Wow. Patience is such a great thing! I am so in love with patience!
Even before my mission, people would tell me that I had great patience. I don't think they understood the emotions that boiled within me though. There was much resentment that was held back. Often I would vent to someone else about something or I would cry unnecessarily about something else. Working at Trefoil Ranch helped me to exercise my patience, yet often I would come home on the weekends exhausted and not wanting to go back. Sure, I looked patient on the outside and acted patient, but on the inside...ooo....yeah, don't mess with me.
Then I went on a mission. I was tried and tried again with patience. Whether it was with companions, leaders, or just random people in the ward or on the streets, I would be impatient. I would get frustrated. I realized what was going on and spent some serious time praying and studying the attributes of Christ. Charity and Patience were the two that stuck out to me the most in PMG (Preach My Gospel chapter 6).
I wanted to apply the things I was learning, but it was so difficult. How could I become more patient? Preach My Gospel says "You need patience in your everyday experiences and relationships, especially with you companion. You must be patient with all people, yourself included, as you work to overcome faults and weaknesses." Be patient, be patient, be patient! How was I supposed to gain patience?
Well, I did the study boxes and I prayed fervently. I also had to continue reminding myself that I didn't have to be perfect. My companion didn't have to be perfect. No one had to be perfect. My expectations were unrealistic of others and of myself. I wasn't seeing people through God's eyes, but I was seeing all of us through my contorted and blurred vision. It's like someone had performed surgery on my eyes and told me that I was seeing things so much better now, when in reality, everything looked much more horrid. Luckily, God changed that.
When I knew that my vision was twisted, I started focusing on how the Lord saw people. And of course, God sent people into my life that I needed to have a lot of patience for. And because God allowed me that chance to grow my patience, amazing things happened. I prayed to see them and understand them the way that God does. I asked to see myself that way too. The more I have done this, the more patient I have become with others. I realize that we all make mistakes and that it is ok that we make mistakes. We are expected to make mistakes. That is what life is about. It is about testing and learning and growing. It's really hard to grow and test your abilities is you never take risks. If we never put our feet in front of one another, how are we ever going to know how fast we can run? We will never enjoy the feeling of freedom if we never break the supposed chains around us. Often we have put the chains around ourselves; excuses to cover our fear, lies from the adversary that we have believed, and others. We can break through and we can run. All we have to do is take that first step.
Like I have said before, I am so grateful for those who have patience with me. Those who don't judge because they understand that I am human. They know that I will make mistakes. They understand that God loves me, and they love me too. Thank you for being so kind! It's so amazing to me that God gives us each other to help one another. When we are patient and loving and kind to one another, life is so much easier. Support systems are great! It's so nice to have a friend along for the journey!
Patience and charity truly intertwine, what a glorious concept. When we truly love one another, we have much more patience with one another. When we understand each others circumstances, it's easier to be patient and love one another. I love it. Go hug someone today. :)
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Communication 1-love between companions
Communication.
Yes, I learned a lot about communication on my mission. I can't even begin to describe how much I learned and am still learning. It's amazing.
When you are with someone 24/7 there are bound to be quirks and things that may or may not bug you. I learned a lot about how much of the tension can be reduced if we but communicate our feelings to one another.
One of my companions was always very open and honest with me. We got along very well. Why? I think a lot of it had to do with being honest and straightforward with each other. If something was bugging us, we told the other immediately. We would explain why we felt the way we did, the other may explain why they do/did what they did, and an understanding would come. Improvements weren't always made immediately, but because there was an understanding, there was love. There was always love. I never questioned my companion's love for me. We were trying to become better as well as help each other become better. That shows love.
Another thing that helped us out was that compliments were given frequently. Sometimes we worry that if we get compliments a lot that they won't mean as much to us. The compliments themselves will seem less sincere. I found out that this wasn't true for our case. Often the same compliments were given "you are so awesome!" or "You are a great teacher!" and such. These compliments were often just another way that we would say "I love you" to each other.
We also communicated through service to each other. These were often very small acts that only took a minute or two to do. But they were always greatly appreciated and treasured. There were many times I would find little notes on my desk or in my journal or somewhere else random. They were often simple, but they meant the world to me. Other times we sang each other to sleep at night. What a great blessing! How calming a lullaby can be! Especially through the stressful times of being a missionary in the middle of winter. These, and other little things we did for each other, carried the message of love on a much bigger scale.
