through the storms that we face today.  His voice pierces through the wind and the rain, calling us to safety and guiding us through the rocky shallows. 
 I know that God speaks to us through His prophets, not to command us, but to bring us safely home.  If we choose to follow the light.  We can brave the storm alone, if we choose.  But we have a lighthouse because a Loving Father wants us all to make a safe voyage home.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

Make Your Own Parable!

 Ok, I had an idea I want to try out.  Here is the Parable of the Light(house).  But before I give My interpretation, I want to hear Yours! What is the storm?  What are the lights?  What is significant in this parable to You, and how does it relate to the gospel? :) Leave a comment, and let's hear what you think!!!
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You wipe the cold sea spray from your squinting eyes, as the strong taste of salt fills your mouth and nose, making you cough into your sleeve. As you wipe the freezing water off your face, you pitch forward, falling on your knees and hands.  What's going on?  Where are you?
 As you get back on your feet, your eyes adjust to the blackness all around you, although the howling wind and bitter spray still causes you to squint.  You realize that you are on a ship at sea, that it must be nighttime, and that you are caught in the middle of a dark, tremendous, violent storm.

 You can hear the voices of others somewhere on the ship, but the wind makes them seem distant, and you can't tell if they are feet, or miles, away.  It's so dark, you can only make out the dark silhouette of the ship around you, and an occasional streak of lightning that illuminates the surrounding sea in a flash.
 You're scared.

 As another enormous bolt of lightning dances across the sky, a huge crack of thunder follows, rumbling the slick floorboards beneath you.  You drop to your knees, half to keep your balance, but more out of desperation. On your knees, you unconsciously begin to pray to be delivered from this storm. The howling wind is mute the words as they leave your mouth, but you refuse to yield until "Amen".  With that, you feel something in your hand, as if it had been there all along.  You hold it a few inches away from your face, and investigate it beneath your fingers.

 It's a flashlight!
 You find the button, and press it.  It illuminates instantly, brilliantly, insomuch that you are now squinting to protect your eyes from the radiant beam.  They adjust, and you can finally see your surroundings.
 The planks beneath your feet are weatherworn and moldy, and you are surprised that they are holding your weight.  As you look around, you see other people seeking shelter from the storm, crouched wherever they can stay the driest amidst the raging typhoon.  None of them have flashlights, you notice.  You also notice a door in front of you leading below deck.  As you approach the door, one of the people shivering behind a barrel on the deck stops you.
 "All the people who have flashlights are down there.  They locked it and won't let us in."

 Perturbed, you turn around, determined to find a safe haven. As you lift your light's beam, you see that the mast has been torn to shreds in the storm, and the wheel of the ship on the upper deck is unmanned. 
 Although your experience with commandeering ships is limited to what you have seen in pirate movies, you know that an unmanned boat, especially in a hurricane, is not a good place to be.  You look up, wipe the biting rain off your face, and press towards the wheel.

 
 Illuminated under the dazzling beam of your new flashlight, you see that the wheel is green and slimy with scum. It's spinning wildly as the ship is tossed to and fro, and at first you flinch as you reach for it.  But as another crack of lightning strikes dangerously near, you throw caution to the winds and grab the wheel.  You cry out as your flashlight is thrown across the deck and into the sea, but now that you have hold on the wheel, you don't dare let go. Darkness surrounds you, and you realize that you have no place to steer the ship to for safety.  Any way could be the way to land, and any way could steer you further out to sea, amidst the storm.
 You close your eyes, and wish you at least still had your flashlight.

 Suddenly, a deep, penetrating noise pierces through the howling wind and crashing waves. A foghorn.  You open your eyes, and search the darkness for the source of the sound.  After a few seconds, a brilliant beam of light sweeps across the horizon to port.  A rush of relief sweeps over you.  You turn the ship towards the lighthouse, and you can see it is still several miles to land.
 Although you know there is still a lot of storm ahead of you, you know that as you follow the light, you will reach the safety of the harbor.

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 Let's hear YOUR parable! :D

To Be an Instrument

I'd like you to meet a friend of mine.  A very good friend of mine.
 I'm talking about a friend who has been with me through the thick and the thin.  Be it howling rainstorms on bike in Fairfield, raging gang fights in Vallejo, peaceful sunny mornings in Petaluma, and the misty sea breeze of McKinleyville, and everything in between, this friend has time and again proven faithful and true.  We've had some near misses and close calls, but we've always been reunited in the end.  This friend has been a constant companion to me, and I knew I could always count on him when I needed him.

