One day I was conducting a meeting when the discussion
became quite contentious. One person
made a comment that offended somebody else because that person had been
involved in the situation being discussed.
That person felt threatened and defensive. The situation was rapidly spiraling out of
control when Jerry, a friend of mine, asked to speak. He began by telling a story about a squirrel.
When Jerry was a young boy, he had the responsibility of
changing the irrigation water in the fields.
Every day he would jump in his old pickup and head out to the corn rows
with his dog “Charlie” by his side. As
soon as they reached their destination, Charlie would jump out of the truck and
immediately begin to chase birds and run around. He loved the freedom. One day, a new animal entered the scene. Charlie chased a squirrel under the wheel
well of the old truck. He stuck his nose
in the small space trying to get hold of the squirrel, but the squirrel was
small and just fit in the crevice. The
dog couldn’t get his nose in to get the squirrel. Each time Charlie would stick his nose in the
wheel well, the squirrel would defend itself by scratching and biting the dog’s
nose. Jerry watched for several minutes
as the dog whimpered and wailed with a bloody nose while relentlessly, yet
unsuccessfully, attempting to get the squirrel.
He was impressed with Charlie’s determination, but could see the dog
wasn’t making much progress. He decided
to help the situation by taking the end of his shovel and sliding it along the
side of the wheel until the squirrel jumped off and ran down the road. Charlie took off after the squirrel. The squirrel didn’t stand a chance against a
100 pound dog with an axe to grind.
Charlie quickly caught the squirrel and within minutes the squirrel lay
lifeless in the dirt. With the squirrel
no longer a threat, Charlie placed his nose in the cool ditch water and then
lay in the weeds and whimpered. After a
few minutes, Charlie got up and approached the dead squirrel, picked it up with
his mouth, and shook it with vengeance.
Then he put his nose back in the cool ditch water and lay back in the
weeds to sulk. Charlie did this several
times until Jerry lost his fascination with the situation and decided to take
the dog home.
Jerry said he had reflected on that experience with his dog
and the squirrel many times. He said he
had witnessed many people who had been temporarily hurt or offended but
continued to “shake the squirrel” long after the threat had been removed. Instead of licking their wounds and moving
on, they allowed their anger and hurt feelings to fester. They wasted so much time and energy being
hurt and offended, that they missed out on the wonderful opportunities ahead of
them.
We should all learn to live and teach the second principle
of the gospel, which is repentance. When
someone has repented, we need to forgive and forget. We all need to develop the Christlike
attribute of forgiveness. We need to let
go of the grudges we hold against past companions, members who didn’t fulfill
our expectations, and investigators who chose not to accept the invitation to “Come
Unto Christ”. The challenges you have
each faced and overcome have helped you develop your leadership skills and become
the kind of missionary you are today.
We love you and appreciate you. You’re the best!
Presidente and Sorella Waddoups
Changed, better and blessed for having been here (mortality). God's children - uniquely divine, gifted, wonderful. Truly, a marvelous work and wonder - each one. Because of our individual talents, abilities, perspective and weakness, we have the playing field with one another to specifically learn to understand and love - to encourage and to bless. A perfect arena to remember we are all in this together and God needs us to see everything good in one another and build upon that rather than what may judge to be - 'everyone's wired wrong but me!' My brother's keeper - YES! A responsibility to one another - YES! I have a book in my possession which is about two people discussing their specific mission in mortality and each vowing to help one another - anxious for their time on earth. They discuss their specific opportunity on earth to learn to forgive (the story eludes to one taking the role of doing things on earth that would require forgiveness of those who cross his/her path). More and more I witness the grand design and our responsibility to one another. We have a perfect plan of happiness provided by a loving, merciful, just Father. We can trust Him. Our opportunity is to become someone He can trust!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. I know you and your precious wife are tending and blessing this garden of life! I am personally grateful to you and for you both. Take especial care, Leslie