And last, but definitely not least, we listened to one another. There were many times when one of us would be struggling with something or would have a question on our minds. Many times these issues may have seemed too big or too personal to share with someone. But as we began to trust one another, we began to share more often. When we really listened with a loving and caring heart, our trust grew. Deep conversations were common. Changes that may have took us years and years to accomplish were pointed out and tackled together more quickly. We supported one another in our goals. We reminded each other of our hearts' desires. We received revelation through listening and sharing with one another. What an amazing blessing.
Because we loved each other, we acted like it. Because we acted like it, we loved each other more and more. Our patience with each other increased. Our charity increased. Our compassion and kindness increased. Our skills in one on one conversations increased. Our spirituality increased. Our love increased and it was amazing.
I believe that you can have a similar experience, whether it be with a missionary companion, close friend, or spouse. When both of you are committed to the Lord and becoming a better person, as well as helping the other find and follow their own path to come closer to the Lord, your love for each other will increase and bloom. It's an amazing thing. Note that I said to help them find and follow their own path to come closer, not make them or force them to be on your path. That is vital.
I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. I know that Heavenly Father is always mindful of us. He has put us in each others' lives for a purpose. We can learn so much from each experience we have, there doesn't have to be such a thing as a bad experience- it's just an experience that stretched our limits and helped us grow in a way we may have not been too fond of. :)
I love you all. Have a wonderful day!
Yes, I learned a lot about communication on my mission. I can't even begin to describe how much I learned and am still learning. It's amazing.
When you are with someone 24/7 there are bound to be quirks and things that may or may not bug you. I learned a lot about how much of the tension can be reduced if we but communicate our feelings to one another.
One of my companions was always very open and honest with me. We got along very well. Why? I think a lot of it had to do with being honest and straightforward with each other. If something was bugging us, we told the other immediately. We would explain why we felt the way we did, the other may explain why they do/did what they did, and an understanding would come. Improvements weren't always made immediately, but because there was an understanding, there was love. There was always love. I never questioned my companion's love for me. We were trying to become better as well as help each other become better. That shows love.
Another thing that helped us out was that compliments were given frequently. Sometimes we worry that if we get compliments a lot that they won't mean as much to us. The compliments themselves will seem less sincere. I found out that this wasn't true for our case. Often the same compliments were given "you are so awesome!" or "You are a great teacher!" and such. These compliments were often just another way that we would say "I love you" to each other.
We also communicated through service to each other. These were often very small acts that only took a minute or two to do. But they were always greatly appreciated and treasured. There were many times I would find little notes on my desk or in my journal or somewhere else random. They were often simple, but they meant the world to me. Other times we sang each other to sleep at night. What a great blessing! How calming a lullaby can be! Especially through the stressful times of being a missionary in the middle of winter. These, and other little things we did for each other, carried the message of love on a much bigger scale.
And last, but definitely not least, we listened to one another. There were many times when one of us would be struggling with something or would have a question on our minds. Many times these issues may have seemed too big or too personal to share with someone. But as we began to trust one another, we began to share more often. When we really listened with a loving and caring heart, our trust grew. Deep conversations were common. Changes that may have took us years and years to accomplish were pointed out and tackled together more quickly. We supported one another in our goals. We reminded each other of our hearts' desires. We received revelation through listening and sharing with one another. What an amazing blessing.
Because we loved each other, we acted like it. Because we acted like it, we loved each other more and more. Our patience with each other increased. Our charity increased. Our compassion and kindness increased. Our skills in one on one conversations increased. Our spirituality increased. Our love increased and it was amazing.
I believe that you can have a similar experience, whether it be with a missionary companion, close friend, or spouse. When both of you are committed to the Lord and becoming a better person, as well as helping the other find and follow their own path to come closer to the Lord, your love for each other will increase and bloom. It's an amazing thing. Note that I said to help them find and follow their own path to come closer, not make them or force them to be on your path. That is vital.
I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. I know that Heavenly Father is always mindful of us. He has put us in each others' lives for a purpose. We can learn so much from each experience we have, there doesn't have to be such a thing as a bad experience- it's just an experience that stretched our limits and helped us grow in a way we may have not been too fond of. :)
I love you all. Have a wonderful day!
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Heroes-reflecting on the past through a dream
As I begin this, I hope and pray that I can convey my thoughts and feelings into words.
