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.
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).
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.
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.
