I hope everyone is enjoying this awesome Christmas season back home. Really.
Christmas season is definitely different here, but I still feel the spirit and presence of Heavenly Father even stronger around this time of year.
Its been hard these past couple of weeks with my companion and our area. It hasnt really been the same here as it was in my old area. Changes are 2 days after Christmas but Im pretty sure we´ll both be staying here together for another change.
One thing I have learned is how to really depend on Heavenly Father in times of difficulty through fervent prayer. It has sincerely helped me especially when I feel alone. I dont know if yall have seen this video but it is truly remarkable. Its a song by David Archuletta that just came out recently. But here is the link....
What an amazing song! I have saved and watched that video probably 10 times this week. Every time I feel the spirit and know that He knows me. He knows my trials and fears and is ready to listen to me and help me.
I know He is there. Im 100% sure.
I feel like I am constantly thinking about my faith. I know I have faith in Christ and in Heavenly Father, but I sometimes get upset because I feel like I dont have the same faith that others in the church have had in the past, or the faith that the apostles had to heal and perform miracles. Ive been trying and trying to study faith and let it grow but it sometimes is dissapointing! I know others have felt the same. But I had an incredible experience this week.
We had a lesson with an athiest this week and one thing I said to him I didnt know where the words came from but it was one of those moments where i felt i just opened my mouth and the Lord gave me the words to say. We were talking about faith and believing in things we can not see. He doesnt believe in God because he said theres no way for Him to show Himself to him.
I told him that if he knelt down that night I knew that God would make Himself known unto him by the power of the Holy Spirit. I said he didnt need to know for a surety but if he placed a tiny seed of faith in his heart, with just the hope that some supreme being could answer that He would do so.
He then said to me, someone annoyed, ¨If you have such great faith, do you have the faith to say unto God right now ´show yourself unto me´? Do you have the faith to say that and know that He will appear right now? Do you have faith to show me a miracle?!¨
I sat there thinking, and doubting myself. But the Lord blessed me so greatly in that moment.
¨No. I dont have that faith in this moment,¨ I said. ¨I dont have the faith to know if I say to Heavenly Father show yourself to this man right now that He will do so. But I have 100% faith and a surety that if you kneel down and pray to Him tonight, that by the Holy Ghost you will know that He is there and He is listening. Because I have placed that seed of faith in my heart many years ago and have let it grow. So I may not have the faith to know that God will appear from heaven and show Himself to you right now, but that seed is still growing. And what I do know is that He is there and answers our prayers. Pray to Him, and He will answer.¨
We left and a few days later we passed by him in the street. We asked him if he prayed that night and then if he believes if God exists. He said with a funny smirk, ¨Maybe.¨ Hahaha it was really funny actually. But I knew that God had answered him.
I know that although I may be having a tough time right now, that thats part of the mission first off, and second I know that God knows my problems and that He listens to me. And I have faith that problems will fade away in time.
The Lord loves you! I hope all of you can remember Him even more this Christmas. I hope you all have an amazing Christmas with your families!
Love, Elder Gurksnis
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