Stop and listen, especially when it's important

On Sunday in Relief Society we were discussing the story of Mary and Martha.  You know, the one when Martha is busy working and Mary is listening to Jesus and Martha gets kind of mad at Mary for not helping, then Jesus reprimands Martha?  Poor Martha always gets a bad reputation because of that story. 

In RS, it was pointed out that when Lazarus died, Martha was actually very faithful and believing. She'd probably just been caught at a bad moment when Jesus reprimanded her.  We talked about how we can't judge others without knowing the full story, just like if we forget how faithful Martha was at Lazarus' death.

It also made me think, though, how when we have the opportunities for something special like General Conference, or listening to Jesus in Martha's case, we should take them.  I know Conference is over, but we can still apply the principle to choose the better part in all areas of our lives.

We Are Sowing

Lately, I have been trying to recognize my impact on others and the words of the hymn We Are Sowing made me think about this even more:

We are sowing, daily sowing countless seeds of good and ill,
Scattered on the level lowland, cast upon the windy hill;
Seeds that sink in rich, brown furrows, soft with heaven's gracious rain;
Seeds that rest upon the surface of the dry unyielding plain.

Seeds that lie unchanged, unquickened, lifeless on the teeming mold;
Seeds that live and grow and flourish when the sower's hand is cold.
By a whisper sow we blessings; by a breath we scatter strife.
In our words and thoughts and actions lie the seeds of death and life.

Thou who knowest all our weakness, leave us not to sow alone!
Bid thine angels guard the furrows where the precious grain is sown,
Till the fields are crown'd with glory, filled with mellow, ripened ears,
Filled with fruit of life eternal from the seed we sowed in tears.

I am simultaneously thrilled and terrified that even little things that I do can make such an impact on others. We really never know when something that we say, write, or do will make a difference for someone. I love that this hymn not only reminds me of how important the seeds I sow are, but that I am not alone in what I need to accomplish. Heavenly Father wants to help us and rejoices when we do good in this world. No matter how small or seemingly insignificant at the time, our acts of goodness can grow into something wonderful.

D&C 6:33-36 ~ "Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward. Therefore fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are build upon my rock, they cannot prevail...Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not."

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