LOVE

I have been taken this 14-day challenge to try to LOVE more.  President Thomas S. Monson said, “Love is the very essence of the gospel, and Jesus Christ is our Exemplar.”  I know that if we want to be better followers of Him, we need to be more. We need to LOVE more. And I want to be a better follower and disciple of Jesus Christ.  There is a scripture that I've been thinking of a lot lately.  It's from the Book of Mormon, Moroni 7:47-48:  "But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day,it shall be well with him.  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the [children] of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen."

I want to be filled with that kind of love - the pure love of Jesus Christ.  And I think that this 14-day challenge can help me do just that.

Day 1: It may have been cheating, but I tried to have patience with myself. That included: slacking off a little on homework to take a much needed nap, walking really slow and being okay with the fact that I was late to class so I didn't slip on the ice and snow and slush and fall on my face, and letting my handsome, wonderful husband make and clean up dinner. It was a challenge but I think I succeeded.

Day 2: I was bound and determined overlook the shortcomings of others today.  As I went throughout my day I kept trying to remind myself of it.  But I couldn't find anyone else's shortcomings to overlook.  When I got home from work and school I started to tell James about my day.  I told him the things I felt I should've done differently or could've done better.  I told him about my faults and inadequacies.  Then I started telling him about how I was having a hard time with the Love Challenge today.  He asked me more about it and told him that I just couldn't even find any shortcomings in others to overlook.  He sweetly reminded me that sometimes loving others starts with loving ourselves.  He said that usually people have to be reminded to love others as much as they love themselves.  He said that for me it was the other way around - I needed to be reminded to love myself as much as I love others.  I realized the only shortcomings I had seen throughout the day were my own and that instead of overlooking them I was magnifying them and blowing them out of proportion.  I was tenderly reminded that the Lord's command to "Love thy neighbor as thyself" has two parts.  1. Love others. 2. Love ourselves.  Both are equally important.  I forget that second one sometimes.  I'm grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who overlooks our shortcomings and loves us unconditionally.  I'm grateful for His sweet reminders and the reassurance of His love for me.

I'll let you know how Day 3 goes :)