 Say hello to Penjamin. (*named in honor of Elder Collett's legendary pen)

 Every missionary needs a good, reliable pen.  Some prefer cheap, expendable pens.  Others stick to certain brands, such as Zebra or Inc.  For me, there is only Penjamin.  Whenever there is an appointment to be set, he is there to ink in the block in my daily planner.  Whenever there was a letter to be written, Penjamin is there to fill the lines and address the envelope.  If I have any thoughts or ideas, Penjamin turns them from mere thoughts into a reality, making the intangible tangible on any medium (as long as its paper).  It's amazing how something as simple as a little bit of metal, plactic, and ink can literally change the world.  This  simple instrument can be a great force for good, or a terrible weapon for evil.
 It all depends on how you use it.

 The Dictionary defines "instrument" as:

 "a means by which something is effected or done; agency". 

 There are many examples of instruments.  The first things that come to your mind are probably things like pianos, trombones, ukuleles, and, my personal favorite, guitars. 
  All of these musical instruments can help us express our emotions in a beautiful, harmonizing way.  However, before an instrument becomes even remotely useful, many hours of practice and trial must be invested.  What is more, if an instrument is out of tune, it can be frustrating and depressing to play! If a string is tightened too much, it will snap.  If it is too slack, it is useless. 

 In that same way, we are "instruments" in the Hands of the Lord. As we strive to overcome our weaknesses and change our hearts, we bring ourselves more "in tune" with the melody of the Master.  To be an instrument, we must recognize that, on our own, we can't make the music come.  We may have every ivory key polished, every string pitched just so, but without the musician, they are all but useless.  But if we invite the Great Musician into our lives, the Lord promises to "make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls"

 Only you can decide what kind of instrument you will be. Will you seek to be an instrument for good, or one that collects dust on the shelf?  Will you allow for the "touch of the Master's hand", or will you let your music go unplayed?
 "Neither yield ye..as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves... as instruments of righteousness unto God."

The Parable of the Frozen Pond: Part 3

"How?  How can I break this ice?  It must be several feet thick!  I would need some kind of a mechanical drill to get through it. Or a flamethrower," you add on sardonically. The little you chuckles.  "You can't just break this ice.  We are so inclined to thinking of 'quick fixes' these days.  It takes time to freeze water, doesn't it?  Remember when we would fill the ice tray with Sprite in the summer, and how it seemed to take forever for it to freeze?"
 You nod, although a little perturbed at the reminder that you are both the same person.
 "It's the same with hearts!"exclaims little you. "They don't just turn to stone.  It is a process.  Day by day, thought by thought, sin by sin.  When subjected to enough trial, pain, and heartbreak, even the most stalwart hearts can harden, merely to protect ourselves from all the pain we experience in this life.
 "Just as the spring sunrise will thaw an icy pond, so will turning to the Son bring you a 'broken heart and a contrite spirit'. You have been in the dark too long, you have allowed your heart to harden, and grow cold.

 "First, let me ask: why would you want to change?  Why does the Lord "require the heart"?  What's the big deal with hearts, anyway?"
  The question hangs in the air.  You are thinking. 
  Why IS the heart such a big deal?  Why do the scriptures always talk about the heart?  Didn't they know it's the BRAIN that controls everything?  The heart is just a bunch of muscle!  In fact, it's probably good to have a hard heart.  That just means it's healthy and strong, right? You reflect inwardly.  But that can't be right; the Lord tells us time and time again that "heardheartedness" is a sin. 
 "Well," you respond, finally, "our hearts reflect what we desire, right?  I mean, anything with hearts is usually referring to love and stuff.  So the Lord says He 'requires' our hearts because He just wants us to love Him, right?" you venture hopefully.

 "Well, kind of." replies little you. "The Lord does command us to love Him, first and foremost.  But what then does He command us to do?"
 Suddenly a primary song from your childhood seems to ring in your ears.  As I have loved you, love one another....
 "Love our neighbors!" you almost shout with excitement. "The Lord commands us to love everyone, as ourselves!"
 "Right! You are officially caught up to Primary level.  That's good a start."
 Your face burns as little you continues, "Jesus doesn't so much ask us to love Him, but to love each other as He does. You see, almost all people are selfish and prideful by nature.  Love just doesn't come naturally, although some people have more proficiency at it than others.  Love takes work.  Love takes effort.  Love sometimes means opening ourselves up to pain, and giving selflessly to others."

