The other day at work, I served a table that had a couple sitting there. This particular couple touched my heart. The woman was in a wheelchair; it looked like she might have MS. She couldn't communicate very well - but whenever I came by, she would respond happily the best she could - and she couldn't really move. This meant that her husband had to feed her. I remember looking back, and seeing him lovingly put a chip into her mouth. It wasn't graceful, it wasn't pretty, but it's something that filled my heart, because it was filled with love. I knew that he would have to do that for the entire meal. This man loved his wife enough to go to a restaurant, so they could spend time with friends, and do something that some might seem undignified. And he did it, willingly and patiently.
On Sundays, there is an elderly couple me and my parents share a pew with. The wife is blind. I love watching them partake of the sacrament. As the tray of bread is passed and it gets to them, he deliberately guides the tray so she can grab a piece of bread, and take one herself. As the tray of water is passed, he will move one of the cups to the corner, so she can grab it - again, he guides the tray - and he is so very careful and precise. Doing everything so she can still do it herself, but still doing SO much. I love watching it, because I feel like it so exemplifies the Savior. That husband is so full of love for his wife, that he does all of that. I'm sure it's such a simple thing to him, but, for anyone who watches and observes, it speaks volumes for his character and his love.
There are several scriptures that speak of giving up your life. There is one that says that there is no greater love than laying down your life for a friend. But...does that necessarily mean dying for your friend? I think it can, definitely! But, that's not all, I believe. Laying down your life can also mean what those two men do for their wives. They lay down their own life for the ones that they love. They are filled with love and concern that they set aside any discomforts or pride or anything, really, that would prevent them from giving such service.
How often do we lay down our lives? Do we stop what we are doing, do we put a pause on our crazy, self-centered lives, and help another individual? I just can't stop thinking about how much love that is! To just STOP and go do something nice for someone you love.
Elder Bednar shared a talk about the character of Christ. He said one of the most defining things about Christ, is that He look outward, instead of inward. No matter what was going on in His life, no matter what He was experiencing, He didn't think about His needs. He focused on those around Him. Even as He was grieving John the Baptist's death, and sought solitude, the multitude found Him, and instead of turning them away like His apostles tried to do, He fed them. He taught them. He stayed with them. He looked outward. He laid down His life. He put His needs and His life on hold. Christ spent His entire life laying down His life. It wasn't just on the cross that He did that. And we can do that to; it doesn't just mean we have to die to show that greater love for someone. We simply have to be willing to STOP, and go do something for someone who needs it.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. - John 15:13
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Happiness is the truth
While I was driving to institute class today, I started thinking about how happy I was at the moment. I was jamming out to good music, I had a good morning, and I was about to be spiritually uplifted in class. My mind drifted to a conversation I recently had with a good friend. She commented on how dark the world was. The world is just filled with darkness. I totally agree with that. But, after she said that, I thought about it and responded with, "Well, yes, but I think we forget how much light and goodness there is out in the world too." And not JUST from the Church, or really, even other Christians. There is GOOD and there is LIGHT to be found out there.
When I got off of my mission, it was my favorite thing ever to discover new songs that were completely unrelated to the Gospel, but were still filled with light. It proved to me that there's a reason why God has placed us in this world. True, we are meant to be IN the world, not OF, but God wouldn't place us somewhere that was absolutely hopeless, that we simply needed to ignore or cut ourselves off from. If that were the case, we'd be commanded to flee from it. If all good was gone, we'd be leaving, just as God commanded His servants to flee Sodom and Gomorrah. Now, there is a LOT of evil out in the world. Just as bad, if not worse than, Sodom and Gomorrah. But, we are not fleeing, and it is not destroyed yet, because of the strength of the good that there is still out there. For every force of darkness that is out there, the light manages to still outshine it. And it is NOT just coming from the saints.
In institute today, we read Doctrine and Covenants 78:19, which says, "And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious...." My teacher asked us why God might tell us to be thankful for all things. Everybody gave deep, long explanations - that made perfect sense. But to me, the answer was so simple: because it makes us happier. If we are thankful ALL the time, the bad things can't bring us down. The way I see this verse, it's not saying that when something horrible and drastic happens, we should be like, "I'm SO thankful this happened!" Instead, it means that we receive it - acknowledged it happened - and then are thankful for what comes of it, or what didn't happen that could have made it worse, or what did happen that kept it from being worse, or the tender mercies we receive in the midst of the trial. We receive the trial with thankfulness, maybe not because of the trial, but because of everything else surrounding it.
You see, we are not surrounded by darkness; the light is surrounding the darkness. It simply depends on where you're looking, and what your perspective is. If you're focusing on the negative and the bad, you'll feel you're surrounded - no matter how filled with light you may be. But, once you acknowledge the bad, but start focusing on all the brilliant light around you, the darkness diminishes. It's still there, for sure, but it has less power.
