Learning His Ways

I learned this week what happens when we are in the right place, the around the right people, doing the right things, but rushing the Lord 's timetable... I made a decision this week that really didn't need to be made for another few weeks. What I did wasn't wrong, it just was done at the wrong time. I was lucky enough to be going to the temple a couple hours later. I went and did some sealings and sat in the Celestial room for a time and felt horrible about what I'd done. However, I didn't feel guilty, I felt hurt.

I was praying to the Lord and asking why this happened, why I did this thing, why this always happens, etc. lots of self-pity. Then I felt a nudge to open a Book of Mormon to a "random page". I opened to Alma 34:38-41. it said, "That ye contend no more against the Holy Ghost, but that ye receive it, and take upon you the name of Christ; that ye humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you. Yea, and I also exhort you, my brethren, that ye be watchful unto prayer continually, that ye may not be led away by the temptations of the devil, that he may not overpower you, that ye may not become his subjects at the last day; for behold, he rewardeth you no good thing. And now my beloved brethren, I would exhort you to have patience, and that ye bear with all manner of afflictions; that ye do not revile against those who do cast you out because of your exceeding poverty, lest ye become sinners like unto them; But that ye have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions." Basically the Lord called me to repentance and told me I was being impatient.

Afterwards, I apologized to the person I had hurt, and I hopefully have made up for my immaturity I displayed. I knew I needed to work on my impatience, but I see now that I really need to work on it.

Patience can be viewed as the Christlike attribute everyone appreciates the most when it is given, but can be the most difficult to develop (that and humility). It really is something that is difficult to achieve, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. I know that as we pray for patience and strive to act on it, we will be blessed greatly. I leave these things with y'all, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Name them One by One

On Wednesday I was having a really rough morning. 5.5 hours of sleep, car died on the way to work, alarm went off at work because I didn't have the code for the office for a couple of minutes, customer practically shouted at me because we opened at (I arrived at 7:14) 7:20 instead of 7:00 (excuse me, but I have to count out the safe and that's a little more important than your 8 ounces of coffee), coworker got into a car accident so it's just two of us for morning shift, customer wanted a refund because she didn't want to stay another night because of the rain, I dropped a whole roll of quarters when I was giving it to a customer, and I hadn't finished breakfast (I brought it with me) and it was only 8 in the morning!

It was about 08:45 when I realized that my bad mood resulting from the bad events was not going to help anyone, especially not me. The lyrics from the hymn "Count Your Blessings" came to mind, "When life's billows you are tempest tossed, when you are discouraged thinking all is lost, count your many blessings; name them one by one, and it will surprise what the Lord has done." So I decided to make a list of blessings.

I really had to think about what I have now that I didn't have before, what I have gained, what I have always had, and what I am lucky to have. It was relieving. I couldn't believe that, despite the simple list of things I came up within a few minutes, I felt better. It was very grounding and I felt so much better afterwards.

I testify to you that as we remember the things we are grateful for, we will feel the love of our Heavenly Father and Christ's grace will do it's job in giving us the strength we need. I'll close in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.