Please listen to this song before/while/after you read this. Click the link and it should take you right there.
Don't Blink - Relient K
I've realized that this song perfectly describes my past few months. Now that I've had a few days to mull things over and come to grips with reality, I'm trying to do what someone really awesome suggested to me. He said, "Onward and upward. Take what you've learned and run with it." This song does a pretty good job of helping to describe some of the very important things that I've learned and how grateful I am for the person who has taught me those things.
When I came home from my mission I didn't know where to go with my life. My thoughts were tangled and twisted fears. I felt so alone and though the sun rose every day without fail, it seemed to fail to shine on me. But then I met my best friend. I had been waiting for a while to even take a first step. Afraid to act for fear of making a mistake. But I met him, and he took my hand and walked me through the darkest parts of my life. He helped me see the light as it started creeping in and led me fully back to stand in the sun. He made me realize the light is all around us if we only open our eyes. He reminded me how to sort through my fears and strengthen my faith. Because of him, I'm feeling like I can maybe trust again. He's the only person who could have reminded me that we have to keep constantly stepping towards the light. He's the only person who could have reminded me about faith. He's the only person who could have reminded me that love is beautiful and true. And that life is beautiful and new. Heavenly Father put him in my path to teach me. To remind me. To help me through my toughest times. No one else could have done for me what he did. He's the only person who reminds me. And I am so incredibly grateful to him for that. I just pray that somehow he knows and understands.
I've been terrified of life for way too long. But there's someone that I super need to thank for helping me to not be afraid. He helped me learn how to live again. How to enjoy the ride while you're on it. He reminded me how to live in the moment. To put your worries and fears aside and hold on to the moment. Because if you blink, if you doubt or question or fear, then those wonderful moments in life disappear. But if you hold on to the moment, if you take it all in, if you learn from it, then what we can become is something far greater than we ever imagined. Thank you for teaching me that love is beautiful and true and life is beautiful and new. I needed the reminder. And you were the only person who could remind me.
Now, because of you, I'm making plans and thinking about where I want to go and who I want to be. Something I never really dared to do before. You've given me the hope to do so. You've reminded me that the right path always leads us to happiness. And now, even though our paths seem to be going in different directions, I pray yours will continue to lead you to all the happiness that we had and more. You've reminded me that sometimes while we're on the path, we have to reevaluate our course, make some course corrections. Even as hard as that is, we can't stretch the truth. We can't convince ourselves that something is right just because we want it. Sometimes we may start down the wrong path, and then we have to have the courage to cross it off, get onto a new path, and move on from what isn't quite right. When we come to a crossroads, we have to realize that we can't always take the path without bumps and divets and rocks. The easy path won't lead us to happiness. The struggles and hardships and even heartaches that we experience, are just part of the journey. They are the path that leads us to happiness. They are the moments we have to hold on to. We can't blink. We can't close our eyes to them, ignore them, pretend they don't exist. We have to hold on to them and embrace them because with them, just think about all that we can become. Thank you for reminding me that the path I want, isn't always necessarily the right path. Thank you for leading by example and for encouraging me to press forward down the right path even when the way is hard and the road is unsure. You were the only person who could remind me.
Love is beautiful and true. Life is beautiful and new. Thank you for reminding me how to truly love and really live. Thank you for reminding me of the beauty that is all around us and within us. You're the only person who could have reminded me. So here's to a new adventure. New paths to take. Once again I find myself a little stuck. Not quite knowing where to go. But my thoughts are no longer fears. And I no longer doubt that happiness is in each moment along the way. Because you've reminded me how to push past the darkness. You've reminded me how to always look to the Light. You've taught me and reminded me of more things than I'll ever be able to tell you. More than I'll ever be able to put into words. Far more than I'll ever be able to thank you for. Thank you for being the person who reminds me. Hold on now. Let's not blink. On this this new adventure, I'm excited to see what we both become.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Sunday, August 18, 2013
The Atonement
"I have been commanded of Him... notwithstanding my weakness... for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey." - 2 Nephi 33:11&15
"There is no use in making excuses as to inability, etc... do the very best you can and depend upon the Lord." - Lorenzo Snow
We are imperfect. We all have flaws and follies. We are prone to weakness, inability, even failure. But there is One who is perfect. Flawless. Who has all wisdom and understanding. Powerful, strong and mighty. And He wants to make us more. It is He who commands us. He who has a plan for us. And it is He who, despite our weaknesses and inability, will help us to become more than we can ever imagine. Do more than we ever thought possible. Achieve things that we never could on our own. If we will but obey and depend upon Him.
