Quentin L. Cook: The Lord Is Hastening His Work

Welcome to Inklings. I am Emily Bell Freeman and I'm so excited to welcome you to a space where you and I get to experience a hint of something more together. This is a community where we lean into discussions that will help us obtain a bedrock understanding of the doctrines of Christ. Not overnight, but every day better. Strength gathered over time. There is a place for you here. Looking forward to spending this semester with you as we embark on a journey focused on becoming His. Good morning, everyone. Happy Thursday. Welcome to Inklings. And let me tell you where we're going to be today. It's Elder Cook's talk, Hastening. The Lord is Hastening His Work. We're going to be there. And then we are also going to be in Doctrine and Covenants 112 is where we'll spend a little bit of time. And today and then we will dive in which will be so fun um so elder cook hi jenny hi how are you good good how are you doing good good um okay i was just telling everyone elder Cook's talk. Okay. Doctrine and Covenants 112 will be in, which will be so good. And then we're talking about hastening his work. And I feel like we should start out with this. Last night, we had a friend who opened her mission call and it was so cute. And at the end of the mission call opening, you just heard this little squeal come from the right corner. And then this whole group of girls just got up and surrounded this girl who had opened her mission call. And they just kept coming and coming and coming. You just keep watching the circle expand of these girls that are just coming around. And I have rewatched that little bit of that video 10,000 times because I love the thought of this enthusiasm that we are feeling right now. Last week was the highest number of mission calls extended to sisters in the history of the church. That's so awesome. I know. And to watch them responding and rising up to this great, this great work that is happening and you feel it happening you just you can feel this excitement particularly this time of year if you were to go visit seminary classes or walk through high schools you can feel that excitement um rising and that energy rising and um i love as we just think about the Lord and when he promises, I will hasten my work in its time, that we're actually watching it. We're actually being a part of that right now and how exciting it is. Amazing. And it's just to see, someone asked me, it's sort of hard to, when you're a mission leader work with 18 year olds. And I, I said, I think this rising generation is actually more prepared than ever before to accept this call, to accept this call and be ready. And it's just been so remarkable to see how excited and ready these young women are to go out and serve to hasten the work. Yes. It's just so fun to feel that enthusiasm and almost like adrenaline for the work that is coming. So it's fun to talk about this today when that is what is. We all see it happening all around us. I love how many of you are saying that either you have daughters about to receive a call or granddaughters serving missions right now. or just that experience. And it's kind of touching all of us, which is so fun. And as we're watching this increase in the young women preparing to go, I can't help but think that it will propel a whole other group of young men to just be part of the cause that is so big right now. Yeah, I agree. I agree. I think that's so cool. and I'm sure you're going to talk about it, but I was so struck with this talk of the meaning of hastening. It gives it so much more. I mean, I don't know why I never really researched it before, but it's, it's such a remarkable, it doesn't mean hurry. Yeah. It's so cool. I don't know if you want to talk about that. Let's go there. Let's start there. Cause that's actually so fun. I, I was actually really interested in the word hastening. What does it mean? Because, you know, I mean, for me, on the simple level, it would be just, it's just getting increasing, hurrying. It's going to come quickly. But the meaning, and you will probably do a better job at telling this, but I loved the meanings I found, which were so remarkable, which was, okay, let's see. we becoming ready, not moving faster, um, to accelerate with a purpose to remove delay, um, to bring near what was already meant to come. Oh, I love that. Isn't that good? Yeah. Yeah. it's so good and I'm just grabbing I did the same as you I went through and started writing down definitions why because we love words at Inklings that's why uh we we do that and I just want to I'm going to pull my definitions up while you've got yours up because okay this one also a sense of direction, not chaos. When I read President or Elder Cook's message, his line that says, it's in the third paragraph at the very end, it talks about those who are committed to the Savior and his commandments are finding purpose and profound personal peace. And it just is like, what hastening it's finding your purpose yes like and giving you purpose and anyway it led me to another different couple directions but tell me what you found well and i love i just looked up the hebrew which was so fun and you know i always love to do that and who loves that the hebrew says to be eager with excitement or enjoyment oh that's and then ready and i just think that's so fun to be thinking about that, that excitement, that eagerness that is so fun. So I think that is, I think it's so remarkable that we understand because in fact, great. I think this is when I read that line in