My good companion tells me that all I ever write about is patience, waiting, being frustrated as we wait, anticipation, etc. That is probably true. After more than a year of waiting for our mission call, our assignment, our acreage to plow for the next eighteen months, after doing the "shuffle", and still we wait, I guess that is something that is constantly on my mind.
Thirteen happens to be one of my favorite numbers. Today is thirteen days after we celebrated our 40th anniversary. I figured we would be out already and possibly baptised 13 people by this time. We haven't even been advised where we are going, or when. I guess we are still going.
I wonder how many other senior couples are waiting for their calls. I wonder how many man-hours of missionary work are being lost as others (as well as us) are waiting for their call. How many other senior couples are chomping at the bit, doing the mailbox shuffle, counting down the days, etc, anticipating their call?
Please don't assume I am becoming a negative, short sighted, or a depressed future missionary. I am not. But it is certainly difficult dreaming of being a missionary when we have done all we can do, waiting on others to let us go.
But I also know that timing is everything. I told that to my daughter who was the last of my kids to get married. She finally was, but I preached to her about the Lord's timing. I used that concept many, many times as I talked on the High Council circuit in three different stakes. I taught that often when I taught the young adults year after year. Now I am being taught that concept as we await the time when we will finally be assigned our future position in the Kingdom.
Perhaps the "right" place has not opened up yet. Perhaps the "right" place is awaiting a new mission president, since one third of all missions will get a new mission president on July 1. Perhaps we are waiting until one of the eight new missions, or reorganized missions are ready for us. No matter what, timing is everything and we ( I ) will be patient until we get that envelope in the mail.
The excitement and anticipation is still alive and well, it is just a few miles below the surface of my mind. It will resurrect in His timing, perhaps?
This may totally SHOCK you. Yesterday after we knew that the postman shuffle was ineffective, my sweet bride had to vent. Of course I had a tape recorder on her venting. The following came from her mouth: "I don't think they want us." "I want to be your companion, but perhaps not for the Mormon Church." "Is there somewhere else we could apply?" "Maybe we need to withdraw our papers and resubmit them to someone else?" "Let's find us a cheap apartment and do a mission staying home in Utah Valley. I am sure THEY want us." "Maybe we should volunteer to serve in the temple, the Mt Timp Temple?" "Maybe since others are supporting us, or said they would, they don't want the red tape that is associated with us." "Are we sure that our papers are in SLC in front of the brethren?"
It is truly hard, but if it doesn't kill us, it should teach us something, right?
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