Father's Day and the Arm of God
Ghia – This Father’s Day, let’s talk about the Arms of God—both leafy green arms and feathered arms.
Transcript
Hooray, GIA here.
2
:I'm this week's host of the Creative
Spiritual Journey podcast where Judy and I
3
:talk about those things that bring us joy.
4
:For me, I find joy by connecting
with nature, connecting with Jesus
5
:Christ and our heavenly parents.
6
:Seasonal living, and all the bits of magic
and wonder I come across while navigating
7
:this remarkable journey we call life.
8
:It's June.
9
:Can you believe it?
10
:Well, it's actually not June for
me because I'm recording this
11
:podcast before my trip to Africa.
12
:If all goes well, I should be flying
home on the day this comes out, but
13
:let me stick to the topic at hand In
May, I talked about Heavenly Mother for
14
:Mother's Day, so it seemed appropriate
to talk about Heavenly Father on
15
:Father's Day, way back in January.
16
:As I was making a rough podcast
schedule for the coming year, I had
17
:the thought that I should talk about
the arm of God for Father's Day.
18
:Honestly, I don't know where
that thought came from.
19
:The arm of God is not something I have
spent much time thinking or studying
20
:about, so I wrote it on my schedule,
wondering if I would really use it.
21
:And As I have said before, it's
almost impossible to differentiate
22
:between Heavenly Father and
Jesus Christ in scripture,
23
:which makes talking specifically
about Heavenly Father difficult.
24
:But we also know that Jesus Christ is
seen as our father if we are born again.
25
:So please forgive me if while
talking about God, our Father,
26
:I mingle all male gods together.
27
:So here's what I've got for Father's Day.
28
:I was looking into the
arm of God references.
29
:When lo and behold, I went to hear
my nephew's mission farewell and
30
:he talked about the arm of God.
31
:I was amazed.
32
:His talk was so good.
33
:I asked for a copy here
is what he said, quote.
34
:I also want to take a moment to discuss
the image of the arm of the Lord, which
35
:I have enjoyed thinking about recently.
36
:One of the reasons I love the Old
Testament is because of all the
37
:powerful demonstrations of God's
power often symbolized as his arm.
38
:His arm raised cities to the ground,
parted seas and destroyed armies.
39
:But amidst all that his arm is capable
of, we are reminded that it is his
40
:work and his glory to bring to pass the
immortality and eternal life of man.
41
:the ultimate demonstration of
his power is the atonement.
42
:His atonement.
43
:It was prophesied that the Lord God
will proceed to make bear his arm in
44
:the eyes of all the nations and bring
about his covenants and his gospel unto
45
:those who are of the House of Israel.
46
:His arms are the ones that
pulled Peter up from under the
47
:waves of the Sea of Galilee.
48
:They're the ones that clasped in
prayer as our savior took upon himself
49
:the sins of the world in Gethsemane.
50
:They are the ones that
were nailed to the cross.
51
:They are the same ones that are always
extended to support us against all
52
:the fiery darts of the adversary.
53
:The arm of the Lord's mercy is always
stretched out to those who will take it.
54
:End quote.
55
:How beautiful was that?
56
:And let me remind you, this was
a farewell, not a homecoming.
57
:Those are amazing words for a young man.
58
:His talk was so powerful.
59
:I cried through the whole thing,
so I jokingly told everyone I felt
60
:like I had just been to a funeral.
61
:But that is the arm of the Lord.
62
:Our Father, His arms raised cities.
63
:His arms hung on the cross and
his arms are held out to us.
64
:Now you might wonder what
else I could possibly add.
65
:Well, being who I am, I have two
slightly different ideas about the
66
:arm of God that I would like to share.
67
:The first one is in relation to
my most favorite recent discovery
68
:I mentioned in a previous podcast that
according to Google Maps, I live in close
69
:proximity to the largest tree in Utah.
70
:Who knew it's a cottonwood Cottonwoods
typically live around 70 to a hundred
71
:years, but some in ideal conditions
can live to be two to 400 years old.
72
:To my knowledge,
73
:No one knows the age of this tree,
but it has got to be on the high end.
74
:I love that I get to walk past this tree
almost every day, and I make a conscious
75
:effort to acknowledge it like a neighbor.
76
:Well, a couple of months ago, as the
trees in our valley were beginning
77
:to leaf out, I noticed that while
other cottonwoods were turning
78
:green, this giant cottonwood wasn't.
79
:And I'd wondered what this meant.
80
:Was this tree older and wiser and new,
it was better to wait longer before
81
:leafing out, or was the tree old and
tired and lacking the energy to leaf out?
82
:Hmm.
83
:One afternoon, as I was pondering
this question on my walk, I decided
84
:to pick a small branch off one of
the trees that was turning green.
85
:As I looked at it, I realized
that it wasn't green leaves I
86
:was seeing, but something that
looked more like green seeds.
87
:This caused me to look closer at the
branches of the giant Cottonwood, And
88
:I realized that what I had thought
were old brown leftover leaves from
89
:the previous year were actually a
completely different kind of seed pod.
90
:And when I was close enough and able to
pull down a branch, I discovered that
91
:the pods were actually a deep maroon.
92
:I was so excited as it dawned
on me that cottonwoods must
93
:have a male and female variety.
