I Can Do Small Things

Everyone has continuous trials. In some cases they are brought on by our own choices; other times they're just given to us. For some it may be finances. For others it may be addiction. And for others it may be illnesses. Life holds many trials. But we all have that one great trial that helps define us, though sometimes it just feels like it overshadows us.

My life-defining trial is not unique; many people deal with the same things I'm dealing with. Some may even deal with it the same way I do. As I mentioned in my last post, we all have our ups and downs, and that's okay so long as we don't give up. But not giving up can be one of the hardest things we do.

I recently had a down day—a very down day. When I went to bed that night, I didn't want to try getting out of bed the next morning, I didn't want to try giving a lesson to our Primary kids, and I didn't want to try sitting through sacrament meeting—not because I didn't want to go to church, but because I didn't think I could make it through it. 

Morning came, and I got out of bed to get ready, fighting back tears most of the time. I plead in my mind, probably for comfort, not sure exactly what I was saying or asking. And as I tried to calm myself through a deep breath, this scripture came to me: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). I almost disregarded it, recalling that this scripture is often applied when people are trying to do big, difficult things, like preparing to serve a mission in a foreign country, not preparing to go to church.

I thought about it again, but this time with a slight change: "I can do all things—small things—through Christ." I realized then that "all things" doesn't mean "great things" or "magnificent things." It means "all things"—even the small ones. Yes, Christ is there to help us when we face great challenges. But He is just as ready to help us when we face small struggles. Most days, going out of the house isn't difficult in the slightest. But that day, such a small thing became a great challenge to me. And Christ was there to help.

I haven't overcome my great life challenge. I doubt I will for a while yet. But I overcame that day, as hard as it was. And I gained a new appreciation for a favorite scripture and found its application in my everyday life. The Lord cares about each of us, all the time—not just when we're fighting our way through our most difficult trials or facing pivotal moments in our lives. He cares about everything we're going through, and He understands perfectly what we're experiencing. He wants to help us get through it. We just need to reach out to Him and realize that He does care, even about the small things.

Through Christ I can do great things. Through Christ I can do small things. Through Christ I can do all things, because He strengthens me.

Don't You Dare Give Up

It always amazes me how easy it is to lose something you worked so hard for and were so excited about. Running is one thing that always comes in waves for me. About a month ago, I got an amazing team together, and we ran the Red Rock Relay in Park City. It was definitely one of the hardest things I've ever done, especially in running. It was awesome, and my team was incredible. And I have not run since.

The same thing can happen with just about anything in our lives, especially with our spirituality or our dedication to spiritual things. Shortly after that run, I got sick. I kept listening to the Ensign articles and posting quotes from them on Facebook for about a week. And then I still listened but didn't post. I wasn't getting on Facebook because I was using my downtime to rest and get better. But then one day, I didn't listen. One day became two. And now here I am, weeks later. I didn't lose my testimony. My faith didn't waver. I didn't stop reading scriptures, praying, or giving lessons to my Primary kids. So what did I lose? Well, I lost that zeal I expressed in my last post--or rather, it ebbed, because I was not being active in my listening, posting, and blogging. It is so important for to be active if you want to keep that zeal. 

As L. Whitney Clayton stated, "Belief and testimony and faith are not passive principles. They do not just happen to us. Belief is something we choose--we hope for it, we work for it, and we sacrifice for it. We will not accidentally come to believe in the Savior and His gospel any more than we will accidentally pray or pay tithing. We actively choose to believe, just like we choose to keep other commandments. . . . Our actions are the evidence of our belief and become the substance of our faith" ("Choose to Believe," Ensign, May 2015).

That's exactly what happened with me, in both areas. I was not active in my running after the race. My shoes didn't crawl into my bed, slip on my feet, and force my legs to pump out run. Likewise, I didn't choose to listen, post, or blog. My phone didn't automatically start up an article, and my keyboard didn't type out a quote on it's own. The gospel requires to actively choose. And for everyone one, that's different. Like I mentioned, I still have my testimony, my faith, and my adorable Primary kids. I just didn't actively choose to keep going with my goal. But you might be struggling with something different. Your parents or your siblings will be struggling with something different from the both of us. And that's okay.