As one who has experienced many ups and downs over the past 4 months, this was a very precious lesson to learn, because too often I allow myself to be overwhelmed by the negative. But that's so silly, because it's SO much better to just. Be. Happy. Like I was today. :)
Enjoy this song. This is how I felt.:)
When I got off of my mission, it was my favorite thing ever to discover new songs that were completely unrelated to the Gospel, but were still filled with light. It proved to me that there's a reason why God has placed us in this world. True, we are meant to be IN the world, not OF, but God wouldn't place us somewhere that was absolutely hopeless, that we simply needed to ignore or cut ourselves off from. If that were the case, we'd be commanded to flee from it. If all good was gone, we'd be leaving, just as God commanded His servants to flee Sodom and Gomorrah. Now, there is a LOT of evil out in the world. Just as bad, if not worse than, Sodom and Gomorrah. But, we are not fleeing, and it is not destroyed yet, because of the strength of the good that there is still out there. For every force of darkness that is out there, the light manages to still outshine it. And it is NOT just coming from the saints.
In institute today, we read Doctrine and Covenants 78:19, which says, "And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious...." My teacher asked us why God might tell us to be thankful for all things. Everybody gave deep, long explanations - that made perfect sense. But to me, the answer was so simple: because it makes us happier. If we are thankful ALL the time, the bad things can't bring us down. The way I see this verse, it's not saying that when something horrible and drastic happens, we should be like, "I'm SO thankful this happened!" Instead, it means that we receive it - acknowledged it happened - and then are thankful for what comes of it, or what didn't happen that could have made it worse, or what did happen that kept it from being worse, or the tender mercies we receive in the midst of the trial. We receive the trial with thankfulness, maybe not because of the trial, but because of everything else surrounding it.
You see, we are not surrounded by darkness; the light is surrounding the darkness. It simply depends on where you're looking, and what your perspective is. If you're focusing on the negative and the bad, you'll feel you're surrounded - no matter how filled with light you may be. But, once you acknowledge the bad, but start focusing on all the brilliant light around you, the darkness diminishes. It's still there, for sure, but it has less power.
As one who has experienced many ups and downs over the past 4 months, this was a very precious lesson to learn, because too often I allow myself to be overwhelmed by the negative. But that's so silly, because it's SO much better to just. Be. Happy. Like I was today. :)
Enjoy this song. This is how I felt.:)
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Why I love Frozen
I kind of have this slight obsession with Frozen. It started gradually. I was on my mission and heard all this hype. I had even heard "Let it Go" as I was out and about. I didn't quite get why it was deemed so awesome. I was quite skeptical about it all. It was one of the first movies I watched when I got back, and I was like, "Eh. It's pretty cool, I guess."
Then, I watched season 4 of Once Upon a Time - well, the first half - which involved the Frozen characters and, in typical Once Upon a Tim fashion, took lots of liberties with the story. It went beyond the story the movie gives us. I loved it! But, what I loved best was the characterization of Anna and Elsa. And, I watched Frozen again - maybe a couple of times - and again, I just fell in love with the characters. Why? Because the most important thing, both in the movie and in Once Upon a Time was the fact that they were sisters.
The solution to the entire problem of the story was love. Not necessarily romantic, but just love in general. That was how Elsa could control her powers. It was what saved Anna. And, what made it all just absolutely fantastic: what saved Anna was NOT true loves kiss. (Don't worry, this isn't like some feminist rant. I'm not saying Frozen is about how Anna doesn't need a man. Please. Anna and Cristoff = best couple ever. Their awkwardness and charm is absolutely fantastic!) What saved Anna was simply an act of true love. Her act of true love was saving her sister. The best part: she didn't do it to save herself. She did it to save Elsa. There wasn't an ounce of selfish desire. That's how it was in Once Upon a Time. The plot was riddled with acts that Anna and Elsa - and occasionally Cristoff - would do, because of their love for each other.
I think the world needs to be aware of what real love - or true love - is. Love isn't just a romantic thing. Love is something that makes every relationship sweeter. The love of a family member. The love friend. The love of a church leader. Sometimes even the love of that random person you just met, but you see the kindness in their eyes and in their actions (like that couple who leaves an outrageous tip, all because you were a little bit extra smiley when you were serving them).
So, yeah. I probably could rant and rave for awhile about how much I love how Frozen emphasizes love - and not just romantic love. And how Anna and Elsa are like the best sisters ever. The last time I watched it, I started reflecting on my own family, and how much I love them. It's been really great, being home from my mission and getting to spend time with them. Getting to see them differently than I have before - with eyes that are slightly different, after being a missionary for 18 months. And, truly, I love what I see.
