"I Will Lead You Along"

It's finals week, but my mind keeps wandering from my studies.  The Lord's beautiful promise "I will lead you along" occupies my mind.  I clearly see this promise being fulfilled in my life, and I am grateful.  

I don't pretend to be more spiritual or blessed than anyone else.  I share about a few experiences and thoughts only for reflection's sake.  I hope that what I write inspires you, in some way, to reflect more.  

As I concluded last school year, I felt sure that I wanted to move to a new apartment complex.  I visited other apartments and then discovered something odd.  My logical mind was telling me to move, but something inside of me (the Spirit) was telling me to stay where I had been living.  I followed that feeling with apprehension, and now I know that I was being led.  

Living in the same complex as last year has been a huge blessing.  My roommates are phenomenal, and I have been able to form more friendships than ever before.  This year has been the best year of my college experience and much of it is because of the people I have been able to meet where I am living.

This semester, I took a family history class at BYU.  It took me maybe 30 seconds to register for the class.  There was not one glance at the professor's name or his ratings.  It turns out that the professor is a specialist in German research, and our line that my family knows the least about is from Germany.  Imagine that.  In the last week, the professor has spent about two hours outside of class helping me write to civil registries in Germany to ask for copies of my ancestors' vital records.  

Do I think signing up for this professor's family history class was an accident?  Not in the least.  I had no intention of researching the German line when I started the family history class because I thought it would be too hard.  A few months later, I found myself in my professor's office asking if there was a chance he would help me.  The next thing I knew, he was telling me how excited he was to help and he was sending off emails in German.  There's no doubt--I was led to this class.

Last year, I stumbled into the major Spanish translation.  That wasn't an accident.  I was led after searching for some time.  To my amazement this year, I've had more opportunities and motivation to jump into Spanish translation, after just a few months of study, than I ever could have imagined.  (See, for example, sumakandean.com/en.  The English webpage didn't exist four months ago :D)  Suddenly, I now also have a network with professionals in the translation field. That amazes me because networking has always been intimidating.  Might I also add to all of this that I never really planned on having a career when I was little...    

How did these things happen?  I don't have a formula.  It all just fell into place step by step.  (I used to be skeptical of people when they said things like that because it seemed like such a vague answer.  Now I am guilty of saying it.  Sorry!)  Written below is the best answer I've come up with.  It comes from modern revelation:  

"Ye are as little children, and ye have not yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you...Nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along" (Doctrine & Covenants 78:17-18).

Without a doubt, He leads us along.  What a blessing.