For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the
children of men line upon line precept upon precept.
2 Nephi 28:30
In the wisdom of the Lord, He gives us everything a
little at a time so that we can absorb it. If we received it all at once
it would be impossible for us to comprehend it. This a wonderful
principle in our lives given to us so that we can learn things a little
at a time. When we eat we eat a bite at a time and chew it thoroughly so
that the food can be absorbed through the digestive process.
This winter we have been putting out wheat for the birds
to eat. Many small sparrow like birds have collected. And also many
doves and blackbirds come to take advantage of the bounty. It has been
fun to watch the little birds flock down and pick up a grain of wheat
and fly together back into a near by bush. The doves are a different
story.
They busily pick up grain after grain of wheat trying to
fill their crop. Suddenly they will fly away together when something
gives them a warning of danger. With a whistle of their wings they will
fly into a near by tree. Then a few at a time they will come back to
continue to pick up the wheat one grain at a time. They come early in
the morning and feed until they are full. Then again in the evening.
When I was a little boy, the farmers in and around Dublan
planted wheat as their main crop. During the harvest time they would
haul the wheat to the mill, in their wagons. It seems that some of the
wheat would spill out in the rough places along the road and around and
near the mill. I would see big flocks of pidgons along the road picking
up the wheat to supply their food.
One day I saw a little man dressed in old but clean
clothes pass along the street in front of our house. He wore an old felt
hat and had a sack over his shoulder with a little of something in it.
Over near the mill he squatted down and began to pick something up out
of the dirt. I was curious, so I went over to see what he was doing.
When I approached he looked up and smiled pleasantly revealing a bright
gold tooth that shone up brightly among his front teeth. He didn't say a
word, but continued to pick up the grains of wheat that had been spilled
in the dirt. He carefully picked it up, one grain at a time and when his
hand was full he put it in his sack which was open at his side. I
watched fascinated. I wondered how he could paitently pick up the wheat
one grain at a time to collect the amount of wheat that he had in his
sack. There must have been thousands of grains in his sack, but he
continued picking up each kernel carefully out of the dirt. In another
sack near his wheat he had about the same amount of corn which he
undoubtedly had picked up a kernel at a time where someone had spilled
some of his harvest.
Nearly every day I would see that little man pass our
place with his sacks on his back. Going to and from where he found his
wheat or corn to pick up. I never did know what he did with his wheat
and corn nor where he lived nor anything about him, except that rumor
had it that he been released from an institution in the USA for the
mentally impaired. Apparently he had been well cared for. He seemed to
be happy and taking care of himself. His gold tooth denoted good dental
care and his clean clothes showed that he had good habits of
cleanliness. I often wondered if he could talk well enough to tell his
story. I never knew what became of him or where he went. I just remember
His passing our house when I was a little boy.
We must learn patience and acquire our knowledge of the
scripture and absorb each principle of the gospel kernel by kernel out
of the dirt, so our knowledge will be pure and free from the chaff and
dirt of the world.
We are doing well here in Dublan enjoying our home and
our life together. Our daffodils are blooming and things are beginning
to look like spring. The pansies have on their beautiful flowers and the
weeping willow tree is budding and getting ready to put on it's green
leaves of spring. The pussy willow will soon be putting on its furry
blossoms and the peas are beginning to peep out of the ground.
We enjoy going to the temple on Tuesday morning and feel
the joy and peace of doing the work for the dead. Each time we go we
absorb a little kernel of understanding to add to our concept of the
plan of salvation. We thank our Heavenly Father every day for His
goodness and mercy unto us. We are truly blessed in our lives with
health and strength and with the privilege of working in the church and
fulfilling our callings. We glory in our children, and our posterity and
feel that our lives have been blessed.