It's super easy to be critical and focus on the negative - it actual is a natural human reaction. There can be 100 positive things that happened, and 1 bad thing, and our brain will naturally focus on the bad. One bad thing can ruin a day, if we let that natural reaction take the lead. It's very easy to do with people as well. I've started putting forth the effort to focus on the good in people, instead of the negative. Something that can be incredibly difficult for me, as I'm prone to crankiness and am accused of being a pessimist (I say realist). And, often the ones we are closest to get the harshest view.We get nit-picky with them.
But, I can tell you, as I've put forth the effort to see the positive in people, I have been overwhelmed with gratitude for my family. I've seen them drop everything to help a sibling out. I've noticed subtle acts of kindness that show the depth of their good character. I've seen generosity. I've seen diligence. I've seen joy. I wish I had enough time (ha, and patience) to get into specifics about each of my siblings and their families. But, lets face it: you wouldn't want to read that ridiculously long blogpost, and I'm not patient enough to write that out. Because that's a lot of people to write about. (I actually started to, and gave up...)
Anyways...that's why I love Frozen. Because I want to be a sister, daughter, aunt, friend, like Anna. Her sister didn't talk to her for YEARS, and she couldn't figure out why. Then, her sister freezes the entire land. Her reaction? "I've got to go talk to her! I've got to help her!" Then, her sister accidentally freezes her heart, pretty much sentences her to death, what is Anna's dying act? (Well, what she thinks is her dying act.) She saves her sister. Anna never holds bitterness or anger for her sister. All she cares about is helping her sister. And I want to be like that!
Then, I watched season 4 of Once Upon a Time - well, the first half - which involved the Frozen characters and, in typical Once Upon a Tim fashion, took lots of liberties with the story. It went beyond the story the movie gives us. I loved it! But, what I loved best was the characterization of Anna and Elsa. And, I watched Frozen again - maybe a couple of times - and again, I just fell in love with the characters. Why? Because the most important thing, both in the movie and in Once Upon a Time was the fact that they were sisters.
The solution to the entire problem of the story was love. Not necessarily romantic, but just love in general. That was how Elsa could control her powers. It was what saved Anna. And, what made it all just absolutely fantastic: what saved Anna was NOT true loves kiss. (Don't worry, this isn't like some feminist rant. I'm not saying Frozen is about how Anna doesn't need a man. Please. Anna and Cristoff = best couple ever. Their awkwardness and charm is absolutely fantastic!) What saved Anna was simply an act of true love. Her act of true love was saving her sister. The best part: she didn't do it to save herself. She did it to save Elsa. There wasn't an ounce of selfish desire. That's how it was in Once Upon a Time. The plot was riddled with acts that Anna and Elsa - and occasionally Cristoff - would do, because of their love for each other.
I think the world needs to be aware of what real love - or true love - is. Love isn't just a romantic thing. Love is something that makes every relationship sweeter. The love of a family member. The love friend. The love of a church leader. Sometimes even the love of that random person you just met, but you see the kindness in their eyes and in their actions (like that couple who leaves an outrageous tip, all because you were a little bit extra smiley when you were serving them).
So, yeah. I probably could rant and rave for awhile about how much I love how Frozen emphasizes love - and not just romantic love. And how Anna and Elsa are like the best sisters ever. The last time I watched it, I started reflecting on my own family, and how much I love them. It's been really great, being home from my mission and getting to spend time with them. Getting to see them differently than I have before - with eyes that are slightly different, after being a missionary for 18 months. And, truly, I love what I see.
It's super easy to be critical and focus on the negative - it actual is a natural human reaction. There can be 100 positive things that happened, and 1 bad thing, and our brain will naturally focus on the bad. One bad thing can ruin a day, if we let that natural reaction take the lead. It's very easy to do with people as well. I've started putting forth the effort to focus on the good in people, instead of the negative. Something that can be incredibly difficult for me, as I'm prone to crankiness and am accused of being a pessimist (I say realist). And, often the ones we are closest to get the harshest view.We get nit-picky with them.
But, I can tell you, as I've put forth the effort to see the positive in people, I have been overwhelmed with gratitude for my family. I've seen them drop everything to help a sibling out. I've noticed subtle acts of kindness that show the depth of their good character. I've seen generosity. I've seen diligence. I've seen joy. I wish I had enough time (ha, and patience) to get into specifics about each of my siblings and their families. But, lets face it: you wouldn't want to read that ridiculously long blogpost, and I'm not patient enough to write that out. Because that's a lot of people to write about. (I actually started to, and gave up...)
Anyways...that's why I love Frozen. Because I want to be a sister, daughter, aunt, friend, like Anna. Her sister didn't talk to her for YEARS, and she couldn't figure out why. Then, her sister freezes the entire land. Her reaction? "I've got to go talk to her! I've got to help her!" Then, her sister accidentally freezes her heart, pretty much sentences her to death, what is Anna's dying act? (Well, what she thinks is her dying act.) She saves her sister. Anna never holds bitterness or anger for her sister. All she cares about is helping her sister. And I want to be like that!
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