So Much To Be

A Time For Reflection

I remember when I first came home, it was such an interesting period of my life. I was rediscovering who I was, what the plans for my future would be, and how I was going to live my life - all while my heart was still in Arizona (where I served my mission).  I felt divided. While I was happy to be back home with loved ones and to start on a new adventure, I still couldn't leave behind my missionary life quite yet. One quote that I could relate to was from the Lord of the Rings, the Return of the King. It said, "You cannot always be torn in two. You will have to be one and whole, for many years. You have so much to enjoy and to be, and to do . Your part in the story will go on."

It helped me to realize that while there is the initial transition phase, I cannot keep moving forward with my life while I was still looking behind me.  After all, "the past is to be learned from but not lived in." (Jefferey R. Holland, Remember Lot's Wife) Furthermore, the very last phrase is what really captured my attention. I realized that I have "so much to enjoy and to be, and to do." Coming home from a mission didn't mean that my story was ending, rather my story was just beginning. There is still so much in my own story that is unwritten, and so many great adventures lie ahead of me.  As I reflect back on the past three years since I've been home, so many things have happened that I never could have imagined would take place. I have learned and grown since then, and as I look toward the future and the new year, I'm strengthened by what I have already gone through and look forward to what tomorrow may bring. 

The Hope of Change

If there's one thing that I've learned from life, it's that change is our constant companion.  Sometimes we look forward to it and other times we dread it, but whether or not we like it, it always comes.  But change doesn't need to be a bad thing, oftentimes it can give us hope.  Change gives us an opportunity to start again and have a second chance.  C.S. Lewis once stated, "you can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending." Because of change, we can have the hope that just because our story may be dark and gloomy at this moment, it will not always be that way. There are brighter and happier days ahead.  

Furthermore, without change, we could never hope to be different than we are today. We would be destined to stay in the same rut and plateau for the rest of our lives. Our weaknesses would never improve, our talents would never progress, and we would never learn and grow.  But best of all, we can have the hope and the reassurance that we do not need to change on our own. We have a loving Savior who will take us as we are and will help us to improve and grow for "[His] strength is made perfect in weakness." ( 2 Corinthians 12:9)  

Also, we have a loving Heavenly Father who has a perfect plan for us and is preparing us for a destiny that is more spectacular than we can ever imagine. And the great thing is, is that He doesn't expect us to be perfect, He just wants us to keep trying and to do our best. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin stated, "Oh, it is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us—even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will." (The Great Commandment)

Final Thoughts

This is certainly a special time of year with all of its holidays and gatherings. It's a good time to be with those you love and who truly love you in return.  It is a time for growth and and rejoicing and its a time for giving.  As one year closes and we look to the opening of a new year, what will we chose to take with us? What changes will we make in our lives? And what goals will we set? Who knows what the future may hold, but whatever lays ahead always remember, "you are braver then you believe, stronger then you seem, and smarter then you think." (A.A. Milne)

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Eventide

Hi everyone!  As I was listening to General Conference (a worldwide gathering for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) one theme that seemed to stand out to me was how to not only survive, but to thrive during trials through relying on the Savior.  As I was pondering on this topic, the second and third verses of "Abide with Me; 'Tis Eventide" came to mind.  They are:

Abide with me; 'tis eventide.

Thy walk today with me

Has made my heart within me burn,

As I communed with thee.

Thy earnest words have filled my soul

And kept me near thy side.

Abide with me; 'tis eventide,

And lone will be the night

If I cannot commune with thee

Nor find in thee my light.

The darkness of the world, I fear,

Would in my home abide.

I love how the lyrics paint a picture of a dire need to have the Savior in our daily lives.  It reminds me of a quote by President Russell M. Nelson, who noted that we should reach for the Savior's power in our lives "with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air." (Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into our Lives. April 2017) I have seen that when I am passing through hard times the scriptures always seem to bring me the peace that I need, and help me to draw nearer to my Savior as "[His] earnest words have filled my soul and kept me near [His] side."

I know all of us would love to receive straightforward answers and know exactly when the trial will be over.  However, at least in my experience, this often is not the case.  I never seem to get one answer that lets me know exactly what to do and when everything will work out. Instead, things seem to happen "line upon line, precept upon precept." (2 Nephi 28:30) I often seem to receive just enough light to make it to the next step.  And while it would be nice to have the whole path lit ahead of me, I have learned that not only do I grow more, but my relationship with my Savior deepens as I depend upon Him to know where to take my next step.  

President Henry B. Eyring said, "My reassurance is this: the loving God who allowed these tests for you also designed a sure way to pass through them. Heavenly Father so loved the world that He sent His Beloved Son to help us. His Son, Jesus Christ, gave His life for us. Jesus Christ bore in Gethsemane and on the cross the weight of all our sins. He experienced all the sorrows, the pains, and the effects of our sins so that He could comfort and strengthen us through every test in life." (Try, Try, Try October 2018) I know that Christ can help us through whatever trials or challenges may come our way. Though this life is far from easy, there is so much joy and hope and happiness that lies ahead. As we truly come to know our Savior, He will give us the light we need and the "darkness of the world" will not overwhelm us.