The Diamond Willow Parable

Tonight I had the opportunity to attend the General Relief Society Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was awesome. As always, I came away with a desire to be better, to do better, to serve more.

In one of the talks given by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, he talked about not being afraid to create new things. What does it mean to create new things? To bring into existance something that wasn't already there. So many times in life, we feel like we're stuck with ordinary, or we're afraid of putting forth the effort to discover new things. He talked about just starting out small if we feel overwhelmed. How many smiles can we create, how can we make our homes better, etc. He made the comment, those who spread sunshine, can't keep it from themselves. I think this goes along nicely with the diamond willow parable.

So, here's the story:

Mom and Dad brought home some sticks from Alaska for each of their children. When they could have brought us something like a carved bear, or moose, or they could have brought us whale blubber, or mammoth tusks, or exotic firs only found in Alaska, they brought us sticks. Just sticks. What's up with that?

Well, let me tell you what's up with that. These aren't just ordinary sticks. They are diamond willow sticks indigenous to Alaska that are made into walking sticks or other beautiful carved animals. Instead of bringing us something already made into something beautiful, they brought us something we could create and make beautiful ourselves. When Mom showed me the sticks and said we could each pick one out, I wasn't so excited about this rather ordinary looking stick. What do I need a stick for. I have never carved a thing in my life. But, as we were all gathered together as a family and as one by one, we started uncovering the beauty of these sticks that I realized what Mom and Dad had brought us. There was a lesson to be learned from these sticks. Our assignment was to take off the bark and discover the diamonds, or the beauty inside.

While at first sight this stick looked like any other plain old ugly stick, as each of started to carve off the bark, we were all amazed at how different  and beautiful they all were. They each had their own character. Sure it was a bit laborious, and there was some pain involved, but as the boring stick turned into a work of art, I was grateful that I didn't just toss it aside as a thing of naught.

 

Just like this beautiful walking stick that was once just a piece of wood, we can create beauty in our lives as we come out of our shells and serve God by serving others. God knows who we are inside. He created us. We are His masterpieces. He has sent us here for a purpose.  As we allow Him to take control of our lives, we can become something we never thought we could be. The beauty within us will shine through. 

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for bringing us a stick and teaching  us to create something beautiful.