Elder Cooks, that those who are committed to the Savior and his commandments are finding purpose and profound personal peace. It reminded me in Jacob, I found this when we were serving in Minnesota. I mean, I've read it before, but I'd never really found it. But it's in Jacob 1.17. And it says, and I, Jacob, gave unto them the words as I taught them in the temple, having first obtained my errand from the Lord. And I think that is really timely because we just heard from President Oaks and he sort of gave us four things that can help us find our purpose. And I think, Emily, you are also, you've always said that when you pray, you pray to have time to be upon the Lord's errand. And I think as we work to, I love the definition of to bring to pass a sense of direction. Oh, no, no, no. The ones bring nearer what is already meant to come. When we have that purpose, it helps us be able to know what it is that I need to do today. Even if it's just one thing. Um, I think, you know, President Oak said, strengthen your faith, increase your humility, seek help and be patient. Those are ways that we can find our purpose and find how to celebrate this joyful time that we're in right now. Yes, I love that so much. And that is what I was thinking yesterday, too, just as I was thinking about this talk and pondering about how does it help us if we're not turning in mission papers? And what does it look like for us to be part of hastening the work? And some of us might be turning in mission papers or thinking about how we maybe could go and serve and help with this great missionary effort that is happening. I will say this. For how many youth we have rising up to go, we are going to need that many senior couples to support. And so as we watch this stirring of hearts of the rising generation, we should anticipate that there would be a stirring of hearts in our older generation also. because where are the Helamans for these stripling warriors? Where is the support staff that is going to go out with these youth and get in the work with them and mentor them and help them rise up and become exactly who the Lord needs them to become. And this is a great work for all of us. And just that thought of like, what is my place and what is my part in the hastening of this work? It's interesting because he, Elder Cook, as he talked about, he kind of sent us into DNC 112, and I just want to find where he does that. It's in footnote nine is where he sends us there. but I love, he's talking about in paragraph four, and he talks about, let me just see if I can find it in here. Okay. At various times in the history of the church, there has been a significant increase in those who have entered the covenant path. And then he sends us to Doctrine and Covenants section 112, which I was so interested by. And he talks about this revelation was received on July 23rd, the day the gospel was first preached in England in this dispensation. And then he teaches us a little bit about that. So I got into 112 because I was like, okay, if that was a time when there was a significant increase in missionaries, what was it in Doctrine and Covenants section 112 that would feel important or relevant to us now today. And as you think about that, I just, I love that it is a call to the world to go out, but it's also a call to each of us. And I, sometimes you have those days where you've just come home from wherever you are. And we all have these days and you're just defeated. Do you, do you ever know those moments where you're just, I, I am not the right person in the right place at the right time. You just, we all have that. And, um, yesterday was one of those days for me that I just, I got, I got home and I took off my dress and I put on my sweatshirt and it was pouring rain. And I just was like, I just have to get out and just walk this off, you know, of just, sometimes it feels like as much as your heart is in it the whole world is against you And I love when Elder Cook starts out and he like live in turbulent times when the whole earth is in commotion And as he as he talks about that, it was the best of times. It was the worst of times. In a sense, this is true of our day. And just as I started reading that, I was like, it's, it is sometimes so easy to, to get caught up in the news and to get caught up in the, um, the details of what isn't going right. I just was looking that the Gallup poll just did a study recently, um, on that most of us are feeling discouraged right now and disappointed. And part of that is February. Let's be honest. um that's just why does that happen in in um february we don't know but as i got in and started reading this um i love that the lord says in section 112 right off the bat i have heard thy prayers and thine alms have come up as a memorial before me and um that in verse four when he says let thy heart be of good cheer before my face and thou shalt bear record of my name. And then I was so interested by verse five, where it says, contend thou therefore morning by morning and day after day, let thy warning voice go forth. And when the night cometh, let not the inhabitants of the earth slumber because of thy speech. And I have been thinking about that one verse all night long. Just that thought of this is what it looks like is we contend and we are contending for the kingdom. And we're going to do it morning by morning and day after day and even through the night um that's what the hastening looks like that's yeah what it looks like to be part of this hastening and then this verse that we all know and we