This morning I woke up from a dream. Not because it was a nightmare, no, but because the impact it made on me was so great that I woke and had to write it down. After spending an hour trying to get back to sleep, I knew I just had to get up and write it here as well.
In my dream I was assigned to speak in church back in Highland. There were visitors there, not necessarily famous people, but people that hold a special place in my heart. Family, family, and well, family. And if you were wondering, family includes all of you.
The first thing I can remember in detail from this dream was the musical number before I spoke. It was "Bring Him Home" from Les Miz sung by the ward choir. I accompanied on the guitar (an amazing feat since I've been only playing for about 4 days). I believe the piano was also played.
Bring Him Home- Claude-Michel Schoenberg from Les Miz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7RESeXNHj0
It was then my turn to speak. I had a little 3x5 card in front of me as well as the music to the musical number. I approached the podium and tried to put my thoughts together about Heroes. As I watched a brother of mine sit down in the audience, I was overwhelmed. I had prayed for him many times (making the musical number mean that much more to me) and I saw the changes in his life. I decided to share just a part of his story.
He had had a rough life, he had had many challenges. He had many setbacks as he strove daily to overcome his trials. And now I was seeing him in church, he was in a white shirt and tie, he was clean shaven, he had helped with the sacrament, and he was shining. He never gave up and the Lord never gave up on him. He was my hero.
Heroes are persistent. Heroes aren't heroes because they have things come to them easily, they are heroes because they never give up on what they believe and want even when they fail multiple times. In fact, they never fail, they just have temporary setbacks (thanks Sis. R!) Heroes overcome. That's what makes them heroes. They have strength to carry on, they look inside and find hope.
Tears filled my eyes as I spoke and looked at his beaming face in the audience. Here was a man who had endured his trials and faced his fears. Here was a hero. I remember giving him a hug and then I woke up with this song running through my head.
Hero- Mariah Carey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLFfXTwdVbY
Thoughts flooded my mind as I laid in bed thinking about what had just happened. I thought about heroes and what makes a hero a hero.Then, I got up and started writing things down.
Heroes follow their heart. And what is in their hearts? Good things. The Lord inspires men to do good. I thought of this scripture and I know that there are more... D&C 8:2 "Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart."
So many of my heroes, on my mission and off, have wanted to follow the Lord. They want to live for God. They are strong, determined, dedicated, and willing to sacrifice for what they believe in. They are courageous and achieve great things. Many give everything they have to give. They understand that when the going gets rough that they grow. They have a fire inside of them and have great endurance. They know that the real victories are one on one. They know that the Lord helps them to win. They are humble enough to let the Lord help them overcome and become better.
Who Will Be the Real Hero- Batdorf and Mclean
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IuOoFWVRSg
I want to say thank you to the heroes in my life. You are many. Thank you. I have been greatly influenced my your examples. I love you and hold you in my heart. Thank you for all you do, all you have done, and all that you are. I know that the Lord has placed us in each others' paths for a reason. I know that the Lord knows us personally and will use each of us to help His other children. I know that heroes are real. People don't have to be famous to be a hero.
I want to share one last song that popped into my head this morning. I know that there is always hope. Every person has hope because of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate hero. He endured all things. He will never abandon us. He was our hero and He can help us become heroes to others. And the best way to be a hero to someone else is to point them to the Hero.
Hope in Front of Me - Danny Gokey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5GFiDdGGGM
_______
Share your thanks with a hero
Comment below
Feel free to share
This morning I woke up from a dream. Not because it was a nightmare, no, but because the impact it made on me was so great that I woke and had to write it down. After spending an hour trying to get back to sleep, I knew I just had to get up and write it here as well.
In my dream I was assigned to speak in church back in Highland. There were visitors there, not necessarily famous people, but people that hold a special place in my heart. Family, family, and well, family. And if you were wondering, family includes all of you.
The first thing I can remember in detail from this dream was the musical number before I spoke. It was "Bring Him Home" from Les Miz sung by the ward choir. I accompanied on the guitar (an amazing feat since I've been only playing for about 4 days). I believe the piano was also played.
Bring Him Home- Claude-Michel Schoenberg from Les Miz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7RESeXNHj0
It was then my turn to speak. I had a little 3x5 card in front of me as well as the music to the musical number. I approached the podium and tried to put my thoughts together about Heroes. As I watched a brother of mine sit down in the audience, I was overwhelmed. I had prayed for him many times (making the musical number mean that much more to me) and I saw the changes in his life. I decided to share just a part of his story.
