The broken bird

I was listening to a talk by Boyd K. Packer from a few years ago, and I loved this part of it:

Over the years, as a diversion, I have carved wooden birds. Sometimes it would take a year to complete one. I would get specimens and measure the feathers and study the colors and then carve them. I would carve a setting for them. It was very restful. Sometimes when I would get unsettled, my wife would say, “Why don’t you go carve a bird!” It was a very calming thing in my life.

Elder A. Theodore Tuttle and I were going into town one day. I had one of the carvings. I was taking it in to show someone. We had put it on the backseat. At an intersection, he slammed on the brakes, and the carving tipped upside down on the floor and broke to pieces. He pulled over to the side and looked at it. He was devastated. I was not.

Without thinking, I said, Forget it. I made it. I can fix it.” And I did. I made it stronger than it was. I improved it a bit.

Now, who made you? Who is your Creator? There is not anything about your life that gets bent or broken that He cannot fix and will fix. . . .

As a servant of the Lord, I invoke His blessings upon you, you consummately precious young people, that you will be protected, that you will learn how to hold the powers of the adversary in abeyance simply because you command it (see James 4:7), and that he has no place with you. On the other hand, you learn to invite the Spirit of Revelation that will be constantly with you. The Holy Ghost will be your constant companion and “teach you all things” (John 14:26).

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