Elder Piland's Blessing

The experience I would like to share today is from when I was in Kunitachi ward, and Elder Piland was my companion.

I had been in Kamakura for 7 months, and I had worked hard.  I had just transferred into Kunitachi.  I had never been in Musashino Zone, and had heard very little about it.  I had some anticipation about being a Zone Leader over a zone I did not know, and over so many missionaries that I did not know; but I knew that God would help me to figure things out.

Elder Piland taught me so much that transfer, and I will never forget him.  He taught me more about patience, and about just having fun, even when all the odds are stacked against you.  He had so much faith, even when things looked tough.  He knew the Lord would pull us through.  He always trusted that God would bless him if he did everything God asked him to do, and he always did what God asked.

But the biggest lesson he taught me was when I asked him for a priesthood blessing.

You see, I have had constant back trouble since my sophomore year of high school.  I don't remember one particular injury that caused it--you see, I was always getting hurt.  Being thrown from horses, falling off four-wheelers, football injuries, rock-climbing injuries, you name it.  The bottom line is that at some point something REALLY messed up my back, and I experienced severe pain in my neck and lower back, especially when I stood for extended periods of time, or in extremely cold weather.  The condition of my back was worsened when I was hit by a car while riding my bike in my second area, Sagamihara.

Being stubborn, I didn't seek treatment in high school, because "I was tough". (Really, I was just prideful). I left on my mission, confident that I would be strong enough to work hard, despite the pain, and that God would help me.

Every transfer, the pain got worse, but I just bit the bullet.  Until I came to Kunitachi.  By this point, the pain was almost unbearable. I couldn't sleep, and I had a hard time being "genki".  I asked Elder Piland for a priesthood blessing.

I didn't expect Elder Piland to say, "Be thou healed", but I did expect him to say, "I bless you that your pain will leave", or something along those lines.  Instead, he spoke words that were much more meaningful.  He said, "I bless you that according to your desire to work, you will have the strength to do so."

When I heard those words come forth from his lips, I was at first angered inside.  "This isn't the blessing I wanted!" I thought.  I took a deep breath, and humbled myself.  "The blessing is from God," I remembered.

I thought about it that night as I lay in bed.  I figured if the blessing was predicated upon the condition of my desire to work, I better work.

The blessing was real.  The harder I worked, the easier it was.  The pain in my back didn't actually leave, or even lessen, but I noticed it less.  I finally understood the words from the hymn Lord I Would Follow Thee: "finding strength beyond my own" because I had found it.  I am eternally grateful for that blessing from God, given through Elder Piland.

I thought about this experience on the plane home from Japan.  I was reminded of the scripture “For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts” (D&C 137:8-9).  It really is all about our desires.

We can change our wicked desires, and make our righteous desires stronger through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Christ is the Reason.

I know you too will be blessed with strength, "according to your desires".

PS--I did finally get treatment for my back as soon as I returned, so don't worry!