From time to time...

Our Bishop recently challenged our ward to read the Book of Mormon. There are great life lessons to be found there. For example:
** The Lord told Nephi (1 Nephi 17:8) "thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters", Nephi had never built a ship before. He asked the Lord - where am I going to go to find the ore to make tools to build this ship? The Lord showed him where to go, then Nephi built and gathered tools, then proceeded to built a ship. (1 Nephi 18:1) Nephi went on to say "And the Lord did show me from time to time after the manner I should work the timbers of the ship.**
Nephi was faced with a daunting task....and so are we. Raising a family in the world today can seem overwhelming at times. You have basically been asked to "Build a ship" -or- "a home" and just like Nephi there will be people around you that doubt your efforts. No one, no matter who you are, was born with the know-how. The day will come when you will find yourself upon our knees asking the Lord, "what am I'm going to do?? How am I going to do it??" He's just waiting for you to ask for help - he will show you where to gather the tools to complete the task he has given you.
Nephi built a ship water-tight that carried his family to the promise land. We can built a home that is Satan-tight, a shelter, an escape from the world, a safe haven for our kids.
But perhaps the most important lesson to take from this story is when Nephi said, "and the Lord did show me from time to time..." Even Nephi - someone so in tune and so willing - the Lord only instructed from time to time. I think it simply shows his trust in us...after all he knows us better than we know ourselves.