Of Their Own Nation and Tongue

In some ways I have been a little bummed out because of my mission call. I mean, my mother served in Colombia, my father served in Italy, part of me was kinda expecting to carry on the legacy of going foreign, or at least that I'd speak another language.
And don't worry, I understand how ungrateful of me that is. I have been asked by God to bring others to him, and it's pretty disrespectful to be displeased with his choice. Who am I to question the directions given by an omnipotent being? Whoever I am, what I am is rather stupid.
In my defense I think most if not all my displeasure came from the worry about what the reason was that I had been sent stateside. For some reason I have come to associate the "spiritual status" of my fellow laborers in the vineyard by where they were sent to labor. (Oh you went to Arizona? That's nice...) So when I read that I had been called state-side, all I could think was that my heavenly father didn't see me as strong enough to handle the jungles of Africa, or the urban sprawl of Mexico City. That my heavenly father didn't see me as smart enough to learn Mandarin, German, Tagalog, or even Spanish! That if there was a reason I was being sent to North Carolina, it wasn't good one, because only incompetent people get sent state side.
Now I do think there is a reason I have been sent where I have been sent, but I didn't know what it was until this morning when I was reading the 29th chapter in the book of Alma. After seeing the success which his brethren, the sons of Mosiah, had had amongst the Lamanites, Alma seems to have had similar feelings, (albeit on a much grander scale.) He writes,

  O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!

  Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.

  But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.

 My first though was, "Sheesh! Alma is sinning for wanting to preach repentance unto the whole earth? What am I to say for myself, that I am whining about traveling a mere 2000mi away from home to preach the gospel?" And so I read on. A few verses later,

  Now, seeing that I know these things [the plan of salvation], why should I desire more than to perform the work to which I have been called?

  Why should I desire that I were an angel, that I could speak unto all the ends of the earth?

  For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true.

That last verse (which happens to be v.8) is where I found the reason for which I have been called to North Carolina. That the people of my nation may be taught by one of their kindred, and in our tongue. As Alma says, "We see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true." He goes on to affirm

  I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

  And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me.

What a blessing are the holy scriptures unto man! A verse from the tenth chapter of Corinthians comes to mind,

  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

How grateful I am to have found not only commiseration, but resolution in just a few verses! Truly I have been blessed this day. On that note, it strikes me now that this morning I was feeling the strongest disinclination to keep up the habit I have established of studying my scriptures first thing in the morning. There was even a moment that I paused and thought, why am I feeling this way?

Hey, two thumbs up for yielding to the enticings of the spirit, right?