Thoughts before a decision

Hi All,

We've seen amazing progress in the past week and actually expect a yes or no answer this morning as to whether the Israel Ministry of Health will allow me to receive stem cell treatment. Because we are aware that the answer is almost certainly a "NO", I am left wondering about the desires, promptings, confirmations, and miracles that brought us here. 


There is a Book of Mormon allegory in which a servant works alongside the Master of a vineyard to obtain a harvest. Though both work with dedication, there are distinct differences between the two. This distinction is clear when the Master of the vineyard takes a number of branches from the main vineyard to be grafted in elsewhere, and tells his trusted servant that it’s none of his concern where these branches are going, stating “…whithersoever I will, it mattereth not unto thee”. Why would the Master not be transparent with his trusted servant?  Weren’t they on the same team?  Hadn’t the servant proved his dedication?  We begin to learn the Master’s purpose after some time has passed and the Master shows his servant what became of the branches:  

And it came to pass that they went forth whither the Master had hid the natural branches of the tree, and he said unto the servant: Behold these; and he beheld the first that it had brought forth much fruit; and he beheld also that it was good.

This servant’s reaction was one of shock:

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 thy vineyard.

THEN the Master begins to teach:

And the Lord of the vineyard said unto him: Counsel me not; I knew that it was a poor spot of ground… I have nourished it this long time, and thou beholdest that it hath brought forth much fruit. And,,,Look hither; behold I have planted another branch of the tree also; and thou knowest that this spot of ground was poorer than the first. But, behold the tree. I have nourished it this long time, and it hath brought forth much fruit; And…Look hither, and behold another branch also, which I have planted; behold that I have nourished it also, and it hath brought forth fruit. And…Look hither and behold the last. Behold, this have I planted in a good spot of ground; and I have nourished it this long time, and only a part of the tree hath brought forth tame fruit, and the other part of the tree hath brought forth wild fruit; behold, I have nourished this tree like unto the others.

Applyying this to my own wonderings about my Master's actions, I am reminded that a complete vision of the future would likely rob me of the most powerful spiritual learning opportunities—the type that come only through a shock like the one the Master allowed his servant. If the Master had shown the servant all his plans and actions from the beginning, the servant may have taken the end result for granted. By allowing his servant to be surprised so poignantly, the lesson became powerful and more effective in teaching the servant to trust his Master.

I am also reminded how limited my field-of-vision is compared with that of the Master. Not only did the Master gain a harvest from the worst spot of ground the servant could imagine, but he showed the servant that even worse spots than the servant could imagine were sufficient when cultivated by the Master; that the Master could cultivate many differing solutions at the same time; and that the seemingly obvious solutions or “best spots” of ground do not equate to the best harvest.

Finally I am reminded that my limited vision and preferences are just that. If my faith in the Master is dependent on a solution for the Project that fits my definition of solution, it is not faith at all. 

Love you all!

Seth