Today was a great Sunday. It began by attending the Union Sq. 3rd (Singles) Ward here in Manhattan. It was ward conference. The Bishop and Stake Presidents spoke, one on consistency and the other on sharing the gospel, brotherhood, and other lessons he learned from a visit with a high-profile evangelical. The musical number was beautiful on why God may not answer your prayer immediately or how you want. It was pretty and provided needed reflection.
Anyway, the main point of this post was to arrive at important statements made by the Brooklyn Stake President to us at his home in a fireside held there. He asked us about the difference between sacrifice and congregation. He gave a response that reflected my own thinking by saying that consecration is us giving up everything we have and are and willing saying to the Lord,"This is yours" while sacrifice is him just asking us to hand him a small token or so of what we have. It made me think of how we take his name upon us because we choose to make ourselves his. As part of this, the stake president mentioned that we need to be willing to leave our comfort zones and be willing to do good and that there are too many who stay in their comfortable homes and yards where their parents raised them instead of being where they can do the most good. He wasn't criticizing doing that as much as NOT doing and giving all you can to be where you need to be. If you consecrate yourself to him and go where ever he'd send you in life than opportunities to serve come, greater growth occurs, and additional blessings occur as well in response to the greater sacrifices that you'd give living in Boston versus Orem. He was passionate about living in NY (Brooklyn) obviously as he lives there, but he mentioned that we should be praying for the doors to nations open for the gospel as Pres. Monson counseled us to and that a great amount of that change and opportunity can take place in places like NYC (where the UN is and people from around the whole world) who will be positively impressed and will help implement those changes when they return to their home countries. Basically, we shouldn't be afraid of doing whatever the Lord asks as he will lead us and help us make a difference, and with improved technology, the ability to stay in contact with family and friends is increased and the sacrifices easier.
NYC is awesome although like always there is a slight longing for home as the adjustment takes a moment to kick in, but I may see myself here in a year and a half as I plan on a year of graduate school at Columbia University. Plans adjust over time as one gets to know him or herself better and what the Lord wants for him or her as well.
