I do raise my ebenezer!

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I'm come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wandering from the fold of God;

He, to rescue me from danger,

Interposed His precious blood.

(Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing)

I've been listening to my favorite church music for the past couple of days in an effort to lift my spirits and focus my thoughts on the atonement. Then I heard the familiar strains of "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" and the part where the men sing the above verse. Immediately, my thoughts jumped to Ebenezer Scrooge and suddenly my focus went 'poof'.

So I clicked 'replay' and listened again. This time, instead of Scrooge, I remembered my Bible Study lessons in grade school. Ebenezer. The stone of ebenezer.

Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us. 

(1Samuel 7:12)

Ebenezer means "help stone" or 'stone of help'. In 1 Samuel 7, it talks about how the Israelites prayed to help them overcome the Philistines who were at war with them. The Lord gave them aid by making the Philistines become confused and later were slaughtered by the Israelites. Samuel, in joyful thanksgiving, took a rock or stone and placed it on the ground as a remembrance to what the Messiah had done for them when they were in peril. Thus, an ebenezer is a token, a monument, actually anything that can stand as a remembrance of our gratitude for the Lord's continual help.

I have been asking the Lord for further help and enlightenment regarding some confusing events in my life lately. He has blessed us tremendously. But lately, it seems that He has withdrawn some of His blessings. Our firm is going through quite a challenging time. And my both my daughters have gone through some trying disappointments and difficult learning experiences that actually can enrich their lives. But passing through all these challenges all at the same time seems so literal: when it rains, it does pour. 

And yet, as I ponder these, I realize that in order for Him to bless us during these times of change and challenging obstacles. we need to reassess, reorganize and prepare ourselves for blessings that will come from new sources. We need to do our part. We may need to reposition ourselves. We may need to make changes that will challenge our comfort level.

As I was studying the Sunday School lesson last weekend, I came across some interesting insights. In 3 Nephi 24, the resurrected Christ yet speaks to the Nephite survivors of recent cataclysmic events that not just killed countless souls but also changed the topography of their land. This time, he tells them about the prophet Malachi, a prophet they've never heard of since Lehi left Jerusalem in 600 BC and Malachi lived there around 250 BC. He commands them to record the words of Malachi or rather, "...the words which the Father had given unto Malachi...". He expounds on Malachi's words which essentially teaches us about tithes and offerings and more importantly, the coming of Elijah that will happen shortly before Christ returns to earth in all His glory. All these records are 'ebenezers' in fact: memorials to the Messiah's undying kindness and love for us. And these words of scripture, which are essentially revelation, are significant in that it will take nearly 2,000 years more before Elijah appears. (April, 3, 1836) That was a very long time and I am sure the Nephites, when told about this prophecy had no idea when it will happen or even a hint of what the world might even look when Elijah appears. And yet, it was of such great importance for them to know that through the words of Malachi, the prophecies regarding Elijah which carry with them the sealing and endowment powers will indeed be restored. But not even close to the end of their days. Not even within three generations---but eons later. 

Furthermore, upon reading D&C as a corollary study to the above events, we learn that the restored sealing powers were indeed restored by Elijah on April 3, 1836 AND partial endowment instructions were also given. Interestingly, the full endowment blessings were not revealed to Joseph until he was in Nauvoo in 1842--. nearly 6 years after Elijah appeared. Again, I would surmise, from Joseph's time, 6 years was a long time to wait for the full promise of sealing and endowment powers to be completed. Six years. That's a very long time when you want something NOW.

TIME. It takes time!!

As these thoughts circled about me whist partaking of the sacrament yesterday, I took pen to paper and immediately, feverish wrote the following: Revelation most times are not given in its entirely. It may take time for the full-completion to take place. Each one of us, as individuals, are part of the execution---then as organized groups, i.e., couples, families, wards, etc. Individuals may live or die not seeing the full completion. We have no idea sometimes when that is....or even if the promised revelation is completed within our time. 

I know these words don't make much sense but my mind was whirling and I needed to jot down some notes so I'd remember. And though I always intellectually knew the concept of 'line upon line...." it wasn't until then when it clicked in a way that gave me meaning and relevance. 

We do receive personal revelation. And what we receive may just be a step towards the completion of an event that we can't see yet because we see things as Paul describes it, "through a glass darkly" until that day when it hits us that "this is what the Lord wanted after all". Because our ability to see 'far-off' is so limited. In the end, the big event that we are preparing for is the coming of the Saviour. All things given to us are for the benefit of our preparations for that great day.

It took me nearly 25.5 years to find my companion. It took me nearly 34 years to complete having children. It took my father 59 years to complete his earthly life. Some events of my life required very long, interminable waiting -- especially when I was anxious for the event to happen. And others took me by surprise....anticipating that I had more time. 

But I do believe that as we hold on to the things that are true, the Lord prepares us for the many nodal parts of the completion of His works and the completion of OUR work on earth.  And as we live our lives, we do receive revelation line upon line that will lead to very important events that are essential to our progress. If we do our part, there is no need to fear. I am almost sure that I am just one life connected to the completion of revelations given thousands of years before I was born. I am simply living a minute point on God's timeline...that is, if I look at it from a linear standpoint- well, that's the only way mere mortals can see time anyway. 

Even if I just look at my own timeline, I can see that many things took much time to complete. And I can look back and trace where I realized that I had already began to turn on the machinery for an event to happen that I had no idea would happen but had already been given the initial inspiration and understanding of its importance--a complete step that when accomplished will yield further instruction.

So that is part of faith, I believe. Revelation is continual. Revelation is that quality that points us to further understanding of our relationship with the Saviour. Because everything is about Him. And everything is to the testifying of Him. Our lives testify of Him. Our development and growth testify of His enabling powers. Such is the stuff of revelation. And revelation is never complete until that bright day when the Messiah appears. 

I raise my ebenezer to the God who never fails to lift me up. I raise my ebenezer to remind me that He is always near and that all that happens, all that I execute through the guiding hand of the Spirit coupled with my own agency will be for my own growth. All these are possible because of His atoning gift. My help-stone, my ebenezer is my life. That's only one life. But it is all that I have to give.