He had had a rough life, he had had many challenges. He had many setbacks as he strove daily to overcome his trials. And now I was seeing him in church, he was in a white shirt and tie, he was clean shaven, he had helped with the sacrament, and he was shining. He never gave up and the Lord never gave up on him. He was my hero.
Heroes are persistent. Heroes aren't heroes because they have things come to them easily, they are heroes because they never give up on what they believe and want even when they fail multiple times. In fact, they never fail, they just have temporary setbacks (thanks Sis. R!) Heroes overcome. That's what makes them heroes. They have strength to carry on, they look inside and find hope.
Tears filled my eyes as I spoke and looked at his beaming face in the audience. Here was a man who had endured his trials and faced his fears. Here was a hero. I remember giving him a hug and then I woke up with this song running through my head.
Hero- Mariah Carey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLFfXTwdVbY
Heroes follow their heart. And what is in their hearts? Good things. The Lord inspires men to do good. I thought of this scripture and I know that there are more... D&C 8:2 "Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart."
So many of my heroes, on my mission and off, have wanted to follow the Lord. They want to live for God. They are strong, determined, dedicated, and willing to sacrifice for what they believe in. They are courageous and achieve great things. Many give everything they have to give. They understand that when the going gets rough that they grow. They have a fire inside of them and have great endurance. They know that the real victories are one on one. They know that the Lord helps them to win. They are humble enough to let the Lord help them overcome and become better.
Who Will Be the Real Hero- Batdorf and Mclean
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IuOoFWVRSg
I want to say thank you to the heroes in my life. You are many. Thank you. I have been greatly influenced my your examples. I love you and hold you in my heart. Thank you for all you do, all you have done, and all that you are. I know that the Lord has placed us in each others' paths for a reason. I know that the Lord knows us personally and will use each of us to help His other children. I know that heroes are real. People don't have to be famous to be a hero.
I want to share one last song that popped into my head this morning. I know that there is always hope. Every person has hope because of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate hero. He endured all things. He will never abandon us. He was our hero and He can help us become heroes to others. And the best way to be a hero to someone else is to point them to the Hero.
Hope in Front of Me - Danny Gokey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5GFiDdGGGM
_______
Share your thanks with a hero
Comment below
Feel free to share
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Putting Forth Your Best Effort
As I was flipping through my journals this morning, this quote stuck out to me
"As long as you have put forth 100%, you have every right to be happy."
What a powerful statement. The whole world tells us that there are certain things that we need to do or accomplish to be happy. But right here the answer lies. If we put forth 100%, our best effort in trying to live the way Jesus taught, then we have every right to be happy.
It's so true. Living the gospel brings us happiness. As I continue to reflect on this, I was thinking about my experience the other night. Let's just say that I met people who may have gotten a bit discouraged with their life, but they understood this principle. Instead of getting down on themselves, they understood the truth. They understood that the gospel includes repentance. The Lord has provided us a way that when we mess up, we can still have 100% because of our SAVIOR. I am grateful for the atonement in my life so that I can have true happiness.
I know that as I try my best, that it is good enough. It doesn't matter what the world says or what my grades say. It doesn't matter if I live in a shack or a mansion, it doesn't matter if I have hand me down clothes or brand name. I matter to God. I am His child. And I am good enough. I know that I will be happy as I put forth my best effort and I let Christ bring me into His arms and love me. I know that I will have joy as I put my trust in God and let Him love me and help me become the best person He wants me to be.
"As long as you have put forth 100%, you have every right to be happy."
What a powerful statement. The whole world tells us that there are certain things that we need to do or accomplish to be happy. But right here the answer lies. If we put forth 100%, our best effort in trying to live the way Jesus taught, then we have every right to be happy.
It's so true. Living the gospel brings us happiness. As I continue to reflect on this, I was thinking about my experience the other night. Let's just say that I met people who may have gotten a bit discouraged with their life, but they understood this principle. Instead of getting down on themselves, they understood the truth. They understood that the gospel includes repentance. The Lord has provided us a way that when we mess up, we can still have 100% because of our SAVIOR. I am grateful for the atonement in my life so that I can have true happiness.
I know that as I try my best, that it is good enough. It doesn't matter what the world says or what my grades say. It doesn't matter if I live in a shack or a mansion, it doesn't matter if I have hand me down clothes or brand name. I matter to God. I am His child. And I am good enough. I know that I will be happy as I put forth my best effort and I let Christ bring me into His arms and love me. I know that I will have joy as I put my trust in God and let Him love me and help me become the best person He wants me to be.
