My Lighthouse - A Journey in Obedience

Recently I purchased one of those short, round I-Robot vacuums that do all the work for me. It came with virtual walls or lighthouses that keep it within one room. I can set it as a virtual wall to keep it from leaving the room, or I can set it to a lighthouse to have it completely clean that room before moving onto the next. My husband found it amusing that I would watch it clean as that defeated the purpose of having it do the work. Then, I caught him doing the same. What I noticed I found very interesting.

In order to get the layout of the room it would wonder aimlessly until it would hit something. Then, it would turn and go in another direction until it would hit something, turn and hit, sometimes the same something that it originally hit, but now in a different spot. Sometimes it travels from one side of the room to the other without any obstruction. Sometimes it spins in circles when it hits a concentrated spot of dirt until it feels it has been sufficiently cleaned. By the time 45 minutes has passed, it had cleaned the entire room multiple times and then returned to its docking station to be recharged.

I began to notice a parallel between my I-Robot and my life. I thought of the times that I felt I was simply moving along, trying to figure out my course and bumping into walls, then readjusting my aim only to bump into something else. There have been times I felt I was spinning in circles during a difficult part of my journey. There were also times that I felt that I had hit virtual walls where I couldn’t seem to move past something or forward in my life.I much preferred the virtual lighthouses in my life. They are not walls, but guidance through council provided to direct my course during my journey. I consider our modern-day Prophet one of my biggest lighthouses. By listening, studying, pondering, praying about, and practicing the counsel and guidance that he provides to me, I have felt a comfort in knowing that through that obedience I have been properly and safely steered.

One of those councils is to be prepared in storing food. There are many avenues in which we have been directed in heeding that council. One avenue is gardening, another is education. There are tips in frugality and organizing our homes.

Food storage is much more than merely buying and storing food. It is a lesson in obedience, patience, consistency, and faith. Oftentimes, we relate food storage to the story of the ten virgins, assuming that our food storage is the oil. It occurred to me that the food storage is NOT my oil…. But, my obedience to the Prophet of the Lord in obtaining food storage is the oil. The increased patience that I learned in consistently building as my budget permitted is the oil. The faith that I have knowing that regardless if whether or not I will ever get to use the food during an emergency and trusting that I will still be provided for is my oil. The food was the tool that a wise Father in Heaven has used to help me fill my lamp.

Through my journey to build an emergency supply, learn to cook, create menus, and share what I have learned I remember that regardless of these efforts, the real test is in following the council of my Living Prophet. He is my lighthouse to which I can watch and heed his warnings and council in order to avoid the unnecessary walls in my life. I am grateful for that.