 "We learn from the sermon on the mount that we should not only 'love our neighbors', but our enemies as well. For even the sinners love those who love them back.  Christ asks us to love everyone, regardless of how they treat you."
 "But that's impossible!" you blurt out, thinking of a coworker who has given you a particularly bad time. "How can we be expected to love people who are just so....unloveable?!"
 The little you looks at you, sadly.  "No one is unloveable.  That's what Christ teaches us.  When we see others as He does, infirmities, weaknesses, hopes, dreams, and all, it's impossible not to love someone.
 "Take Bob for example," little you continues, referring to the coworker whose memory had just incited you to anger, "he seems like an impossible person, right?  Constantly on your back, making fun of your haircut, quick to point out your mistakes and your flaws in your work. Loud, crude, obnoxious, arrogant, prideful, the laundry list of bad traits goes on. He doesn't care about anyone's feelings about himself, right?"
 "...Right." you answer after a short pause, not quite sure if you are being tricked or not.
 "Well let me tell you a few things you don't know about Bob.  He was born in a broken family; a family of five children who were supported only by his mother.  As the oldest, Bob got a job as soon as he was able, to help support the struggling family.  He was fourteen when he first got a job working as a farmhand.  He would work all day after school until sundown, every day.  By the time he got to high school, his mom became terminally ill with cancer.  She slowly passed away, leaving Bob to take care of his one brother and three sisters. He had to drop out of high school to work full time, allowing his siblings to go continue getting an education. Two of his sisters are teachers, one is a lawyer, while his younger brother is in school to be a heart surgeon."
 "Bob works with you at the grocery store because that is the best job he will probably ever be able to attain."

 The little you pauses, and you are surprised to feel tears again running down your cheeks.  That's not all, either, as you realize you are standing in several inches of water, up past your shoe.  The water, however, was not freezing, but warm and soothing, like a bubble bath.  You look around and see that the pond has started to thaw in select spot, steaming slightly in the soft sunlight.  You suddenly realize that sun is starting to peek through the clouds over the trees as well! Suddenly a ray shines on you, and you feel an upwelling of emotion.  Not of fear, irritation, or anger, but of love and understanding for Bob Rudger.
 The light becomes blinding, and suddenly you start to phase out of consciousness.  You hear little you's voice, growing steadily more distant, say, "this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also."

 You open your eyes with the sun shining in the window on your face. You smile. It's going to be a good day.

The Parable of the Frozen Pond: Part 2

 You start, looking up at the source of the voice.   You rub your eyes again, because you can't be seeing what you're seeing.
 It's you.
  But a you from a long time ago.  You can't be older than 10, yet there you are, smiling warmly, knowingly, at yourself.
 "Don't be afraid. I'm here to help you. Uh..me. Us."
 You don't know what to say.  You don't know if you can speak, anyways.  Thankfully, the young you continues, "There's something you need to know about this pond. It isn't just any pond.
 It's your heart."

 "We all have a heart within us, much like this pond.  It swells and ripples, some places are deep, and others are shallow.  The pond is deeper where we feel deep love for people, like our friends or family.  Other parts are shallow, like your love for a good movie or slize of pizza."
 "Sometimes the water is disturbed, roiling and crashing on the shore as you face adversity in life.  Emotions like anger, doubt, fear, and jealousy disturb the waters of the pond"
 "Other times, it is still as glass, reflecting the beauty all around it.  As the waters cease to roil, you can see the clarity of the water, and the depths beneath.  It is a beautiful thing to behold, and is a benefit to all who are near."
 "Your heart was once like this: free, clear, beautiful.  That's why I am here.
 "What is your heart now?"
 Having regained a little composure, you choke out a reply.
 "Frozen."

 "That's right," replies the little you, still smiling, yet a little somberly. 
 "You see, just as water can stagnate, so can the heart.  Just as a pond can freeze, so can the heart.  How does a pond freeze?"
 "Well, it has to be cold," you reply.  "Right?" you add on, uncertainly.
 "That's right, and now we're to the point of why I'm here.
 I'm here to teach you about the Atonement of Jesus Christ."

