Some thoughts about moving from dependent to interdependent

I responded to a message from a friend that I have not seen for a few years, but with whom I have continued to share some messages that I hoped would be uplifting to him. I hope that this adaptation of my message may be meaningful to someone who reads this.

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Good morning to you 😉

Haauw! This is turning out to be a long message in response to your long message 🙂 But hang in there…

It is really good to hear from you. I often see your videos on WhatsApp Status or Facebook and I remember well your involvement in [our congregation], and then COVID hit, and [your girlfriend] moved. I really missed seeing you. I have wanted to share the light of Christ with you and I am happy if some of that light has helped you to have a glimmer in the darkness that you have been experiencing. 

My friend is a very talented stuntman 

and I enjoy seeing him sharing his skills

You may have heard me share some insights that I have received over many years. I share several of those insights with friends like you in the hopes that the seeds that I sow will help someone to have a good harvest. I do not expect replies, but it is a delight when I do receive the occasional reply like this one from you 🙂 

I am now one of the Free Guided Walks guides at Kirstenbosch where I worked as an ecologist in the Kirstenbosch Research Centre up to the time that they 'put me out to pasture' to make place for the younger generation. I have continued to share some of my experience and skills with others since retiring, including the walks at Kirstenbosch - 'my garden', leading the Battle of Blaauwberg walks where I lead people on the battle grounds where the battle of 1806 led to British occupation to prevent Napoleon from occupying the Cape, and then the Cape becoming the Cape Colony in 1814, then the Union of South Africa in 1910, the Republic of South Africa in 1963, the democratic nation that we became in 1994, where sadly men with light skins like yours and mine have been treated as though we are not wanted amongst the 'Diverse People Uniting'... But we continue to sow seeds in the hopes that some will germinate, and some of those will germinate in good soil rather than by the wayside or be eaten by birds, and some of those roots will penetrate deeply enough to survive the next dry season, and grow tall enough to not be killed by fire, and become a tall tree that will produce thousands of seeds every year, most of which will be food or nutrition for tens or millions of other living organisms, and only a very small number will become trees themselves…

I will be starting the firefly walks in early November, the walks that stopped a few years ago. I love to share how we cannot see an ant walking on a tree twenty or so metres away, but if we walk to the tree we are almost certain to see one or many ants walking on that tree! Or a butterfly flying on the slopes of Table Mountain kilometres away, but if we walk to the mountain we will see tens or thousands of butterflies. But - that firefly, only about 3mm long, with the light being produced in just the last one or two segments of the abdomen - less than 1mm - will be visible in the dark at 20 metres. Or, walkers on the mountain with their headlamps that are smaller than a butterfly will be visible from kilometres away. In many ways you have been sharing your light with tens or millions of people on social media - and a very small percentage of people who were delighted by your antics will Like, and a very small number of those will Comment… But you delighted many more than that small minority 🙂 

This tiny insect is very visible in the dark!

A view of some fireflies between about 1 and 20 metres from the camera.

I hope that I am successful in sharing some light, or being that tiny cell called yeast in that tiny part of the bread dough where I respire and multiply to form more tiny cells, that will respire and multiply, and their respiring will produce the carbon dioxide gas that will cause the bread dough to rise and become that loaf that you enjoy with the beans.

My daughter and her family are currently living in a tent at a nearby Holiday Resort while they get themselves on their feet! We support them to some extent, but they need to become self-reliant and they are working on that. I shared something with their one daughter this morning while taking her to school that Jesus Christ was, at one stage, needing Mary and Joseph to change His nappies, and to feed Him, and teach Him to walk, to be a carpenter, to play with other children, and so forth. But He did not remain dependent - He became independent, and then He set a wonderful example of becoming interdependent - and I try to follow that example. I know that I still have a long way to go, but I do try. Some people were offended by what He said and did, calling Him a devil, a winebibber, and other demeaning things, but He still atoned for their sins. Someone needed to crucify Him to fulfil His mission - but I hope that I did not put up my hand to volunteer to do it, but someone had to! And He said 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do' and He atoned for their sins.

Can I share your message with the current stake president? You can approach the bishop in the area where you live, but it sounds like you might not be steadily in one ward area! But let the Lord call you to serve in His Kingdom, and receive assistance from the Fast Offering, and share your talents in turn, building children, youth, adults in multiplying their talents, magnifying their callings, and building Zion.  

A thought crosses my mind that I shared with my son-in-law that I mentioned is trying to get his family back on their feet. I also shared a similar thought with a baker who lost his job because of what sounds like an unkind action by his manager towards him and some other employees… You could go to a school like Tafelberg School that caters to students with a variety of learning difficulties. You can volunteer to teach stunts, activities that will build physical, mental and emotional strength for one or many students that might find that to be just the right thing for their future career. Then, if you demonstrate your value, they might allow you to contribute in meaningful ways and pay you for your time and contribution. 

