This past week little miss Kris and I have experimented on feasting on the words of Christ as we embraced the Primary challenge to read the scriptures every day. I only read 4 times this week but Kristen read 6:) I am so very proud of her. We came across a scripture we really liked in 2 Nephi 7:7 "For the Lord God will help me, therefore shall I not be confounded. Therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed."
Seeing this scripture every day on the fridge has prompted me to really ponder it's meaning. Setting my face like a flint means to be determined. Determined in what? Following Jesus Christ's teachings. How can I do that? By keeping my covenants. Then I started thinking about flint itself. When combined with steel, it can ignite a spark. I like to think of the steel as being Hope in the Atonement of Jesus Christ which allows us to do all things.
Then today, I found a picture of an arrow with this quote, "An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it's going to launch you into something great! Missionary work can be super hard. People may slam doors on you, sic dogs on you, not follow through on commitments, or even slip back into addictions. Keep going... Set your face like a flint and trust in God! You may feel inadequate, your feet may be sore, you may struggle living with a companion, or you may feel like you are trudging day by day to your two year mark. Set your face like a flint and trust in God! And don't forget, when people are finally accepting the good news of the Gospel, and people keep their baptismal commitments, and are overcoming their addictions with baby steps... Continue to set your face like a flint and trust in God. And when you have a companion that you know will be your best friend for the rest of your life and you feel like, "Hey, I finally have this missionary thing down...yep, you guessed it...Set your face like a flint and trust in God!
One final thought, flint is the substance used for making effective arrowheads. You, the missionaries are that arrowhead. After a short google search, I learned that "flint should be soft, but not brittle. This will allow you to chip away at the stone in a process known as flaking. The best stone to use (for an arrow) is flint." As you continue to serve the Lord you will learn to rely on the Spirit thus maintaining being soft but not brittle. Another word would be humble or teachable. The process known as flaking reminds me of the process of sanctifying ourselves through the process of walking in our Savior's footsteps.
I am so thankful to have found this nugget of wisdom as I took the time to feast on the word with Kristen. We pray for all you missionaries on a daily basis. May you be kept safe and led to those who are in desperate need of the Lord's atonement. Oh wait...that's everyone;) Keep working hard!
love, mamajessop
PS- Here's what setting your face like a flint looks like on the basketball court. Will had the best night of basketball he's ever had. He scored 9 points in the Froshmore game and 5 points in the JV game in the same night. The caption I put on instagram was, "It may be snowing outside but he made it rain on the court!"
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