probably memorized it in seminary be thou humble and the lord thy god shall lead thee by thy hand and give thee answers to thy prayers. And then I love when he says in verse 11, I know your heart and I have heard your prayers. And just to recognize that he's in it, he's in it with us. And yesterday I was thinking to myself, and then there's this part in verse 14, where it says, arise and gird up your loins, take up your cross, follow me and feed my sheep. And this is the thought that I had yesterday that I was, um, that I was thinking about. And I know you're going to have insight on this because of, um, your story and your life and everything that's going on. But, um, remember I've been studying Peter recently a lot. I've been just thinking about his story. And one of the things I love about Peter's story is we don't just see him in one chapter, which is what happens a lot in scripture. You just get to meet someone for a second. The woman who touched Christ's robe, we just, we just have this little like moment into her life. And then we don't really know what happened. The, um, the rich young ruler, we, we get to see just this little like vignette. And then what happened to him? Did he come back? Did he sell everything and follow the Lord? We don't know but with Peter we actually get to see him we get to see him over and over again and and we get to see him wrestling out his story with the Lord and and we see the good things that are happening and right also yeah no one no one hides what he wasn't doing great either we get to see everything about that. And, um, I was thinking to myself yesterday and then it, it just, when I was reading one 12, it came to me that sometimes I don't think we pay enough attention to two moments in Peter's life. And one is when he seriously left his nets and was like, I'm going to go and do this. And we read it and we're like, Oh, and then, because we know what's coming. So, and then he was like done being a fisherman on that day because there was three years of miracles ahead of him. And we don't realize when he walked away, he had, he didn't even know really who Jesus was. He didn't know about the three years of miracles. He didn't know that this was indeed going to be a better choice for him. What he knew is he had just had the best day of his professional career. That's what he knew. And you start realizing that that was a law of trust. That wasn't like a good idea. That was a law of trust. And you've, you've done that before you've left behind nets and, and walked away. And I, it would be interesting just to hear like, what does that feel like for all of those who, who want to be a part of hastening this work, what does that actually feel like? I guess the things that jump into my mind, first thing is I think that we are going to sort of be, our expectations are always good. We always have these high expectations. And I think that we have to be better at letting expectations not necessarily match, but seeing good at the direction that it takes you. And I also think if we don't think this life is going to be uphill, then we're going to probably be also disappointed because pretty much every day is uphill. I actually love I love this part in President Cook's or Elder Cook's talk when he says the band, about the band Me too, okay let's talk about that for a minute that is my favorite quote of this whole entire talk it's the best quote section 5 and I love, the Desert News described them as a band of pilgrims And I hope we're all pilgrims, you know, going on this path and sisters and children walking sunburnt and weather beaten. So their path, as we know, I mean, that's sort of the only stories we hear about pioneers are, you know, starving and walking and freezing and bloody footprints. But not forlorn. Their hearts were light and buoyant, which was plainly manifest by the happy and joyful countenance. So hard and joy exists in the same moment. And I think walking away from your nets takes courage. It takes finding what your purpose is, obtaining that, putting the work into being able to say, I'm going to trust stepping into the dark. And actually, he later talks about, hey, guess what? I don't know if you know, but we're not perfect. Don't get discouraged. you know you don't get discouraged i said that was hilarious yes yeah what pull that paragraph out because that part is so good i love well it was in 19 when he's like gospel knowledge knowledge takes increments of time like don't compare yourself and it's also not a saving ordinance so yes work on it but it will help you if you will gain gospel knowledge and then in verse in section 23, he says, do not get discouraged. Oh, and where does he say? I don't know if you noticed, but we're not perfect. Oh, yeah. In paragraph 24. You may find, if you haven't already, that the members are not perfect. Yeah. Yeah. That's true. And I love that he said this referring back to that band. I need to find this part because I loved... You guys might have to help me find it because I typed it up. We have prayed for you continually, thousands of prayers. Maybe, where's that? That is right in section six, right down. President Brigham Young addressed them. May the Lord God of Israel bless you. We have prayed for you continually. I love that part too. I love that part. Where's the part that says it's got to be toward the end. We love you. We need you. The Lord needs you. We may not welcome you with marching bands, but we pray the blessings of heaven will attend your efforts to progress along the covenant path. And I