Monday, January 5, 2015
Number 1- Charity, learning to love others
As I begin this blog, I've been trying to figure out the best way to do it. This is a trial run and there may be updates in the future. But for now, I think what I'm going to do is title the blog posts as the lesson I learned. Of course, there may be multiple blog posts on the same topic due to all the different experiences and aspects of each attribute/lesson. For example, today I titled it "Charity, learning to love others". Charity is a huge umbrella. I am assuming that there will be many more blog posts on Charity in the future. With that being said, welcome to my new blog. Let's get started!
One very important lesson I learned was loving others. I don't want to say that I have always been selfish, because that would be untrue. But, before my mission, I didn't think of others the way that I do now. I didn't always see them the way that God saw them. For who they are, children of God, with the potential to become something greater than any of us can imagine.
When God looks at His children, He doesn't reject them for where they've been or what they are currently doing. He loves them and encourages them to take steps toward Him. He beckons them closer to Him. He wants them to come into His tender loving care.
That love is so pure and precious. It is so amazing. I was able to get glimpses of it while I was serving some of God's precious children.
It doesn't all come at once, believe me, it can take a while. There were multiple times when I just wanted to throw my arms up and call it quits. I didn't want to love some people. But an amazing thing happens when you decide that you want to want to love people. Yes, just having a small desire to start loving someone can open the door of the enabling power of the atonement to do just that. The Lord can help us to fulfill our righteous desires. There is divine help that can be granted unto us if we want it.
As I humbled myself before the Lord and plead with Him to give me unconditional love for the people around me, it came in time. I was filled with love so deep that I was blown away. I felt like there was nothing that would ever stop me from loving these people. They could reject me, they could yell and curse me, but I would still love them. Understanding a bit about these people and their backgrounds made it even easier for me to love them. But truly, God gave me His eyes for just enough time so that I could understand them and love them.
I think that is why our Father and our Brother Jesus Christ love us so much. They completely understand us. Therefore they know what we are going through and are compassionate and patient.
I'm grateful that I have learned a few ways to develop charity through my mission- Humbling myself to ask God for help, stepping back to try and understand the people, and losing myself in serving them.
I know that God and Christ love us so much. They love us unconditionally. They love us with a love deeper than the ocean, hotter than the sun, etc. It's unfathomable. I am grateful that every once in a while I can get a glimpse of their love for me and for others. It's indescribable.
One very important lesson I learned was loving others. I don't want to say that I have always been selfish, because that would be untrue. But, before my mission, I didn't think of others the way that I do now. I didn't always see them the way that God saw them. For who they are, children of God, with the potential to become something greater than any of us can imagine.
When God looks at His children, He doesn't reject them for where they've been or what they are currently doing. He loves them and encourages them to take steps toward Him. He beckons them closer to Him. He wants them to come into His tender loving care.
That love is so pure and precious. It is so amazing. I was able to get glimpses of it while I was serving some of God's precious children.
It doesn't all come at once, believe me, it can take a while. There were multiple times when I just wanted to throw my arms up and call it quits. I didn't want to love some people. But an amazing thing happens when you decide that you want to want to love people. Yes, just having a small desire to start loving someone can open the door of the enabling power of the atonement to do just that. The Lord can help us to fulfill our righteous desires. There is divine help that can be granted unto us if we want it.
As I humbled myself before the Lord and plead with Him to give me unconditional love for the people around me, it came in time. I was filled with love so deep that I was blown away. I felt like there was nothing that would ever stop me from loving these people. They could reject me, they could yell and curse me, but I would still love them. Understanding a bit about these people and their backgrounds made it even easier for me to love them. But truly, God gave me His eyes for just enough time so that I could understand them and love them.
I think that is why our Father and our Brother Jesus Christ love us so much. They completely understand us. Therefore they know what we are going through and are compassionate and patient.
I'm grateful that I have learned a few ways to develop charity through my mission- Humbling myself to ask God for help, stepping back to try and understand the people, and losing myself in serving them.
I know that God and Christ love us so much. They love us unconditionally. They love us with a love deeper than the ocean, hotter than the sun, etc. It's unfathomable. I am grateful that every once in a while I can get a glimpse of their love for me and for others. It's indescribable.
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