A career like yours is not guaranteed to be wonderfully remunerating, but if it contributes to society, it is rewarding and fulfilling to you and maybe you can help others to get that reward and fulfilment. Sally's father was a professional actor and always advised people to choose very wisely before going on the stage! He would use Noel Coward's song 'Don't put your daughter on the stage, Mrs Worthington'. He survived reasonably by contributing to the stage, radio, TV, film, and One Man Shows in about the 1970s, performing in libraries in small and large towns all around South Africa (like Kakamas, Keimoes, and Kuruman) and in large cities such as in Artscape in Cape Town. Her mother was a musician who had more predictable and permanent employment playing the violin in the National Philharmonic Orchestra, but not every excellent violinist can be a lead violinist on NPO! And every lead violinist will not be lead violinist forever!

Don't lose hope! Let the Spirit guide! Most importantly, I encourage you to be part of building Zion and you will succeed in Zion. That yeast cell will not survive outside the dough that provides it with food that enables it to respire and divide and multiply and cause the dough to rise! 

I have known your adoptive family since I was a child, mourned with them when their daughter died, rejoiced with them when members of the family did well in so many careers, occupations, companies, organisations, sharing talents, skills and abilities to build their families, communities, and our nation - and Zion. I have not been aware of any stories about you, so you can be comforted knowing that the entire world does not know. Just continue to live worthily of the Lord's approval, remembering that He beholdeth not the countenance, but He looketh upon the heart.

You have heard me share my testimony - the Lord has told me, personally, that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is His true and living church. I know that if you follow the same recipe that I followed, you will enjoy the same pudding that I enjoy every day. That does not mean that I never have hungry times, or indigestion, or poor health, or some other opposition - but we are told that there must needs be opposition in all things. I smile and reflect on how any doctor that I consult, or lawyer, or accountant, or stunt artist, got there by facing, coping with, hard work and labour, agonising over exams, practicals, oral exams, social pressures, and all sorts of difficulties that were part of getting their accreditation to serve me in the way that I engage them to serve me.

Why don't you join me at Kirstenbosch, or on the Battle of Blaauwberg walk to enjoy being with your brother, enjoy Heavenly Father's delightful Creation, and sommer to renew our brotherhood? We can chat and I'll give you dates when I will be there. I see so much possibility of exciting ways that you can use your particular talents, gifts or strengths to earn at least enough to be able to be fruitful, to multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have [some] dominion over it and be able to deliver it up with surplus to the Lord when He returns. You can have Him say 'Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful over a few things. I will make thee ruler over many things.'

Sorry for this very long reply to your long message 😉

I look forward to your response.

Your brother in the Gospel.

Les

Learn from others while overcoming our own faults

I just lost a note that I had compiled about the paragraph in Come, Follow Me because I made a mistake. Ever happen to you?

When people judge me, I hope that they will give as much attention to
the argument for the defence as they do to the argument for the prosecution!

Yesterday I met a young man who has moved to the Cape. He fixes or builds dams and there are more dams here than anywhere else in South Africa, so here he is. He is also involved in promoting aquaculture and hydroponics. I salute all those who try to use the talents that the Lord has given them to try and improve health and well-being. I believe that they will be blessed for every effort to 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.' (Gen 1:28) I sincerely believe that they - and I - will be given credit for the good that they or I do, and for the intent of our hearts when there is a question about any injuries or damages that arise through our imperfections.

I am saddened by those who find fault and contend with those who sincerely try to bless the lives of others because of very real injuries or challenges that a small proportion of the population may experience as a result of the good efforts of those who are trying to make a positive difference.

Those who offer alternative medicine or food often accuse those in normal agriculture or medicine of exploiting everyone, but they themselves charge high prices for their food or alternatives. Some even say that the prophet of God is wrong to use these products anywhere in the world.

I always encourage others to honestly consider that these people almost certainly do not intend to kill or maim or exploit, but honestly hope to improve the health and well-being of as many as they can, and the church leaders use those things all around the world to help Heavenly Father to improve the health and well-being of millions in all nations, kindreds, tongues and peoples. I wonder if the people challenging the farmers, manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and so forth by taking them to court, leading to very large penalties, that push up the prices of their research and development that causes their prices to be higher they would otherwise be.

Yes. Some will be negatively impacted. But I believe that Heavenly Father will bless and help those with good intent as they seek to improve. And He can bless and heal and reverse the negative impacts for those in the small minority who might be negatively impacted. Our support and efforts to help them to improve their efforts will be more in harmony with seeking to be one than any effort to destroy those who the Lord is helping to feed and heal the millions that are benefitted by their efforts.

We need to look inwards and try to do better in our own stewardships instead of looking for faults in others. We also need to help their efforts by bringing to their attention the concerns, but as constructive criticism and not in contention. We will be judged for our efforts and not the efforts of others.

I strongly encourage that we each 'Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven:' (Matt 5:44-45)

Every doctor, lawyer, engineer, farmer, scientist, or any human will make mistakes in their best efforts. I love the way that Thomas Edison described his journey "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." Let us look for and try to improve our own faults, learn from the imperfections of others, and lovingly help others to do better rather than always looking for their faults.