Saturday, June 20, 2009

I Want to be a Shovel When I Grow Up


I was reading this morning in the Book of Mormon, in one of the chapters that quotes Isaiah:

"And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me like a polished shaft..." (1 Nephi 21:2 or Isaiah 49:2)

Isaiah says that Christ has helped him to speak (and write) clearly; Isaiah's words, because of Christ, divide truth from error. What could my mouth be like? It seems presumptuous to want my mouth to be like a sword; that seems about right for a prophet or someone like that. But maybe, through Christ, my mouth could be like some useful tool.

I would like to write like a shovel, a good tool that digs in the earth and helps to build things. A shovel helps things to grow, and helps to dig out nasty weedy things. Alone, by myself, my words are like a little trowel, or a plastic shovel in a child's sandbox. But with Christ's help--by living His commandments and following his example--my mouth can gradually be like a bigger shovel.

Right now I think I'm like one of those little army surplus folding shovels. But if I continue to stretch with opportunities to serve, and learn to be more humble, childlike, and Christlike, I may be able to say one day, "and he hath made my mouth like a strong and sturdy shovel." I would like that. When I come to that place, He will have made me his polished shaft; I will be hidden in the shadow of His hand.

1 comment:

Dorothy said...

A shovel can also be used to find "buried treasure", which is what we do when we search the scriptures!