Just thought I'd share a little insight I gained while reading my scriptures. It's the kind of thing a normal person would just jot down in a journal, but let's be honest...I'm the worst at journaling. But I do write things on here a lot, and maybe it'll be around for when I really need it again if it can be found here.
Helaman 11:17 (background: People were wicked. The Lord sent famine to humble them until they repented. They subsequently humbled and repented.)
"And it came to pass that in the seventy and sixth year the Lord did turn away his anger from the people, and caused that rain should fall upon the earth, insomuch that it did bring forth fruit in the season of her fruit. And it came to pass that is did bring forth her grain in the season of her grain."
Before reading this verse, I would have thought, "Cool, the Lord sent the rain and the plants grew and the people had food and everything is happy!"
But then I thought about it, and I thought about my moderate background with farming and gardening, and realized that there is a lot to be read between the lines.
In this global economy, we have everything available all of the time and so I think most people forget most of the time that here in this state, fresh peas grow in the spring, and peppers and tomatoes in the summer and apples in the fall. Those are the seasons for those plants, and unless you grow them in a greenhouse or ship them in from other places (which people do and which is cool because I like eating things when I want them as much as the next person) they will not grow for you any other time during the year, at least not well. As much as you might want a mid-april peach or strawberries in the dead of winter, that is just not going to happen for you (again, barring greenhouses and the store. I'm talking a fatta the land kind of life here, people, and not our current reality).
You are also not going to get these things by magic. Maybe you can find some wild raspberries or asparagus and that's fun but it won't be enough to live off of and it won't be nearly as high of quality as the plants that you nurture and water and tend to every single day. And that sucks, sometimes. But there is almost nothing better than being able to walk barefoot through the cool grass of the dying summer when the air is still hot but you can feel that change is coming, and smell the sun-warmed grapes which is the greatest smell that I can think of and pick them and eat them and know that they are there because of the work you did.
And I think that's what happened with these people.
The Lord fulfilled his promise. The Lord will always fulfill his promises. The people repented and he ended the drought. He sent the rain. But I don't think he magicked in a bunch of fruit and vegetables and grain ready to be made into whatever it is that these people ate. Those things had to come in their season, and I would bet you anything that they probably had to work cussing hard for them. But I'm sure that made it that much more worth it in the end.
And so it is with life, and blessings. Yes, there are all kinds of blessings and all kinds of reasons for receiving them, including just being a human being. But I think the most rewarding ones are probably the ones we've worked for and waited for, with hope, and even though it may have been hard and frustrating, because we knew that it wasn't the season for that blessing to come just yet.
Work on this, self.
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