I've been thinking a lot about the Atonement of Jesus Christ lately. Which is a very good thing. And I love a verse found in the Book of Mormon. Jacob 4:12, "...for why not speak of the Atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect knowledge of him...?" Why should we not think about and talk about Jesus Christ and His Atonement and strive each day to gain greater knowledge about Him by striving to become more like Him through His Atonement.
Today has been a super spiritual day for me. Heavenly Father has taught me so much today and I am so grateful for it. Not necessarily new things, but He has at least reminded me of many things and helped e to understand better. Especially in regard to the Atonement. I feel that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is something that we will never fully comprehend no matter how hard we try. But like the question Jacob poses, "Why not try?" Would we not all be better off if we sought each day to understand, even in just the tiniest way, the Atonement of Jesus Christ a little better.
Today as I listened to speakers, music and the Spirit during Church I was led to reflect on Christ's perfect submission to the will of the Father. To me that is what the Atonement ultimately is. Perfect and willing submission of one's self, one's will, to the Father. Perfect and willing obedience to all the Father asks and wants. As Abinadi puts it, "the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father." (Mosiah 15:7) and as Christ, himself, perfectly teaches us, "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will, but Thine, be done." (Luke 22:42).
I love the vision that King Benjamin gives us in the Book of Mosiah when he says, "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever; unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." (Mosiah 3:19)
"Becoming a saint" requires us to put the Atonement into action. And the way we do that is by submitting ourselves to the Father. To have the courage to say, "This is hard, nevertheless, Thy will Heavenly Father, not mine, be done." To allow our will, our desires and natural man tendencies, to be swallowed up in the will of the Father. To put what He wants way above what we want until eventually we can align our will with His and we are strong enough to want exactly what He wants.
But that feat seems rather impossible. And I suggest that, in fact, it is. IF we try to do it alone. But there is one who is standing, waiting, pleading with us to come unto Him so that He may help us. He is our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. The only one who has ever successfully aligned His will perfectly with the will of the Father. And He wants to help us succeed and He will as we accept His invitation and come unto Him.
I've always loved the words from the Hymn, "Savior, Redeemer of My Soul". And three guys in my ward, Aaron Moss, Casey Call and Mike Brown, sang it today in Sacrament meeting. And once again, the words hit me with such power. The lyrics read:
Savior, Redeemer of my soul,
Whose mighty hand hath made me whole,
Whose wondrous power hath raised me up
and filled with sweet my bitter cup!
What tongue my gratitude can tell,
O gracious God of Israel.
Never can I repay thee, Lord,
But I can love thee. Thy pure word,
Hath it not been my one delight,
My joy by day, my dream by night?
Then let my lips proclaim it still,
And all my life reflect Thy will.
O'errule mine acts to serve thine ends.
Change frowning foes to smiling friends.
Chasten my soul till I may be
In perfect harmony with Thee.
Make me more worthy of Thy love,
And fit me for the life above.
I've bolded some of the lines that especially stuck out to me today. The Savior has the power to redeem us and raise us up. To make us more. To bring us from the darkness back into the light. We never can repay Him for what He has done and sacrificed for us, but we can love Him and strive to live so that our lives reflect His. So that we do His will. We can pray to be obedient, to allow Him to use us for His divine purposes. To serve His glorious ends. We can be grateful for the trials that refine us and realize that chastening sanctifies our souls to be in harmony with Him. How can we expect to become like Him if we don't endure a part of His same suffering? We cannot be worthy of His love or glory if we are not tested and tried.
But despite our own weaknesses, our own carnal desires, our flaws and follies, our trials and hardships, the Savior stands ever ready and willing to come to our aid and assist us. To heal us in any and every way. Alma 31:38 tells us that "[we will] suffer no manner of afflictions, save [they will be] swallowed up in the joy of Christ". If we will seek to develop an attitude like Nephi or President Snow and say, "I know I have been commanded to do this, so despite my inadequacies or my doubts or my own desires, I will depend upon the Lord and I will obey" then this promise is for us. Christ will be there and He will bless us with peace and joy. He is the Prince of Peace. He is our Deliverer. He is our All.
Now, I'm not saying that Nephi or President Snow was perfect. They just understood the enabling power of Christ's Atonement. To take us from the place we are in now and make us more. To raise us up, to make us more like Him. I know that the power of the Atonement is real and I know that it is for each and every one of us. I know that in our darkest times if we will pray as the Savior did in the Garden of Gethsemane, we will see the Lord's will and better understand that we must sometimes pass through sorrow in order to know and understand the good.
"Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things;" (Alma 26:12) "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:13). I know these things to be true if we will but rely upon the Lord. Depend upon Him. Follow Him. Obey with exactness. Come unto Him through our dependence on and obedience to Him. As we do so, the journey of this mortal life becomes one that we can enjoy, not just endure. The Atonement is what allows us to live, learn, love and laugh :) how very grateful I am for my Savior Jesus Christ and for His supreme sacrifice and expression of love. I love Him and I will strive each day to become more like Him.
"There is no use in making excuses as to inability, etc... do the very best you can and depend upon the Lord." - Lorenzo Snow
We are imperfect. We all have flaws and follies. We are prone to weakness, inability, even failure. But there is One who is perfect. Flawless. Who has all wisdom and understanding. Powerful, strong and mighty. And He wants to make us more. It is He who commands us. He who has a plan for us. And it is He who, despite our weaknesses and inability, will help us to become more than we can ever imagine. Do more than we ever thought possible. Achieve things that we never could on our own. If we will but obey and depend upon Him.
I've been thinking a lot about the Atonement of Jesus Christ lately. Which is a very good thing. And I love a verse found in the Book of Mormon. Jacob 4:12, "...for why not speak of the Atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect knowledge of him...?" Why should we not think about and talk about Jesus Christ and His Atonement and strive each day to gain greater knowledge about Him by striving to become more like Him through His Atonement.
Today has been a super spiritual day for me. Heavenly Father has taught me so much today and I am so grateful for it. Not necessarily new things, but He has at least reminded me of many things and helped e to understand better. Especially in regard to the Atonement. I feel that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is something that we will never fully comprehend no matter how hard we try. But like the question Jacob poses, "Why not try?" Would we not all be better off if we sought each day to understand, even in just the tiniest way, the Atonement of Jesus Christ a little better.
Today as I listened to speakers, music and the Spirit during Church I was led to reflect on Christ's perfect submission to the will of the Father. To me that is what the Atonement ultimately is. Perfect and willing submission of one's self, one's will, to the Father. Perfect and willing obedience to all the Father asks and wants. As Abinadi puts it, "the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father." (Mosiah 15:7) and as Christ, himself, perfectly teaches us, "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will, but Thine, be done." (Luke 22:42).
I love the vision that King Benjamin gives us in the Book of Mosiah when he says, "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever; unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." (Mosiah 3:19)
"Becoming a saint" requires us to put the Atonement into action. And the way we do that is by submitting ourselves to the Father. To have the courage to say, "This is hard, nevertheless, Thy will Heavenly Father, not mine, be done." To allow our will, our desires and natural man tendencies, to be swallowed up in the will of the Father. To put what He wants way above what we want until eventually we can align our will with His and we are strong enough to want exactly what He wants.
But that feat seems rather impossible. And I suggest that, in fact, it is. IF we try to do it alone. But there is one who is standing, waiting, pleading with us to come unto Him so that He may help us. He is our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. The only one who has ever successfully aligned His will perfectly with the will of the Father. And He wants to help us succeed and He will as we accept His invitation and come unto Him.
I've always loved the words from the Hymn, "Savior, Redeemer of My Soul". And three guys in my ward, Aaron Moss, Casey Call and Mike Brown, sang it today in Sacrament meeting. And once again, the words hit me with such power. The lyrics read:
Savior, Redeemer of my soul,
Whose mighty hand hath made me whole,
Whose wondrous power hath raised me up
and filled with sweet my bitter cup!
What tongue my gratitude can tell,
O gracious God of Israel.
Never can I repay thee, Lord,
But I can love thee. Thy pure word,
Hath it not been my one delight,
My joy by day, my dream by night?
Then let my lips proclaim it still,
And all my life reflect Thy will.
O'errule mine acts to serve thine ends.
Change frowning foes to smiling friends.
Chasten my soul till I may be
In perfect harmony with Thee.
Make me more worthy of Thy love,
And fit me for the life above.
I've bolded some of the lines that especially stuck out to me today. The Savior has the power to redeem us and raise us up. To make us more. To bring us from the darkness back into the light. We never can repay Him for what He has done and sacrificed for us, but we can love Him and strive to live so that our lives reflect His. So that we do His will. We can pray to be obedient, to allow Him to use us for His divine purposes. To serve His glorious ends. We can be grateful for the trials that refine us and realize that chastening sanctifies our souls to be in harmony with Him. How can we expect to become like Him if we don't endure a part of His same suffering? We cannot be worthy of His love or glory if we are not tested and tried.
