As I have reflected on our time in Tonga, I remember one other significant lesson I learned there that I never want to forget. It came from a conversation between Sister Piatau and her mother the day we worked together in the Family History Center.
Her mother lives in New Zealand, but had traveled home to Tonga for a visit. While she was there she was spending time going over various aspects of their family boat rental business which was being managed by Sister Piatau's brother. The business had struggled over the past year, so Sister Piatau's mother was trying to find ways to make it stronger. She was considering such things as possible advertising, refurbishing of the boat, or hiring different staff to manage the accounts. She asked her daughter's opinion of what the best thing might be for getting the business back to its former glory days.
Sister Piatau did not hesitate for one instant. She adamantly insisted the only way for the business to be successful would be for all of their family to put away iniquity. Now, she was not saying that anyone was doing some terrible sin. What she WAS saying was that all blessings come from God and that in order for us to be blessed, we must be obedient to the commandments and have our hearts in the right place. She made it very clear that rather than relying on business plans and marketing strategies, their first step must be to humble themselves and seek out the Lord in prayer to know what it was that He wanted them to do.
I was deeply impressed by the unshakable faith of this dear woman and her clarity about what is truly important. I hope that in my own life I will be able to follow her example.
No comments:
Post a Comment