It's funny how life's timing works...

Even just in small, simple things. I've noticed throughout my life that a lot of times I learn something from my dad or in life, and then we discuss the very thing I learned in Seminary, Sunday school, or Institute. Or vise versa. Today I went to the doctor (P.S keep in mind this is definitely in the category of small simple and quite possibly silly. But I thought it was fairly ironic so read on. :p) and while I was in the waiting room I was reading a book by Michael Wilcox. It's called When Your Prayers Seem Unanswered. 

        I would like to suggest some things that go through my mind in those difficult moments of life. Hopefully they'll be of value to you as they have been to me. They are the letters I peruse from a kind of Father in Heaven, who knew beforehand we would face such dilemmas and questions. One of the first of those scriptural letters contains a principle I call "The Fourth Watch".

        A new Testament day was divided into twelve hours, beginning at six in the morning. The third hour would be nine o'clock, the sixth hour would be noon, and the eleventh hour, though we visualize it as being just before midnight, actually was five o'clock in the evening. The night was divided into four watches: The first watch was from six in the evening until nine at night. The second watch was nine until midnight, the third watch from midnight until three in the morning, and the fourth watch from three in the morning until six, about sunrise.

The Savior had just fed the five thousand. He instructed his disciples to get into a boat and pick him up later, after he had dismissed the multitude and later spent some solitude in prayer. The disciples obeyed. It was late afternoon or early evening when they got into the ship and pushed out into the Sea of Galilee. Jesus sent the multitude home and then turned to communion with his Father. He prayed into the evening and long into the night.

       In the meantime, a storm had swept down on the disciples in their voyage: "And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them" (Mark 6:47-48). In Matthew's version it says, "The ship was. . . tossed with waves" (Matthew 14:24), and in John's account we read: "And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs..." (John 6:18-19). "

(Ok, there was some preface to what I was really getting at. :p)

      "And then we read: "About the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea,. . . [and] they. . . saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased" (Mark 6: 48-51; emphasis added).

       I have a feeling that the Apostles, if they could have chosen, would have had the Lord come in an earlier watch. I put it to you, as I frequently put it to myself-- when I toil in rowing against the wind, when the sea arises and I'm frightened and it's dark and the storm keeps blowing, and I want help-- I want him to come in the first watch. I'm a first-watch type of person. Aren't we all? 

       But there is also something inside of me that channels my thinking to the realization that it is good to toil in rowing against the wind-- that there's something to be gained by exercising spiritual muscles that are stretched in facing trials and opposition. All right, we can accept that. But if he doesn't come in the first watch he certainly ought to come in the second watch. However, it appears that we worship a "fourth-watch" God. And it is important for us to realize that we worship a fourth-watch God.

       Sometimes I pray; "Lord, I know you're a fourth-watch God and that I'm a first-watch person. Couldn't we compromise and have you come at the end of the second watch or at the beginning of the third watch? Wouldn't that be fair?" But the compromise rarely comes, and in my better moments I know it's good that it doesn't. He's a fourth-watch God. (S. Michael Wilcox, When Your Prayers Seem Unanswered 2006)

Brother Wilcox lists three different stories that prove Heavenly Father is a "fourth-watch" God: JSH 1:16, when Joseph Smith is praying in the grove and the adversary comes upon him until "...the very moment when [he] was ready to sink into despair and abandon [himself] to destruction" and at that point, in his fourth watch, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appear to him, dispelling the darkness.
Then there's the story of Hagar in Genesis 21, when she was wandering in the wilderness of Beer-sheba, and "the water was spent in the bottle". An angel of God shows her a well of water, and she gave her son, Ishmael a drink so he wouldn't die.
In 1 Kings 17:11-12 is the story of a woman and her son who are starving to death and the woman is gathering two little sticks to prepare their last meal "...that [she] may go in and dress it for [her] and [her] son, that [they] may eat it and die", but Elijah appears and asks her to share her meal with him. When she does she's blessed and the Lord spares her and her son from death.

So many times in my life I've noticed that I suffer from the "I'm-incredibly-impatient" disease. :p I'm with Brother Wilcox on understanding that ok, sometimes the Lord teaches us through waiting, but surely he ought to come by the second-watch. I've been frustrated with some things that aren't life-threatening by any means, but are really annoying and inconvenient to deal with, so when I went to the doctor today I was hoping there'd be something obviously wrong so we could fix it. However, here comes my next lesson on patience. :) There's a blessing and a teaching moment hidden in here, I'm sure. "When you feel somewhat desperate, when it seems like your prayers aren't answered and the winds still blow, take comfort in the knowledge that he is on the hillside watching. Remember, you might not know that he's watching as you struggle in the boat, but he is on the hillside watching, and he will come. But he generally comes in the fourth-watch-- after we have done all we can do." (S. Michael Wilcox, When Your Prayers Seem Unanswered 2006)
The next chapter in the book is about Moriancumer, and the boats he was instructed to build. It's really repetitive on the description of the boats, which were "tight like unto a dish". Brother Wilcox points out that even when we've reached the fourth-watch (or maybe even when we haven't but we've convinced ourselves that we have :p) and we still feel afraid and alone, we should remember we're tight like unto a dish. :) God created us with the knowledge beforehand that we needed to be vessels that could face storms from small rain showers, to hurricanes. He knew what he was doing. We're tight like a dish, and even though sometimes the waves are going to push us under, we won't sink. He knew, He knows, and we'll be prepared if we trust him. :)

Basically, my tangent was just because I really like this book! But also, because I felt the need to blog and this seemed like a marvelous topic. :) Eventually when I upload pictures of our Salt Lake trip to look at the lights on Temple square, I'll blog about that wild escapade. ;)