But despite our own weaknesses, our own carnal desires, our flaws and follies, our trials and hardships, the Savior stands ever ready and willing to come to our aid and assist us. To heal us in any and every way. Alma 31:38 tells us that "[we will] suffer no manner of afflictions, save [they will be] swallowed up in the joy of Christ". If we will seek to develop an attitude like Nephi or President Snow and say, "I know I have been commanded to do this, so despite my inadequacies or my doubts or my own desires, I will depend upon the Lord and I will obey" then this promise is for us. Christ will be there and He will bless us with peace and joy. He is the Prince of Peace. He is our Deliverer. He is our All.
Now, I'm not saying that Nephi or President Snow was perfect. They just understood the enabling power of Christ's Atonement. To take us from the place we are in now and make us more. To raise us up, to make us more like Him. I know that the power of the Atonement is real and I know that it is for each and every one of us. I know that in our darkest times if we will pray as the Savior did in the Garden of Gethsemane, we will see the Lord's will and better understand that we must sometimes pass through sorrow in order to know and understand the good.
"Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things;" (Alma 26:12) "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:13). I know these things to be true if we will but rely upon the Lord. Depend upon Him. Follow Him. Obey with exactness. Come unto Him through our dependence on and obedience to Him. As we do so, the journey of this mortal life becomes one that we can enjoy, not just endure. The Atonement is what allows us to live, learn, love and laugh :) how very grateful I am for my Savior Jesus Christ and for His supreme sacrifice and expression of love. I love Him and I will strive each day to become more like Him.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Communication is Key
So... remember the post I never actually finished writing and never actually published... well yeah... it started to be about Aaron. Which, now as I start this I'm a little embarrassed... cause umm... I've failed to talk about all of the super great things about Aaron (which believe me are MANY) and now I'm just going to talk about a rough patch we hit (which was just one tiny matter). Slightly embarrassing. But I'll get to the good things. Stay tuned for the next post... But this week, I feel a little like the Saints the Lord talks about in D&C 100:8 when he says, "In the days their peace they esteemed lightly my counsel; but in the day of their trouble, of necessity they feel after me." When all is going well, I think we take for granted the learning moments, the counsel, that the Lord is giving to us. We only tend to notice in our times of trouble. At least for me that's how I feel. And so it was with me and Aaron this past week. I wasn't learning much in the times of peace. Things were just so so good and I think I was a little too caught up in it. If a problem or concern would arise, because it would be so minute, I esteemed it lightly, I brushed it off, didn't think much about it. But it eventually caught up to us. I can't even really explained what happened, and frankly, I don't really want to. It's all been fixed and bettered so it doesn't matter much now anyway. What does matter is what I've learned. And I will say this: Communication is key. No one is a mind reader. And you can't just assume someone understands. Especially where feelings are involved. If you wish someone knew something, the best thing to do is tell them. If you wish you knew something about someone else, the best thing to do is ask them. I've learned this past week, that communication takes humility. Being stubborn is just a form of pride that gets you no where, real fast. All it does is make you frustrated and angry. When, however, you are humble enough to communicate and compromise, that is when you go places. Communication is the key to progress. Communication is the Lord's way. Any other way is too contentious. Would we not all be better off if, in times of peace or trouble, we sought to be better communicators, taking and giving counsel in a constructive way. Just a thought. One I'm for sure going to apply.
Teach Missionaries, Not Lessons
I had THE COOLEST experience a few weeks ago with my missionaries at the MTC. And yes, I do feel slightly retarded that I haven't yet gotten this posted.... lots going on... more to come on that topic later... but back to the missionaries. Just a little preface... we teach what they call the Fundamentals of Preach My Gospel. They are meant to help the missionaries know how to become better teachers by applying principles from Preach My Gospel (the missionary manual put out by the First Presidency of the Church). The fundamental that we were focusing on this night was called "Teach People, Not Lessons". It focus on trying to understand the needs of people you are teaching but asking inspired questions and listening - listening to the person and also the Spirit. It is one of my very most favorite topics to study about and I was excited to teach it. All week I had been so excited and wanted to make it meaningful for my missionaries. To really teach to their needs. To help them understand the principles because they were present in my teaching and easy for the missionaries to see and understand. All week I had been trying to find time to prepare. Praying to know what would help them most. Asking for help from the Lord, other teachers, family and friends, to know the direction I should take with the lesson. We, as teachers, have a guide book that gives us lesson outlines, so I technically had a lesson plan, but every time I would look at it I just wasn't feeling it. I felt like the missionaries needed something different, but I couldn't figure out just quite what. As the week went on there was problem after distraction after emergency and I never really found time to study or plan for my missionaries. There were too many other things and changes in schedule vying for my time. The missionaries too had had quite an eventful week full of unexpected changes and hardship. Needless to say we were all feeling a little down, discouraged and frustrated as we came into class. As the missionaries sat down and began to complain to me a little bit, I realized that this was the answer to my prayers. I had been praying to know what the missionaries needed most. They needed someone who felt the same way they did. And I truly did feel the same as them. Flustered, frustrated, unprepared... No time to prepare for the lesson was just the preparation the Lord knew I needed. I was able to walk into that lesson ready to teach to the missionaries needs because they were the same needs I had.
