Craig’s Blog

The Lord’s Wind

January 28th, 2007 at 11:21pm craig

This evening I to hear Elder John Groberg of the First Quorum of Seventy speak. He related a story from his mission in Tonga. One day traveling to a distant island to meet with a family eager to hear his gospel message their boat was becalmed. For a long time they sat waiting for a wind. They had tried praying for a wind but none had come. Finally one of the Tongan brethren accompanying him told him to get in the row boat and he would row the several hours it would take to reach their destination. Young Elder Groberg asked the brother why he was doing this. His reply was that today his arms would be the Lord’s wind.

Elder Groberg had often wondered why the Lord had not sent a wind but instead allowed this brother to row the distance. Years later Elder Groberg heard how this brother as a younger man had sought to distrupt the work of the missionaries, following them around and heckling, etc. One day he heard the missionaries would be preaching at a particular spot. He arrived early and climbed one of the nearby trees armed with a range of rocks and other objects to throw. As the missionaries’ meeting proceeded and it came to the point where they would bear their testimonies of the Book of Mormon the man started throwing the rocks at the missionaries and disrupted their meeting. As he threw one particularly large rock he lost his balance and fell breaking his arm in three places.

Over the coming months his arm failed to heal and gradually became paralyzed. The man went to his minister who had urged him on in his disruptive activities. But the minister said he could not do anything to help other than pray for him. About a year went by and the arm had become totally useless. Finally he remembered having heard the missionaries talk about healing people through priesthood blessings. He sought the missionaries out, and asked them to bless him, promising that if he was healed he would believe, and that he would be faithful in serving the Lord and doing what he could to help the work. A blessing was given and gradually the use of the arm was restored.

Now years later here he was being able to use that arm to serve the Lord and provide transport for Elder Groberg so that he could reach this family.

Often in life we need to go through difficult times when it would be very simply for the Lord to change things. The Lord’s “wind” does not always come in the way we anticipate. Some times it will come in a way that helps us to grow. Other times it may come in ways that help those around us grow.

Entry Filed under: General