Lima beans and other things

I'm tired, I should have been in bed ages ago, but I'm not, and I'm feeling reflective, so let's see what comes out.

First off, I will admit that I'm re-using here. A bunch of us are having a long spiritual discussion, and this faithful brother posted about Alma's parable of the seed. So, this was my response:

So funny you should post this today. I have very black thumbs. I'm a natural born plant killer.

However, we've been doing that Lima bean in a bag with a paper towel thing at work with the kids. I started one, then a week later started another and so on.

I was shocked at how much bigger it was in just a week, it had nearly doubled in size. It soaked up so much water, and had grown so much in a short time. In the next few days it already had a little root. I was so excited to see it.

Now it has a stem that is over an inch long, and it's just amazing to see how much growth can come from just a little care, a little warmth, a little bit of water, a little time.

It makes me so sad to think of how often we deprive our testimonies of that. We grow cold, or we dry up, or we get impatient. Then we want to blame God for not making our seed grow, when what have we given it?

We need to cultivate our testimonies, we really do. We need to put them in a safe, sunny, moist, place. We need to not block out the things they need. We need to be patient and understand that growth takes time, and that it's a miracle each time it happens.

Yes Lord, for the first time in my life I am thankful for Lima beans.Thank you for what they have brought to me.

Lord, I would also like to thank you for that thread, it's so nice to have a safe place to share my spiritual thoughts.

Lord, thank you for writing too. I'd say I'd be lost without it, but I've rather proven that fact recently, being between books. Those short stories may not be much, but the process of writing them fills me and calms me so much.

Speaking of calm, it was unsettling to read those verses in the bible, so unexpectedly after all this "Rapture" stuff. The way you spoke peace so powerfully to my soul during my prayer, well it was unspeakably beautiful. I don't need to know when, and really, I'm not even going to pull out revelations and try to figure it out right now, because I trust you. Thank you for reminding me of that.

Lord, thank you that my brother graduated this week. He needs this success, and he needs to be out in the world. I'm so proud of him, and I know you are too. Thank you for all the help thou hast sent him along the way.

Thank you Lord that my kids rooms were clean already so I didn't have to make them clean them today.

Lord, than you for reminding me that I needed to buy socks, the situation was getting dire.

Lord, thank you for Adele's success. I know this has little to do with me, but it is so nice to see a chubby woman at the top of the charts. It really is. Please help her handle the success well.