 "We are shaped by every decision we make in life.  Every choice, every action, has eternal consquences we can't begin to fathom. From the time you were little, you have been making choices that have slowly affected your pond.  As you stepped onto the ice, what did you see?"
 You ponder the question a moment before you answer. "I saw everything," you answer, "Everything I've ever done wrong.. Every hurt I've ever dealt.  Every sin I've ever committed."

 "Oh no," replies little you, "that wasn't everything. That was just a mere fraction.  If you were to behold every sin, wrong, and misdeed you had committed, you wouldn't be able to live with yourself.  Remember the story of Alma the Younger? He was 'harrowed up by the memory of his many sins', so much that he was unconscious for the span of three days! That didn't happen to you, did it?" the little you adds with a smile.
 "I guess not," you admit.
Your youthful doppelganger continues, "What you saw was to help you understand why are you standing on this icy pond.  It hasn't always been this way.  In fact, not too long ago, this was a beautiful place.  The water was clear, and the sun shone in its radiant warmth all the time.  At night, the stars reflected on the surface like a mirror.  Birds sang, and deer came to drink every morning.
  Your heart used to love. It used to bask in the warmth of our Savior Jesus Christ.
 There is no warmth now."

   Those words hit home.  You wipe the frozen tears from your cheeks and look up to the little you.  "Ok, you're right.  Maybe I've been feeling a little more impatient lately.  I know I can be a bit nicer and giving and stuff I guess. I know I've been skipping out on church too... but it's not my fault!" the words start coming faster now, and you feel heat rising in your face.  "I've been working all the time, and I don't get paid enough, and you've seen the people I work with!  I mean, no I'm not perfect, but I'm trying! I don't think I'm any worse than the next guy! And so what if my pond is icy?! Maybe I like having an icy pond!  There's nothing wrong with that! I like to skate!" you add on almost as an afterthought, oblivious to the humor of the statement.
 The silence that followed seem to hang in the icy air.
After what seemed like eons, your youthful voice breaks the silence. "You're right.  You aren't perfect.  And you aren't 'worse than the next guy'.  There are many frozen ponds in the world today.  It is a very cold place, bereft of the love and peace and warmth that can only come from Son.
 Too many are lost.  Too many have grown cold.  Too many don't even know how to find the warmth they seek. A heart that loves Christ, and his fellowman, is a precious commodity indeed.  You knew this once. You felt this once. The reason your pond is frozen isn't because the Savior has turned away.  His loving arms are always open to us.  You are the only one who can choose to come to Him, and He is the only one who can thaw your frozen heart.  That is why I'm here.
 Now let's melt the ice."

The Parable of the Frozen Pond: Part 1

It's been a long day.  You stumble in the door, wearied by the stresses of the day.  You reflect on everything that happened as you stagger to the bathroom to wash your face.   It was just one of those terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days.  Nothing went right! Your thoughts simmer as you look into the mirror, seeing only a tired, disgruntled face looking back at you. You're tired of people. You're tired of work.  Your tired of responsibilities. You ask yourself out loud why life is so hard, a sharp edge of bitterness in your voice.  You make a personal goal to take tomorrow off, and not to talk to a single soul.  Yep, a good day of lounging on the couch, watching movies, maybe some ice cream... that will give you the boost you need to get back into the flow of things. 
 For now, you decide to collapse onto your bed, clothes and all.  Sleep takes you almost instantly.
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You open your eyes, squinting, until your eyes focus.  You rub them, shivering.  You are standing in a tranquil forest glen, but the branches are empty and the trunks cold and bare.  A thick layer of snow is covering the ground, and the sky above is a deep, roiling gray.  There are snowflakes glittering through the air, one lands squarely on your nose with an icy bite.  Where are you?  As you look around, you see a trail.  Since the alternative is glomping through the snow, you decide to follow it.
 You walk for what seems like a few minutes, but perhaps a few hours, and you come to a clearing in the trees. A pond slowly comes to view, and the trail ends right at the bank of it.
 Now, your natural instinct tells you this is the end of the trail.  But you feel something inside you, encouraging almost, to step onto the ice.  You stand there, hesitant.  You've been on thin ice before, and that was an experience you won't soon forget.  The feeling doesn't go away, and you again receive the strangely comforting prompting to step onto the pond.  You take a deep breath, and step forward.