I started the lesson by putting away the Teacher Guide Book and saying a silent prayer for the guidance of the Spirit. What happened after that was AWESOME! It was seriously such an incredible experience. I wish that I could have recorded it so that everyone in the world could watch it and learn from the Spirit in the way that we did. We had awesome study time and discussion. Then we went into the practice teaching. This was the part I had been worrying about most throughout the week. I really wanted the missionaries to not only practice teaching by the Spirit to meet needs but to really actually EXPERIENCE it. And I didn't know quite how to make it real for them so that could happen. But as we transitioned into the practice teaching portion it just hit me like a ton of bricks and I had the missionaries take 5 minutes together as a district and prepare to teach me. Teach me, Sister Sharp, as myself. Ask inspired questions and listen in order to discern my needs. Teach the doctrine that could help me. And above all, just follow the Spirit. It was seriously SO incredible. Too incredible to put into words. And to be honest, it's one of those super spiritual moments that you really can't quite share, just one you want to hold on to and keep sacred. But I do want to share that I know it is true what the scripture says in Doctrine and Covenants 50:17-22
I started the lesson by putting away the Teacher Guide Book and saying a silent prayer for the guidance of the Spirit. What happened after that was AWESOME! It was seriously such an incredible experience. I wish that I could have recorded it so that everyone in the world could watch it and learn from the Spirit in the way that we did. We had awesome study time and discussion. Then we went into the practice teaching. This was the part I had been worrying about most throughout the week. I really wanted the missionaries to not only practice teaching by the Spirit to meet needs but to really actually EXPERIENCE it. And I didn't know quite how to make it real for them so that could happen. But as we transitioned into the practice teaching portion it just hit me like a ton of bricks and I had the missionaries take 5 minutes together as a district and prepare to teach me. Teach me, Sister Sharp, as myself. Ask inspired questions and listen in order to discern my needs. Teach the doctrine that could help me. And above all, just follow the Spirit. It was seriously SO incredible. Too incredible to put into words. And to be honest, it's one of those super spiritual moments that you really can't quite share, just one you want to hold on to and keep sacred. But I do want to share that I know it is true what the scripture says in Doctrine and Covenants 50:17-22
17 Verily I say unto you, he that is ordained of me and sent forth to preach the word of truth by the Comforter, in the Spirit of truth, doth he preach it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?
18 And if it be by some other way it is not of God.
19 And again, he that receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?
20 If it be some other way it is not of God.
21 Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know, that he that receiveth the word by the Spirit of truth receiveth it as it is preached by the Spirit of truth?
22 Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together.
All of us in that room better understood what it means to teach and learn by the Spirit and I know that we all were truly edified. The missionaries found one of my concerns that I didn't even realize I had but that was actually a huge source of concern for me. And they perfectly taught to my needs. We experienced miracles during our hour together. It is an experience I never want to forget and I pray I can apply what I've learned for the rest of my life.
18 And if it be by some other way it is not of God.
19 And again, he that receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it by the Spirit of truth or some other way?
20 If it be some other way it is not of God.
21 Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know, that he that receiveth the word by the Spirit of truth receiveth it as it is preached by the Spirit of truth?
22 Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together.
All of us in that room better understood what it means to teach and learn by the Spirit and I know that we all were truly edified. The missionaries found one of my concerns that I didn't even realize I had but that was actually a huge source of concern for me. And they perfectly taught to my needs. We experienced miracles during our hour together. It is an experience I never want to forget and I pray I can apply what I've learned for the rest of my life.
This thing I know for sure: As we come unto Christ, leaving behind our insecurities, our worries and fears, trusting Him, giving our all to Him, holding nothing back, that He will "[bless us].. and his countenance [will] smile upon [us], and the light of his countenance [will] shine upon [us], and behold [we will be purified]..." (3 Nephi 19:25)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)