Patience & Waiting

Interesting topic, eh?

I was thinking about it today while I skinned my mango.

Weird, huh?

Well, I work at Sam's Club, and therefore I sometimes have the urge to buy in bulk, like mangos.

The other day I bought a box of 6 mangos. I had felt them, and I tested their durability; normal things when picking out mangos. I was so excited for mangos that I brought them home and decided to cut one that night.

The mangos were not ripe, and I had no patience; I wanted a sweet delicious mango right then, but what I tasted was not the deliciousness I had imagined. I ended up eating only half of the green and bland mango, throwing the rest away before cutting up a new one today.

As I skinned the new mango just now, I could tell a difference right away. I had left this one in a place to ripen, and ripen it did. My fingers and knife dripped with juice, as I peeled and sliced this tropic fruit.

I realized that my waiting ability lacks in many aspects of my life. So often I want the juicy deliciousness I know will come, without the waiting. So now, I wait. Though I want to peel back the skin, I must realize that the fruit is not ready.

What on earth can I be comparing this to, right?

I think a lot of things. This has many applications to my life.

One: marriage. I want to be married now. I want to start my family now. But I'm not ready yet. MY fruit isn't sweet enough yet.

Two: School. So badly I want to just say I'm done. I've put in my time. But there is still knowledge to be learned.

Three: The Gospel. Fruit is a recurring motif throughout the scriptures. I read last night in 1 Nephi, with Lehi's dream of the tree of life. The fruit they partook was the sweetest above all others. Today my mango was the sweetest above all others that I can remember. So the gospel, too in the same way is similar. For two years I abstained from church. Now that I'm making the return back I again can partake of that sweet fruit to fill my life with the goodness of God.

Strange how something as simple as a mango can be so powerful.

So now, I wait, for the fruit to ripen.