Dead End? Think Again

Have you ever been at a point in your life where you were positive that your Heavenly Father had lead you there and yet nothing was happening the way you had planned? I feel like that so many times and sometimes I wonder, "Heavenly Father, what exactly are you thinking? What am I supposed to be doing here? Can't you see that this is useless?" One thing that never ceases to amaze me about my Heavenly Father is that he always answers me. I've been at the end of my rope and I ask, "Why are you doing this? Things will never change! I will never be able to change!" This morning I was chastened through the scriptures. I was reading in the Book of Mormon in the Book of Jacob, chapter 5. This chapter is a very long chapter known as the Allegory of the Olive Tree. The main olive tree is dying so the Lord decides to take the branches and graft them into other trees through out the vineyard and graft new branches into the the main olive tree to help it regain it's strength and hopefully bring forth good fruit. As the Lord and his servant come back to visit the vineyard the Lord takes his servant to check on the natural branches that he has scattered throughout the garden and he brings his servant to one of the poorest spots in the garden and the tree has fruit on it!

The servant says to the Lord in verse 21," How comest thou hither to plant this tree, or this branch of the tree? For behold, it was the poorest spot in all the land of the vineyard."                      
Translation, "Why did you plant the branch here in this spot of ground? The ground here is awful! It's the worst in the whole vineyard!"

The Lord responds in verse 22," Counsel me not; I knew that it was a poor spot of ground; wherefore, I said unto thee I have nourished it this long time, and thou beholdest that it hath brought forth much fruit."
(I don't think this needs a translation.)

I read that this morning, "Counsel me not." and certainly felt chastised for my lack of faith in my Heavenly Father and His placement of me in his vineyard. When we follow our Heavenly Father's guidance and do those things that he has commanded us to do then things will work out the way they should. We should never be so bold as to tell Heavenly Father that he doesn't know what he's doing. We can only see what is in front of us right now, but Heavenly Father has an eternal perspective and he knows what will be the best for us in the long run. We need to have the faith to follow him, follow the example of his son Jesus Christ and do the best we can. When we do this we have Heavenly Father's promise that  he will take care of us and direct our paths. I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ and I'm grateful for his promised guidance. I know that he truly has the best interest of each of us in mind and as we follow him we will be lead back into his presence. Now doesn't that sound better? In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.