Principles or Rules?

Its been another long hot week, but no less productive than any of the others that have come before! This week on Monday there was a memorial day run in the Lubbock community to support the local South Plains Food Bank where we do service all the time. My companions and I along with a lot of other missionaries and President and Sister Heap signed up for the race and decided to run it in white shirts and ties and shorts- it was a blast! Pre-fun run:

I think its ironic that they call it a "fun run" because, personally, I think that statement is an oxymoron. Although I've been running a lot more often I haven't found intense joy in it yet! Elder May was a big runner back home in Montana so he's been coaching me along the way everyday that we wake up to run. Its a good habit though that leaves me feeling awake and I definitely get more out of my studies the days that I get my blood pumping with some solid exercise. I'm a firm believer that if you start your mornings off right it sets the tone for the rest of your day- that's why I love my exercise and gospel study before the day really gets rolling. 

Post fun run. I ran a 5k in a little under 7 minute miles. Good timing for me! Elder May and I still continue to run.

After the fun run Elder May and I needed to make a few road trips to clean up apartments around the mission and return all of the furniture and materials left in those apartments to the mission storage shed here in Lubbock. Because the amount of missionaries coming out is slightly lower than those going home during the winter/ spring months we've had to shut down a few areas. We'll be opening them back up here soon though as we have large groups of 20 or more missionaries coming in the summer months! Here is what the scenery looks like on these trips:  No, those aren't clouds, it's dust!

Road trips are a mix of good and bad- Elder May is a good guy and he's a hoot when it comes to telling stories and things from back home. We work together to make sure the driver doesn't fall asleep as we traverse the hours of flat, brown, Texas roads. Along the way we got to make a stop up North in the Panhandle at a Braum's restaurant- a dairy up in Oklahoma distributes around in that general region and we were far enough North to get some fresh milkshakes- that's the good stuff!  I wish we could get the trips over with more quickly so we can get back to working our area here in the Lubbock with the Young Single Adult ward, but at the same time I enjoy getting to see the missionaries as we travel and also getting to talk with and better know my companion. 

Tuesday was filled with more of the same- driving around and taking care of some administrative duties. Although they may not be our favorite thing to do we know they have to get done in order for everything else to run smoothly and so it makes it all worth it. Some of the work we get done is behind the scenes but its just as important as knocking doors or teaching lessons because one has to happen in order for the other to take place. Someone's gotta' do it and it might as well be us! I'm thankful though that Elder May is a "go getter" and we get things done quickly so that we have time to devote to doing hands on missionary work which is what the rest of our week consisted of.  Oh, and a stray dog that reminded me a lot of Sarge back home:

There were exchanges this week with missionaries from Borger, San Angelo, and Midland Texas and they came into our area with us to see how we ran things and so that we could learn from one another. The Lord calls all kinds of missionaries and just like there's no "cookie cutter" human being, there shouldn't be a "cookie cutter" missionary either. We all have different talents and abilities and must recognize that the Lord and people give us assignments, in part, due to those talents and abilities that we may have or even lack. 

Exchanges went well and we were able to get in a lot of service this week at a local catholic charity thrift store, the food bank, the salvation army, and (my favorite!) a local member's ranch. This was only the second time I've been able to work on a ranch out here on my mission and its something I thought I'd be doing a lot more of out here in West Texas but the cities and areas I've been called to don't have that kind of geography and industry. But a member of the YSA ward we attend tipped us off to the fact that their family needed help with their ranch just a short drive from Lubbock so we took a few hours out of our day to go help weed, mow, plow, and fence their little garden. It was fun to get out into the country side, see some cows, horses, toads, and farm animals as we worked on their little garden. 

It was a hot day and over the course of it we caught a few toads and even a little horny toad- somewhat of an endangered species out here.

 It was a good time and to top it all off we had a huge barbecue picnic outside with brisket (which I learned a lot about), sausage, venison chili, coleslaw, fruit salad, green beans, beans, and some bread with dutch oven cobbler and ice cream for desert. It was sweet! I love doing things like that. It made me miss the nature and outdoors a little bit though, that's for sure! 

This week we've had thunderstorms, 90 degree days, pouring rain and cloudy cold days, flooding, giant grape sized hail, dust storms, and everything in between. Lubbock can't seem to decide what season it wants to be! That goes for all of west Texas! You can't go outside in the mornings and tell what kind of weather its going to be that day... that'd be to easy. Its more of an hour by hour and play by play kind of thing. I've learned to always have a coat handy though in the car or in my bag- just in case! Here is what happens when it rains here:

Something President Heap has been stressing a lot lately in the mission is "principles". Missionaries always ask if they can do this or that because of the mission rules. There definitely are rules out here on the mission, but we always have the ability to choose to follow them or not. Most of the time the question should be what principle is the rule trying to teach me? Something I've noticed about "rules" is they come and go as games end, you leave the court, you get a new assignment, or you change with age, maturity, and understanding... principles are all encompassing moral guide posts that will last and guide us for a lifetime. When I think of rules I think of the Law of Moses contained in the book of Exodus and Leviticus in the Old testament. Try remembering all those rules, let alone living by all of them! It would drive a man crazy. But the Lord in this case needed to give the people this law "because of the hardness of their hearts." With rules there will always be a loop hole that requires you to make more rules and pretty soon you have a rule book a mountain high. If you learn a principle it blankets all rules and all loop holes and causes you to take responsibility for your own actions instead of blaming things on a vague "rule" or another person- usually your leaders (Parents, church leaders, political leaders etc.). 

We see a very broad example of a principle as taught by the savior in Matthew 22:36-40 as a man tests Christ by asking him a question:  "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord they God with all they heart, and with all they soul, and with all they mind. This is the first great commandment. And the second is like unto it, though shalt love they neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the laws and the prophets." 

The greatest underlying principle taught by the savior in this scripture is the principle of Christlike love. If we loved God and our fellowmen perfectly there would be no reason for rules. Christ himself said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (Jon 14:15)

I would like to add that if we love Him then we do keep his commandments, or at least try to the very best of our human ability. Principles are God's way, whereas Lucifer, or the devil, in the beginning had a plan that was composed of RULES. Live and govern yourself with correct principles as taught in the scriptures and by God and you won't ever have to worry about "the rules".  If you ever are asking yourself, "what is the principle?" Just ask yourself if the Lord has a preference. Then act accordingly. 

I love you all and I hope everything is going well for you. Please stay safe, be smart, work hard, and have fun. Stay Gold!!

Your friend, brother, missionary, and son,

Elder Austin Daniel Sork