94
:I could hardly wait to
figure out which it was.
95
:Was my giant neighbor, male or female?
96
:What do you think?
97
:Can you take a guess?
98
:It turns out that the giant
cottonwood tree is male.
99
:It's male.
100
:I was so excited to learn this now
with its massive branches that look
101
:like arms waiting to give me a big hug.
102
:I think of this as my
Heavenly Father tree.
103
:It's interesting to note that in a
time when I have been clamoring for
104
:more connection with Heavenly Mother,
I have been so deeply touched by a
105
:closer connection with Heavenly Father.
106
:I.
107
:Okay.
108
:That is my arm of God tree experience.
109
:I have one more thing to share about
the arm of God, and that is as the
110
:arm of God relates to chickens.
111
:Yes, you heard me chickens.
112
:Not the coward or weakling kind of
chicken, but the poultry foul or
113
:feathered friend kind of chicken.
114
:Did you know that not only are
chickens very intelligent members
115
:of the bird family, they're also
affectionate and resourceful creatures.
116
:Let me share with you a few chicken facts.
117
:most of these I got from a writer
I love named Sai Montgomery.
118
:She has several small books about animals
including the soul of an octopus, the
119
:hummingbird's gift of thyme and turtles,
120
:and my recent favorite, what
the chicken knows to name a few.
121
:So did you know chickens are considered
to be a type of reptile, specifically
122
:descended from a group of dinosaurs
called oppos, which means that according
123
:to modern scientific classification,
a chicken is related to a crocodile.
124
:Amazing, don't you think?
125
:And that's just the beginning.
126
:Chickens are actually much
smarter than most people think.
127
:One sign of intelligence is their ability
to recognize themselves in a mirror.
128
:A lot of birds will attack a mirror
thinking the reflection is a rival.
129
:Roosters.
130
:On the other hand, stay neutral, but of
course neutral doesn't prove anything.
131
:It took a creative scientist
to come up with proof.
132
:This is how she did it.
133
:She let a rooster see other chickens
in the cage next door, and then
134
:played the sound of a predator.
135
:In this situation, a rooster will make
an alarm call to warn his friends.
136
:But if the predator call is sounded,
and all the rooster can see is his
137
:own reflection, he will stay quiet.
138
:Why send out an alarm when
he's the only one around?
139
:Smart chicken, don't you think
chickens can also remember the
140
:past and anticipate the future?
141
:In a different study, chickens learned
to peck a button for food, but more
142
:importantly, they learned that by
waiting they could get more food.
143
:Turns out the chickens waited for
extra food over 90% of the time.
144
:This takes an intelligent animal.
145
:The social lives of chickens
are equally impressive.
146
:Most people assume that when a chicken
is walking around clucking, that it is
147
:saying something like, I'm a chicken.
148
:I'm a chicken.
149
:And until recently, most
scientists would've agreed.
150
:The reality is chickens communicate
with at least 24 distinct calls
151
:each with its own meaning.
152
:There is actually a book
called How to Speak Chicken.
153
:It also turns out that chickens like
humans value relationships to them.
154
:These connections are extremely important.
155
:Researchers have figured out that
chickens can recognize and remember
156
:over a hundred other chickens.
157
:I'm sure that's way
better than I could do.
158
:But chickens also recognize people, and
they have been known to create distinct
159
:sounds or names for humans they know.
160
:Listen to these words from Sy Montgomery.
161
:I acknowledge that chickens
are different from us.
162
:They experience the
world in different ways.
163
:We can't imagine.
164
:They can see polarized light.
165
:They may hear in a different range.
166
:They can fly, they can think and
feel, but not always as we do.
167
:Unlike mammals, their bones are hollow.
168
:Their bodies filled with air sacks.
169
:They are creatures made less of flesh than
of air, and yet we share a fundamental
170
:talent, a need for companionship
and the capacity for affection.
171
:End quote.
172
:So did you just learn more about
chickens than you ever wanted to know?
173
:Are you wondering what my chicken
diatribe could possibly have to do
174
:with the arm of God and Father's Day?
175
:The answer is found in D and C 10
65 where it says, for behold, I
176
:will gather them as a hin gather
with her chickens under her wings.
177
:Isn't that a beautiful image?
178
:While the arm of God can raise cities,
part Cs and destroy armies, it can
179
:also gather us the same way the sweet
soft wings of a hen gathers her chicks.
180
:I love this image and knowing just
a little bit more about chickens
181
:makes it that much more powerful.
182
:In the Book of Mormon Nephi says,
behold, I am encircled about
183
:eternally in the arms of his love.
184
:Were those feathered
arms or leafy green arms
185
:I don't care either way, I'm happy.
186
:Judy and I know your time is precious
and that you have many choices.
187
:We love that you have chosen to
walk with us for a few minutes as
188
:we navigate this journey of life.
189
:If you like this podcast, will you take
the time right now to share it with a
190
:friend, share it somewhere on social
media, or leave us a five star rating.
191
:Your efforts will help the podcast make
a bigger impact in the world and will
192
:tell Judy and me that you like our show
and give us the motivation to keep going.
193
:Thank you in advance for your help.
194
:In closing, let me add the sign of a
truly great father is that his children
195
:come running into his open arms.
196
:Are you running?
197
:I am.
198
:Namaste,
