Living Waters

I come to notice that many of the small things in life are little reminders to help us keep our thoughts on the Lord. Going throughout our day, it’s so easy, unfortunately, to forget about the Lord and his goodness towards us. How often do we think about him while we’re riding the train to work? Or during that ten minute break between classes? And when we do remember him and think about him during those little moments in our life what is the real reason? Is it because we need something from him? Do we only think on him when it’s convenient for us? How many times throughout the day do we remember that He is the King of kings, the Lord of host, our Savior?

Sometimes I fear it’s not enough. We covenant that we will “…always remember him…” and yet, in my own life, I know I struggle with it daily. Sometimes it’s hard to think on him when all you see in the news and around the world is the work of evil going on. Sitting in a fireside one day, I heard the speaker, brother Cal Stevens, say, “If you’re not careful and focused on the kingdom of God you will only become discouraged. Satan’s kingdom receives all the publicity.”

That’s why I decided to start this particular blog titled “He’s Just Saying…” Hopefully it will not only help me try harder to remember him but to also keep my eyes open for those subtle little reminders that he constantly sends. Hopefully, it will also help those who read it ponder on those “small and simple means” as Alma puts it and look for them in their own lives. Here goes the first entry…

Last week I had the privilege of going with my father to hike a part of the Grand Canyon known as Havasupai Falls. It was a beautiful place. One that is full of brilliant, bright blue-green waters, cascades of raw energy, all of which are reminders of the hand of the Lord.

During the hike I took particular notice about the importance of water for living beings. Two instances I witnessed caused me to ponder on this important substance formed between two elements of hydrogen and one of oxygen. Think about it, three little elements with a combined mass of ten atoms, eight neutrons, and ten electrons bound together through two covalent “s orbital” bonds determine whether an entity lives, or dies. Water’s potential to give live stems from it’s multi-use in a system: It serves as a medium of transportation for solid particles such as nutrients, gas particles such as oxygen and carbon dioxide; it serves as a conductor for electricity, used to send signals throughout the system; it keeps a system temperature at an optimal, operable level; it’s uses are many and it’s necessity binds all life together. Every living cell contains water within its cell structure.

Now the first instance happened while making the hike down to Supai village. The night prior to our hike it had rained a little. Now it wasn’t much rain and only lasted about ten minutes, but in a desert any water is crucial. While on the hike down we passed a few puddles that had been formed from last night’s rain. They couldn’t have held more than two or three glasses of water in each, but they were full of life! In each puddle swam hundreds of little tadpoles that had sprout to life with this little gift from heaven. This water would soon dry up and these tadpoles would perish with it, but just thinking at how fast life is given with the advent of water, and how fast it can be taken away with its disappearance caused me to think about our Savior and his claim to “Living Waters.” This same principle I saw in the Grand Canyon that day applies to each of our lives. Every little drop from these “living waters” brings new life. It restores that which was once desolate. And how quickly does it restore! It doesn’t take much for someone to feel the love of the Savior and be blessed by his tender mercies. In fact, it’s these tender mercies that bring new life or new meaning to our lives. And just as fast as his love and influence can bring new life to us, the absence of these mercies bring with them emptiness, darkness, and despair. “The sting of death is sin,” as Pail said to the Corinthians, and this sin is what carries us away from the tender mercies of Christ’s life giving waters.

The next experience happened just a day later while hiking down towards Beaver Falls. We were hiking along the trail and I was marveling at the beautiful oasis created by this river at the bottom of the largest canyon in the world, located in a desert. Around the river flowers were blooming, trees grew tall and proud, shrubbery carpeted the floor, and animals lived in luxury of shade and food; all this because a river runs through it. Yet, not more than just a few meters up the canyon wall was desolation. Not much could be found above the water table except for a few cacti and other bushes that had learned to survive on such scarce rations of this water. And it wasn’t far, maybe only two meters below flows this live giving substance, two meters. Again, I was touched upon by the Spirit in remembrance of how important constantly having the Savior in our lives is important. It’s just not enough to know of him and be somewhat close to him. You have to know him, have access to him, and be right there next to him! Like the river, his path is set and flows constantly, consistently downstream towards the same destination. Our progression in this life and our growth depends on where we chose to “plant our seed and take root.” Living life two meters away just won’t cut it. Elder N. Eldon Tanner said, “We cannot be nearly honest, partially chaste or virtuous, or half-heartedly benevolent. We must be totally dedicated,” when speaking of the thirteenth article of faith, and it applies here too. Living somewhat close to the teachings of the Savior and periodically partaking of the “runoff” will not give us the life we could have if we lived right next to them and constantly partook of its goodness. Our life will be that of a cactus, when it could be that of an ash or cottonwood.

These were just two reminders that I saw while on the trails of Havasupai. There were many more but these two stuck out to me particularly due to their commonality in theme. I hope that this also has helped you to open your eyes and always be on the lookout for those “small and simple means” that the Lord uses to keep you in remembrance of him.