It’s a little sad to me that this life is beginning to feel
more normal, but then I think how wonderful it is that I was able to be taken out of life for a second to learn how to really live and to come back and live life right. Then it becomes a joy that this new life is feeling more normal. My mission
really was just a blue print for the rest of my life. I look at the life I had
before my mission and look at what it’s becoming now, and I am humbled once
again by the evidence that my mission was a grand gift to change my life
forever, to be a more profitable servant of the Lord. I’m sure I was a decent
person before, but I didn’t really understand why I did all things in the
church I was asked to do.
It’s like after
sitting in a math class and not really understanding why you are using a
certain formula, but you trust your teacher that it will work, then after doing
it enough and studying it and trying to understand the why, it finally clicks and
everything else about it begins to make sense. That’s how I feel entering back
into this life. I don’t just go to the temple because I trust it will be good,
I understand that the temple makes things last forever. I don’t just believe, I
know. I don’t just study my scriptures because it’s a good idea, but because my
day is empty without it. I don’t just pray because people say you need to, but
because I’m close to my Heavenly Father and I want to have communication with
Him constantly. I don’t just go to FHE (family home evening) and other church activities because it’s
a good thing to do and it’s part of my calling. I go because “where two or more
are gathered in my name… there will I be in the midst of them” (D&C 6:32). Why
would we not seek out for the opportunities to be surrounded by those who have
the same love for God that his love may be felt in greater magnitude?
At FHE this week there was a girl there who isn’t a member
of the church. The missionaries introduced me to her and I spent the whole
evening with her. Now here’s the thing, anyone could’ve been that friend for
her, but because I went to FHE, I was blessed to gain another friend and to be
a friend. The Lord’s work will go forward and his love will abound. It is our
privilege to be a part of that work. If you haven’t experienced seeing the
Lord’s work done through your hands, I urge you to go and seek such an
opportunity. There is nothing better in the world. I feel so blessed to be a
teacher and to have the chance of bringing hope and love and joy to the lives
of young men and women.
Earlier this week I was thinking about why some people have
what seems to be so many hard trials and others seem to have none. Of course
this is all perspective, but I learned a valuable lesson. God doesn’t love
anyone any more or any less because of the amount of blessings they seem to
have or not have. All things are for a reason and from an all loving Heavenly
Father. A friend shared with me how every blessing we are given is a gift from
God and is to be used to bless others. Therefore, no blessing is every really
our own.
It’s so cliché, but I
know everything happens for a reason. I
read “Saints for All Seasons” from the First Presidency message for the month
by President Uchtdorf.
“The Savior taught that the sun rises “on the evil and on
the good, and… rain [falls] on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).
Sometimes we cannot understand why difficult, even unfair, things happen in
life. But as followers of Christ, we trust that if we search diligently. Pray
always, and be believing, … all things shall work together for [our] good, if [we] walk uprightly” (D&C 90:24).
I know that’s true. If we live righteously all the promises
from the Lord will be ours, all that the Father hath will be ours (D&C
84:38). His promises are sure and He will never leave us. Learn to see every aspect of your life as part of God's design to bring you happiness in the eternities. He loves you. He wants you to be happy. Trust Him. Let His love fill your soul and transform you. He is ALWAYS there.
Here's the link for President Uchtdorf's article.
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