loved that, just that thought of the celebration and the enthusiasm of that marching band that he gave us of as we're entering into this this work and this um you know where we are and and what we're doing and as you think about peter there was no marching band when he left his nets um and there was actually no idea what was ahead for him. And we know that he wrestled through things as he went through those three years of tutoring with the Lord, that intense tutoring. And last night I was thinking to myself as I was walking, that one part where he says, arise and gird up your loins and take up your cross and follow me and feed my sheep it reminded me of the end for peter i mean the beginning was leave behind the end i think we sometimes forget how it ended for peter because we don't look at it in moments where it's all so big and we know what happens next but this is how it ended he denied christ three times who he was and then they whipped christ and then he followed him up and watched them crucify christ and then they went and buried christ and then somebody put that rock in front of the tomb and then peter sat for three days or however long and um and then at the end of that this is what i think is so interesting he was like you know what i don't know what just happened there i don't know what just happened and i don't actually know exactly where i'm at and and it must have been so discouraging really we yeah we get so excited about Jesus coming back that we forget hold on wait just a minute it must have been so discouraging on that night when he was like what do I do now and when he looked at himself and he was like okay what am I actually even good at right what am I good at because I'm obviously not good this. And, and so, and this didn't turn out and it's not turning out the way that I had imagined. And so what am I actually good at? Fishing. Yeah. I'm good at fishing. And so that's what I'll do. And it's so interesting to me how many of us have been in that moment because we don't ever stop and look at that moment. We don't look at that, that, that moment when he was like, I just have to go back to what I know how to do. And, and maybe it's not a great work, but at least I know how to fish and to think of Peter's heart on that night. And then everyone, it doesn't get better. Do you remember? He catches nothing. So he's actually not even a great fisherman. And that's what Peter learns by the morning is I'm actually not even great at fishing. And this is the part that I think in 14 of section 112, I think the Lord is hinting back to that Peter moment. Because he says to all of the 12, okay, arise, right? get back up get back in it you got to get back in this arise and gird up your loins and take up your cross and then do you remember this is the thing that jesus will say to peter three times feed my sheep and i was texting with a good friend of mine this week we have been studying Peter together and he texted and said, I'm so confused why Jesus said, feed my sheep to a fisherman I so confused why that happened And I been thinking about that so much this week of like what if he taking us to the place that we don know What if we saying you know what I just gonna go back and do the thing I know I good at which is fishing And he's saying, actually, I have something different in mind for you. And different is uncomfortable different doesn't feel good different causes us to have that wrestle in us but i love that he says um he says i need to try and figure out where uh this is i'm going to get ahead of myself there's one verse somebody's going to have to help me find it in section 112 where he says and if you go and then he says an effectual oh it's in verse 19 um and in whatsoever place you go an effectual door shall be opened unto you and i sat last night and just thought about that that effectual door what does that even mean effectual and um and as i studied it and researched it and got into the word of that. In the Bible, it tells us effectual means a working door. A working door will be opened up to you. That maybe you feel like every door has been slammed so far, but a working door, a door that works, that actually is gonna open for you to go through and accomplish something, that's what I'm going to give you. That's what I will put in front of you. And so as we think about this call from Elder Cook and the work that we now have to be part of this, and part of that work is the people who go out. And part of that work is the people who are going to take in these 900,000 converts that have come into the church. And what does that look like? You know, for those who are out and bringing, but don't you love when the first presidency went and stood at the mouth of Immigration Canyon and was like, okay, and we are the welcoming in. that's that is who we are and um what does that actually look like so I wanted to think about that a little bit of just what does he teach us about loving well and supporting well and um and that coming in was there anything that stood out to you about that yeah actually I um well and I would say, and just a couple things about Peter, I, um, I love the reminder to not go back to what you already knew if it's not a place of growth. And I, um, I, I, I do think it's, it's interesting the process and I love that you get to see his life. I love that you brought that up because even in president Oaks increased humility. I think a humbling is something that's, like you say, so uncomfortable and hard to see the mistakes that you made. And, you know, to be humbled