This is the number 111 post on this blog. Three ones. For this post, I have felt prompted to share three short experiences that happened to me recently. (for those who read the previous post Wicked vs Evil, I did not number it and it is not just by chance that it preceded this post, there is a pattern in all things)
Even though alot could be said about the symbolism of the number three, I wanted to briefly mention a few. Three is symbolic of divine completeness. It is also a number for perfection of testimony. Three stands for that which is solid, real, substantial, and complete. Three is associated with the Godhead. God's attributes are three: omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence. There are three divisions of time: past, present and future. The Lord rose on the third day. The number three makes a complete solid witness, such as Peter's denying Christ three times, then later the Lord asking Peter if he loves Him three times. In Jewish customs, when a friend had an important question to ask someone, they would knock three times on their door, which is very symbolic of other sacred things.
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Experience number one:
Taking the wrong trail
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"Enter ye in at the strait gate;
for strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it;
but wide is the gate, and broad the way which leads to death,
and many there be that travel therein,
3 Nephi 27: 33
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A few weeks ago, I went on a very early morning hike. The hike began around 4:00 AM in complete darkness. The first part of the hike, the trail was easy to follow in the dark, since I could follow the wide and maintained dirt road. With only a flashlight to light my path, I was confident that I was heading in the right direction. After a few miles into my hike, I started to feel uneasy when this road began to descend and deviate from the direction that I felt I should be heading to reach the top of the mountain. Despite a feeling that I might be offcourse, I still followed this main road. However, the road eventually came to a dead end. The road lead right into an old abandoned silver mine used back in the day by others searching for earthly wealth. I realized that I was now on the opposite side of the mountain that I needed to be. Even though I had hiked this mountain last year on the Fall Equinox, I had somehow didn't remember nor see that I needed take the narrow path that ascended uphill from the main road. (see photo above taken during the daytime). So instead, I found myself on the wrong side of a gulf that separated me from where I needed to be. My goal in hiking this mountain was to reach the summit in time to see the sunrise, however, I lost precious time hiking longer then I needed to the silver mine and then trying to find my way back. Long story short. I eventually found the correct trail, and made it to the top of the mountain. However, the sun had already risen and I missed a sacred moment.
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Experience number two:
The Loss of Power
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".. to those whom God should call in the last days,
who should hold the power of priesthood to bring again Zion, and the redemption of Israel;
and to put on her strength is to put on the authority of the priesthood,
which she, Zion, has a right to by lineage;
also to return to that power which she had lost. "
Doctrine and Covenants 113:8
My wife and I were recently doing yard work in our backyard. We were trimming our bushes with an electric trimmer. In order to reach all the bushes, we need to use a long extension cord to supply the needed power. Unfortunately, due to a distraction when we were working, we cut the extension cord with the electric trimmer. The trimmer no longer worked due to the lack of power. Realizing our error, we unplugged the cord to see where the wires were cut. All three electric wires were completely severed. We then began the process of reconnecting the wires by intertwining them. Once finished with the reconnection, the wires were united in one again.With the power now restored, we were able to carry on.
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Experience number three:
Seeing the Unseen
"While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen;
for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."
I Corinthians 2: 9-10...
I Corinthians 2: 9-10...
I took the above photograph from a poster that was given to me by my parents when I was young. It hung in my bedroom growing up. The color blue has always been my favorite color, partly because I love to be around water. What is interesting about this print is that there appears a 3 Dimensional world instead the image that few can see. It is still possible to see this on this blog image. On the surface it appears to most people as a chaotic design pattern. However, with the correct view, it creates a beautiful scene of a mother, with her young looking up into the heavens at night.
I am not sure where I found this, but I wrote this down in my journal.
It has never been God’s intention to hide Himself from us. On the contrary, we have been the ones to hide ourselves from Him- a habit we inherited from Adam and Eve. Our determination to hide, however, is no match for God’s ability to seek and find us. When He does draw us from darkness to light, and as we surrender ourselves to His love, the roles of hide and seek are gradually reversed. Instead of God having to seek us, we begin with our whole hearts to seek Him. We have an amazing Savior who makes the process of getting to know Him.. life’s most rewarding adventures . God assists our quest for Him by revealing Himself to us on many levels.
Physical eyes and physical ears are incapable of perceiving things which are spiritual in nature. Satan is fearful of the believer who is mighty in spirit and has his spiritual eyes open. It has been Satan's tactic to tempt us either to ignore the spirit altogether, or to pursue spirituality in other ways. On the other hand, God would have us develop our spiritual eyesight and hearing by means of obedience to His Word, and using our Spiritual Senses.
