Brian K. Houghton, the dean of the Faculty of Business & Government at BYU–Hawaii, taught students during a devotional address on Oct. 29, to trust more in Heavenly Father’s plan and to recognize tender mercies.
“Often, we have a plan for our lives, only to discover that the Lord’s plan is different than ours. His thoughts for us are often much bigger than we realize, and His ways take us on paths we could never imagine," he said.
“God has greater expectations for us than we could envision, and He has lessons for us we might not fully appreciate at the time we are learning them.”
Houghton started his address by sharing an experience when he drove with his wife, Karen, from BYU in Provo to Washington, D.C. About 200 miles into their journey, Houghton said their car broke down, and they barely made it to a small town called Ogallala, Nebraska.
Houghton explained how the small town did not have the resources they needed to fix their car, causing them to stay in Ogallala for a week and miss out on their original plans. “I’ve learned in my life that I have had many Ogallala detours on the way. However, looking back, I can see the Lord’s hand in this situation.”
Houghton related this experience to everyone’s lives, specifically to the lives of BYUH students. “We all have Ogallala experiences along the path of life that help us realize our thoughts and ways might not be what God intends for us. God’s ways, not mine.
“It is so easy to be frustrated by failure and give up. Don’t. Trust in the Lord and look at your Patriarchal Blessing to see what He has promised you. Trust in Him to fulfill His promises to you.”
Patience and faith along the path
Houghton also shared he and his wife struggled with pregnancy in their first years of marriage.
“Karen and I learned we needed to be patient. The Lord’s timetable is very different from our own. We also learned we needed to be patient with others, as insensitive questions were often asked about why we were ‘choosing’ to delay our family.”
After six years of trying to have a child, Houghton said he and his wife were blessed with their first child, Emma, who is currently attending BYU.
“The natural man in all of us wants their demands met right away, yet we need to put off the natural man and learn patience. We might not know God’s time frame for us, but we should never give up on these righteous desires, even though the waiting might be difficult to endure.”
Angela Fantone, a senior from the Philippines studying English literature, shared this specific part of the devotional answered some of her own prayers.
Listen to the Spirit
Additionally, Houghton talked about their experience with adoption after further struggles to get pregnant after their first baby.
“As we discussed adoption with our friends, we felt the Spirit enter our hearts. [Karen] and I both felt this was something we should explore.”
The couple quickly realized becoming eligible to adopt a child was more intensive than they thought. Houghton said they became discouraged after lots of paperwork, inspections and keeping up with their usual life responsibilities.
Houghton then shared his impression to complete the remaining adoption paperwork. “I was working on some homework, and I looked over at the adoption papers on my desk nearby that still needed to be done, and the Spirit said quite forcefully, ‘Do it. Do it now.’”
He and his wife finished the paperwork, and eventually, they were blessed to have another child, named Chrys Ann. He shared the mother of Chrys Ann saw their paperwork just three days after they submitted it.
“If I had not listened to the Spirit back when I was busy with my Ph.D. program, [Chrys Ann’s mother] never would have seen our paperwork, and we would not have our beautiful and creative Chrys Ann as part of our family. Because Karen and I, as well as this sweet young woman, listened to the Spirit and followed up on these promptings, the Lord was able to change four lives for the better.”
Ella Fernandez, a freshman from California studying business marketing, shared, “The devotional made me look at what I am doing with my life. Am I doing what God wants me to do or only what I want to do? I am trying to direct my life in the way God would have me because He knows what’s best for me and knows the way to eternal happiness.”
The Lord fulfills His promises
Houghton said, “The Lord is aware of us and is willing to send, at times, tender mercies along the path. We need to live in gratitude so we can recognize and give thanks to him for these mercies.
“Our life is not meant to be bleak. Rather, we are to identify and rejoice in the little, tender mercies the Lord sends our way. We need to live in gratitude for all the blessings he gives us along our path.”