is not always really very comfortable. And to be a humble person is also tricky. But I also think it allows you to have more compassion, to have more of a heart like his. And I loved in the talk, I thought, I love the line, we need you. Because so often, I think we say, oh, well, I don't love going to, I don't know if I need, you know, a mission, I'm not that good at it, or whatever it is that you don't want to do. Yes, it's what you don't want to do. The fact is, you actually are so needed. The senior missionaries, it made all the difference. You work ground on the ground with missionaries. You like influence them, love them, feed them, care for them. It's crazy the goodness that senior missionaries do. They are, so you might not need it, or at least you think you might, but you are so needed as part of this. We need the diversity. We need the uniqueness. I also loved in his talk that be patient with yourself. And I love that President Oaks also said be patient because we're not going to be good at it. You know, we're going to need to make mistakes. Jeff is here somewhere, so he might hear me. But, you know, he has Alzheimer's. And it's like every day I have this opportunity to be humbled and see how many ways I could have done better. And that is hard. But also, again, if I can work to have a heart like his. I love that. Virginia Pierce wrote a book, A Heart Like His. Yes. And she talked about actually physically seeing your heart. Is it at the, is it sort of squeezed tight and at the back of your cavity where it lives? Or is it like forward and open and ready to receive, ready to listen, ready to do better. Yeah. Ready to be humbled. oh there my dog is gonna bark um i might have to like go get him and put him in the back room but anyway so you take over for a minute hang on that is so awesome but i that is the same thing that i'm thinking of is is what jenny was just teaching us about where is our heart and um where Where is the learning? What are we doing with the learning and the wrestle that is coming at this time? And in paragraph 27, it says, following the Savior and his doctrine and teachings has never been easy in a world that is constantly in commotion. It was not easy for the Savior in the volatile world during his mortal sojourn. and it was not easy for our early leaders and members, and it is not easy for us. Fortunately, living prophets provide the guidance we specifically need for our day. And I love what you're talking about, that we just got to hear words from a living prophet. And as I was listening, I wonder if this was true for you. as I was listening, it was so interesting. That talk went so fast for me. I don't know if it did for you too, but it was like, I looked down and I was like, was he just doing a 12 minute talk? And then I realized it had been like a half an hour. Right. It went fast. Yeah. It went so fast. And within that little talk, some really profound answers came for me. Some of them that I've been praying about for a long time. And as I thought about that and as I was writing down, oh, this is exactly what I needed right now. I just thought to myself, how many other people are having that same experience with this one message? That there is something about the words of a prophet that can they expand to reach everyone in such an intimate way. I don't know how that happens, but it's miraculous that it happens like that. it really is and um you know you just brought up the point and and even in elder cook's talk he says there is clear evidence that faith in jesus christ is increasing in our day and we just talked about now all these young women are able to go quickly you know like on their mission sooner and and and And yet President Oaks talk was be prepared. It felt like something like, okay, this is my moment to tell you that yes, right now we're, but, but let's be prepared. And what can we do? What can I, what is obtaining your errand? Yes. What do you need to know for future? And I thought it was so, because it does see, you know, that it's clear evidence that we do have more Christianity, not even just in the church, more people turning back to Christ. Religion. Religion. But President Oaks' warning felt like be prepared. And it was so interesting to me how he had his own words and his own message. I also loved when he said, I wish I could remember the exact phrase that gets in, But in essence, I echo the warning from President Nelson that, and that one part where he talked about, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the constant influence of the Holy Ghost. And right when he said that, I was like, I remember when President Nelson gave that talk, thinking to myself, what is coming? I remember thinking that, like what's ahead of us that would make it so that we would need the Holy Ghost to just be a constant part. And it is crazy because who remembers when that talk was given? I mean, all of us are like, it was like a couple of years ago. That's what it feels like. It was more than that, but it feels like it was a couple of years ago. And to live in a place we do now that Elder Cook talks about a turbulent time when the whole earth is in commotion. Yeah. And you start thinking about how quickly we have gotten to a place where we talked about this earlier. We're constantly asking, is this real? Is this real? you see the news or you see something yeah or whatever and what is common for us right now and it's i mean you'll hear several times a day are people saying is this wait is that real is that real yeah um and i just think