Burnt Pancakes- The Most Important Lesson I am Learning on my Mission

As I was contemplating what to write for my first ever blog post this morning, I decided to go and surprise my companion by making pancakes for breakfast. Sister Bickmore LOVES pancakes, so I figured I would do us both a favor and cook us some good home cooking! (Aunt Jemimas pancake mix totally counts). In my rush to surprise her and get the pancakes done in time, I turned the griddle to the hottest it could go. I mixed up our Aunt Jemimas pancake mix and had the pancakes on the griddle by the time she came out.

Little did I know that my pancake dream would soon turn into a CHARCOAL NIGHTMARE!

As soon as I got the pancake touched the griddle it turned a horrendous charcoal black! But seriously, it instantly turned straight up black right as it hit the griddle. I am no pancake professional, but I have flipped a few before and I know that that is NOT normal. I could not figure out what I had done wrong. Therefore, I blamed the mix and then tried again. The next pancake turned out just the same! After further investigation I learned an important lesson: the griddle needs to be the right temperature. And when your cooking pancakes, patience translates into perfection (or at least perfect pancakes). Unfortunately we had to eat burnt pancakes as a consequence.

Coming on a mission I expected to learn a lot of lessons and to grow a lot. Guess what? I have! But in ways I never thought I would. The lessons I have learned have been a lot more important than learning how to cook pancakes, but some have been just as unexpected and random.

After I ate my charcoal pancakes I finally realized what my first blog post had to be about! The most important lesson I am learning on my mission. It's kind of hard to distinguish from all of the lessons I am learning what is "most important", but after some honest thought I decided on one. Learning this lesson is changing my perspective on life. I hope that it can change yours as well.

The lessons is this:

God is Our Loving Heavenly Father

I've grown up singing, "I am a child of God" , but I don't think I have ever internalized it. What changes when we internalize that God is our loving Heavenly Father? The literal Father of our spirits?

For me number one is this:
1.) We know that we have someone to count on, trust, and turn too. But not just someone, an all knowing, loving God!

President Uchtdorf, a modern day apostle, said this:

"Brothers and sisters, the most powerful Being in the universe is the Father of your spirit. He knows you. He loves you with a perfect love."

HOW CRAZY IS THAT!?!?!?!?! Just think about that. The creator of the universe-a God who designed the planets, made matter, and knows everything from begining to end is our spiritual Father. On top of that, HE LOVES US. He wants what's best for us, and because of that He asks us to communicate with him through prayer.

2.) We know that our challenges are for our benefit and to help us grow.

In the book of Mormon Lehi, a prophet of God, says this to his son, "Nevertheless, Jacob, my firstborn in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain." (2 Nephi 2:2)

This video "Earthly Father, Heavenly Father" explains it perfectly

Learning and internalizing this truth has helped me more than words can express. Friends and family, it is true. He loves each one of us.