We're not always going to be at the height of our spirituality. The important thing is that we don't give up when we hit those low points. We need to keep trusting in the Lord, and we keep choosing to follow Him. In the oft-quoted story of his car breaking down, Elder Holland illustrated this point: "Don't you give up. . . . Don't you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead. . . . You keep your chin up. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come" (Jeffrey R. Holland, "An High Priest of Good Things to Come," Ensign, November 1999). Spirituality, dedication, zeal--it all comes in waves. Just keep trying until you make back up on top.

Once you are back up on top, help others to get there too. Life is hard, and we're not meant to go through it alone. It can be easy to frustrated, annoyed, or skeptical of others' choices and actions, especially if we don't quite understand what they're going through. But as Dale G. Renlund said, "We must not only be tolerant while others work on their individual illnesses [weaknesses]; we must also be kind, patient, supportive, and understanding. As God encourages us to keep on trying, He expects us to also allow others the space to do the same, at their own pace" ("Latter-day Saints Keep on Trying," Ensign, May 2015). Others may struggle with things you don't, but that doesn't mean you are better or more spiritual than them. You have your weaknesses too. I know I certainly have mine. We're all working toward the same goal, and we need to help each other get there. 

Don't give up on others. Don't give up on yourself. Even when you're feeling at a low, know that you can accomplish great things. Keep choosing. Stay active. How sad would it be if after that great run I never put my running shoes back on. So I need to rephrase that sentence from the beginning of this post: I have not run since, yet. I went weeks without my zeal, but here I am. Just because you're not where you want to be yet--spiritually, physically, emotionally--doesn't mean you can't get there. So don't you dare give up.

Sharing, Comforting, Strengthening

Because of the work I do, I get to read lots of books before they're actually published. One of those was More Than the Tattooed Mormon by Al Carraway, set to be released before the end of the year. (If you don't know who Al Carraway is, you can check out her blog at http://alfoxshead.blogspot.com/.)

 

While I was reading, I had the thought, I want what she has. A large blog following? No. An adorable smile and killer fashion sense? No. What I want that she has is a thirst for the gospel, a desire to be as close to the Lord as I possibly can. You see, I was raised a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have taken many of the teachings of the gospel for granted. I've strived to be diligent in my daily scripture reading and in my prayers, but they've often been accomplished with a "this is what I've been taught and what I'm supposed to do" mentality. Al reads her scriptures, and anything gospel related, because she wants to learn everything she can. She prays because she has an actual relationship with the Lord, and her prayers are conversations with Him. The last time I remember having that sort of drive and that sort of relationship was when I was in high school. But being blessed with the gospel in my life and knowing of the Savior's love for me, why have I become content in the small trickles I receive each Sunday and the waves that come twice a year at general conference when I have an ocean before of knowledge just waiting for me to dive in? I've realized that there's something new I can learn every day, or at least be reminded of, and I can kept lift others simply by sharing what I've learned. So I'm starting on a new journey. Every day, I'm going to read or listen to the words of the Lord's servants, in addition to normal scripture study, and share with others what stood out to me in each article or talk. And every week, I'm going to post what I've learned.

I decided to start with the most recent general conference, found in the Ensign of May 2015. The short week of starting (Thursday through Sunday) happened to be just right for the women's broadcast of conference. (The quotes were shared on my Facebook page. In the future, I may post them here throughout the week as well.) Sister Esplin's quotes to seemed to be reaffirming the new commitment I made, to seek for truth and to share it. Sharing it doesn't have to be going out and finding someone who isn't a member. Active members, the Lord's disciples can also benefit from shared gospel truths. The other quotes I shared support that, and some of the comments I received are evidence of it. We may never know what comfort, what strength, what answers we may be giving to someone. But the Lord does. He knows who needs comfort, and He knows who can give it. He knows who needs strength and who needs answers, and He knows who can give them. We may never know whose lives we touch. But if we are in tune with the Spirit, listen to His promptings, and allow ourselves to be instruments in His hands, I know that we will be able to help those who need it, even if it is just through our example.

Sometimes we have to wait for the things that we want, even if they're righteous desires. I think I'm getting my PhD in patience. But as Sister Oscarson said, our lives rarely go how we plan them to. We need to realize that the Lord has His own timetable for us and we can't just sit around waiting for Him to get on with it. Easier said than done, I know. But what could be a better plan B than lifting others, giving comfort and strength, and sharing the good news of our Lord and Savior? Sometimes the Lord makes us wait, but we don't need to wait idly.