Perfection

The thing I love about the gospel and the Book of Mormon is that it isn't full of perfect people. The BOM is a perfect example of what life is like. No one is perfect. The prophets in that book were never perfect. They had their flaws and had their faults, however, what made them the leaders and disciples we know them to be is the fact that when they weren't perfect or when they messed up, they did everything in their power to make it right and to do right by The Lord. And that is how they became favored by The Lord. Not from being perfect but from being imperfect and perfecting themselves through him.

 I find it interesting that in this life, we make ourselves believe that we only have 2 options: perfection or giving up. However, I am coming to learn that, that ideology is a mistake. Perfection may be the ultimate goal but it cannot be expected right away. Just like a young one learning a sport or to play the piano. His skills and abilities will need to be honed and worked on. He is going to dribble wrong, or hit the wrong key once or twice ( or a lot) for a while, but we expect that to happen. We don't expect perfection from him. We don't tell him that he isnt worthy of being able to keep practicing, we expect him to keep trying. So why do we change the tune when it comes to different things such as our own personal conversion or spirituality? Why do we make ourselves believe that we need to be perfect in order to be loved by our Father in Heaven? