Patience is a Virtue (Just Not One of Mine)

{This picture was taken by me, courtesy of my camera phone, 365 days ago, on my very first day at U of A, before my very first class. The caption with the accompanying text message read 'college.' I hadn't really slept the night before and apparently that was the best I could come up with. I remember that with the text I sent a message that basically went something like this- My first class starts at 9 a.m. What time should I get there? The response, of course, was 9 a.m. There was so much I didn’t know, and so much I still do not know (how to read a campus map, for example). I tried to figure out after I was done with my classes today whether last year’s first day was better or worse than this one. I’m still not sure. All I know is this morning I looked probably about as excited as I do in this picture.}

I had to drop my mom off at work this morning (read: I am still without vehicle) at 8 a.m. Consequently, I arrived on campus long before I needed to be there so after finding the route to my first class I headed over to the institute. Finding myself uncharacteristically without Jeeves, a book to read, my IPod, or anyone to talk to, I cracked open my Book of Mormon and started my day in Ether 12. It has been so long since I have started my day with the scriptures (meaning I legitimately cannot remember the last time I did) and it was exactly what I needed. As I studied the first half of the chapter grand plans of getting to school early every morning to read the scriptures started to form in my head. Granted, they left almost as soon as they arrived (who am I kidding, sleep and I cannot get enough of each other these days) but the notion was nice. And I will definitely make room somewhere in my day for a few minutes of scripture study. I have a feeling I am going to need a lot of help to get through this semester in one piece.

And now, for what it is worth, I’ll leave you with some of my favorite words from this morning.

“…faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith. For it was by faith that Christ showed himself unto our fathers, after he had risen from the dead; and he showed not himself unto them until after they had faith in him; it must needs be that some had faith in him, for he showed himself not unto the world. ” (v. 6-7)

“And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” (v. 27)

“It does no violence even to our frail human logic to observe that there cannot be a grand plan of salvation for all mankind, unless there is also a plan for each individual.” –Neal A Maxwell