to myself this that moment that he talked about we we are at it we somehow got to it already like in in this in shorter than a decade that warning call of do you know the spirit so well that he can confirm and i can't help but think don't you wish this was hanging in your house somewhere as we think about even just the start of this in October and that phrase, this is real. Like what we're doing on Thursday mornings, what we're talking about, these conversations we're having, this is real. And a prophet who was like, okay, we're going to need to start calling out what actually is real, what is true, what is happening because we are in this moment of hastening and there's joyful moments. Like when my friend opened her mission call there are those joyful moments and there is this rising up and this readiness that is happening and and these working doors that are being opened in front of us and but there's also turmoil everywhere and um and being able to listen as this hastening happens to the words of a prophet who just like, I love when Elder Cook said, fortunately, living prophets provide the guidance we specifically need for our day. And we're actually watching that happen. Yeah, it really is remarkable. And I, um, I loved his encouragement that, you know, he gives the scriptures in 2 Nephi 31, 21, we must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if he shall press forward, feasting upon the words of Christ and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father, ye shall have eternal life. And later it says in verse 21, behold, this is the way. I, in a turbulent time and in chaos and in even this day to day caregiving journey that we get a chance to start over to knit, to do better. Like it okay if we make mistakes Actually that why we that how we learn And I think there is so much joy in that opportunity to do better or to try again a new day and to not lose hope in a chaotic and turbulent time, that to not let that sway you to hold on to what you know, to hold on to and work to have that heart that sits in the front of your cavity and takes a minute to ask a second question like is there more yes what else not just the question hey how are you and then you didn't even really hear the answer I mean I know that's the answer that we always ask that I always want to say well actually not that great but you don't really want to hear that You don't want to hear 45 minutes of, so, you know, I, I think it's okay to have hope and joy. I love, I love, it's okay to ask for people to pray for you. I love that the president Brigham Young says, we have prayed for you continually. And if you don't feel like you have an army of praying for you in a time of need ask someone that's so good seek help that's what president oak said seek help if I need someone to pray for me I mean that is the one remarkable thing as serving as a mission leader is I feel like we have an army of people praying for us all the time yes and it's it is one of the greatest gift. Yeah. And sometimes prayer is more important than a casserole. For sure. That you just have to be thinking. I had an experience yesterday where someone walked past me and it was so interesting because I was racing to get somewhere and it is a friend of ours and he said, how are you? And then he took a second glance and said, are you doing okay and i was getting in an elevator and the doors were closing and i was like doing good you know like we do and it was probably 45 minutes later he texted back and he said hey are you really doing okay um how can we help and i i just had written back tough week but you know we all and um and he said what can i do and i just said pray i mean sometimes all you can do is pray but you know what was the sweetest thing is last night when i went to bed he sent a text and said my wife and i just included you in our prayers and i thought to myself sometimes we have those interactions where people are like, how are you doing? I'm doing great. But can we do anything? Yeah, you can pray. And then, you know, you just, it's almost as if you were like, what did you have for lunch conversation? But it was so sweet to me that like last night, the last text that I received was he actually had gone home from whatever his busy day was and who even know how, knows how his week went you know but that he like remembered and I think maybe we need to recognize that sometimes prayer actually is more important than any castro and actually remembering to pray for people is is the power that we actually need to get us through I 100% agree with that and have experienced it. Yeah. And I think as we think about this hastening, as we watch, I mean, in this hastening part, and I thought a lot about how the Lord talks about in the New Testament and in the Doctrine and Covenants, that at the end, it will feel like a woman travailing in birth. That's how he describes what it will be like. And it's such an interesting analogy for the time we live in right now, because those of you who have delivered a child, you know, there is the moment when they say the baby is coming. And there's, there's been a lot of pain getting to that point, but there's also been a lot of excitement getting to that point. And in, in those last minutes where it is like, okay, it's time, it's time. It doesn't, you don't just take a breath and be like, oh, finally, you know, the hardest work is ahead of you, the hardest work. And you do get that adrenaline rush. You get that adrenaline rush, like it is almost over. And you're going to get to see and