 For a moment, you think you must be dying.  Your life is flashing before your eyes.  But these aren't the memories you expected... You see yourself, young, stealing your little sister's candy and pushing her to the ground.  The image flashes forward to another of you, furtively, slyly, stealing a snickers bar behind your mom's back at the grocery store.  More and more flit before your eyes; fights with your parents, lies you told to your friends... hurt feelings, bitter choices, angry words.  As the memories progress, they seem to gain speed.  You are in high school, now leaving to college, being fired from your job, leaving your old apartment for a cheaper one, the memories flood on.  Then, as suddenly as they started, they stop.  You hadn't noticed that you had fallen to your knees during the onslaught.

 You are in the middle of the pond now, but you realize you are quite safe.  This water is frozen; probably several inches, if not feet, thick.  Still on your knees, you realize your face is bitterly cold, wet with tears.  What was the purpose of all this?  Why did you just relive all the worse memories of your life? Wasn't your life at least fairly happy?  Why can you only remember the worst parts? Exhausted, forlorn, your shoulders slump and the tears continue to track down your freezing cheeks.

Suddenly a voice cuts the icy silence.
"Maybe you'd like to know what this all means?"

The Parable of the Escalator

 One day, long ago (probably on a long stretch of gravelly road, riding my trusty bike), I got to pondering about the nature of life and the trials we face throughout. Life isn't easy.  Good times lead to bad times, and bad times will eventually give way to good. It's a constant struggle; even those who think they are in a comfortable place are only kidding themselves. 
  In life, we only progress or degress.  There is no plateau. As I pondered on this fact, a number of analogies jumped to my mind on how this is true in other places in life: when we stop trying, we not only stop progressing but are pulled further from our destination.  Negligence on our part results in lost ground that must be made up. 
 As I brainstormed on this subject, I received a brilliant (and I'll admit, random) flash of inspiration. 
 I call it:
The Parable of the Escelator.

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Imagine you are at a mall; it's big, roomy, but surprisingly dark.  You see you are surrounded by a crowd of people, all of which are milling about on the bottom floor, and they all seem to be seeking a way to the second floor. You join their gaze upwards over the balcony of the second floor, and you see a dazzling, brilliant light eminating from up there.  You can't even see what the second floor contains, but you know you need to get there somehow.  You feel with every fiber of your being that you want to make it up to that second floor!  You press forward, with a sense of urgency now, seeking a path to the warmth above. You've wandered away from the crowds now; it's dark all around you.  For whatever reason, the lights in this section of the mall are out! But up ahead you see a green light, shimmering off the wall from around a corner. As the light comes into view, you see it: a beautiful, functioning escelator, humming with energy as the stairs gradually descend.  What? The stairs are only going down!  You look around and see that there is no other alternative, and since the light at the top is beckoning to you, you walk up to the foot of the escalator, take a deep breath...
And step on.

  The moment your foot touches the escelator, a curious sensation runs up your legs.  You sense, although you aren't certain, that you are no longer capable of leaving the escelator until you reach the top. As you look upward, you realize to your dismay that it only fades into darkness: you cannot see the radiant light of the second floor from here.  Still, the memory and feeling of seeing that light rushes back to you, and you press forward determinedly.
 As sweat starts to bead at your brow, you realize it feels like it's been an eternity on this escelator. You lift your gaze from your feet, and groan in exhaustion as you see the escalator still ascending up into dark.  It's been so long.  You are so tired.  Surely all this work has to count for something!  Legs aching, you decide to stop and rest them for a moment.
 In what seems like no time at all, you find yourself back at the bottom.  What?! All that time and effort, gone!  You look around; still none have found this escalator, but you start to feel a little ominous from the surrounding darkness.  You know that the answer doesn't lie back where you came from... So you turn your gaze back to the mechanical whir of the rolling stairs before you, and with the trace of a smile on your lips, you step back on.
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 We can often ask ourselves why life is so hard.  Why does every day have to require us to work?  Why do we keep these commandments?  Why don't we get to have fun?  Everyone else isn't working this hard!
 We all have to face the choice of whether we are going to strive for the second floor, or sit contently in the roiling shadows beneath.  There is no other way to the light than to sweat our ways up the downward moving escalator. We mustn't lose hope, and we must never give up.  If we just hang in there, we'll make it to the top.

The Parable of the Sower!
























Voila!