experience what you've been waiting for for nine months. But before that comes, there's also the pushing and the pain and the labor that is going to finally get you to that thing that you're hoping for. And I won't ever forget when Meg was delivering one of her babies and it was taking so long. And sometimes that happens to the point that they wondered if she was going to be able to do it because of sheer exhaustion. She had gotten to that point where the concern was everything was working except for she wasn't. She had just run out of the energy to accomplish the task ahead. And I'll never forget what happened in that moment. That all of these women gathered in that room, the nurse who had been with us the whole entire day, And a couple other nurses came in that were working in other rooms. And the people from the nursery had come. So those women were standing there that were waiting. And I just watched these women come in. And they didn't really say anything. But they just stood as like pillars of this is going to happen. This is going to happen. And then her darling nurse just stood right next to her and said, you are strong enough for this. You are strong, Megan. You are strong. And she just kept saying that over and over and over and over. And I can remember glancing up at one point. I was so focused on Meg and just that sheer, like digging deeper than she ever had. and um looking up and looking at all of those women and their entire focus was on meg every eye in that room was on meg and and it was just this force of the strength of women that just stood around that bed. And when, when that baby came out, the chair that filled that room was like nothing I have ever witnessed. It is one of the most sacred experiences of my life. And I think as, as we go through this time, we are going to have that same, um, that same thing of it's coming, it's time and we're going to fill that adrenaline and that excitement and that hastening, but we're also going to need the strength to weather what will be required of us to get through and, and how important that is. Yeah. Remember. Yeah. I love that. I think that is part of being humbled and part of understanding what your purpose is. And it's okay if you don't know exactly, but I think it's something worth working for. And I think it's simple. Starts with love God, love others. And have that seat for that heart like his. Because I think that kind of spiritual experience is what allows you talk about Peter. It's what allowed him to walk away from his nets and trust. And we have those experiences and why we say, remember, remember, write those moments down because you are going to be faced with another hard time that's going to come up that you're going to be like, no, wait, what? Yes. But remember back to what you knew at that moment and keep moving forward even if lots of those steps are in the dark and painful and um sunbed brother beaten and sunburned yeah yet yes not forlorn yes yes it's so good it's so good yeah um i we were having dinner the other night sunday night and um we were getting ready for the prayer. And I don't know if this happens in any of your houses, but in our house, there's a certain age of grandchildren that if they don't get to say the prayer, they just fall apart on the floor. And so we get to the point where we're like, who wants to say the prayer? And we know it's going to be Hank. We just know it is, but we still just ask. And sometimes we have two prayers depending on or three depending on how many people that age are there but today only hank and he's um four um but he's at the he can say the prayer all by himself he doesn't need help and i love when you get that age where you can do that but but every so often you're kind of listening just in case you need to like you know um and so he's doing his whole little prayer and then he gets to the very end and he says we we really really we really really need Jesus to come back and then he just said amen and as he was going through that little struggle as he first of all as he started we really really and and he's thinking it through and in my mind I'm like I honestly cannot wait to see what it is that he thinks we need so desperately that he can't find the words to like he's really thinking about how is the best way to express this and I had kind of leaned in closer because I was like let me see if I can try and figure out where you're going here. And then maybe I can help you. And it was just so sweet when he was like, we just really need Jesus to come back. And I thought to myself, the fact that a four-year-old is feeling the same thing that I am also feeling. and there was a little moment where I was like well if Heavenly Father was going to answer anyone's prayer it's probably going to be Hank's kiss he was so genuinely invested in that outcome and just to think you know at the end of this hastening is Jesus everyone and that is important that's great thank you yeah so good week lots of good things to think about and get into dnc 112 it's it's gonna give you a purpose and some direction and um just some good things to think about for the season that we're in that's good thank you all right have a good week everyone thank you Thanks for joining me. This podcast is taken from our Thursday Inklings discussions, which happen live on Instagram at inklings.institute. If you loved being here, I'd love to invite you to go even deeper with me, get reminders and enjoy first access to all our events and gatherings by going to emilybellfreeman.com backslash Inklings. Thank you.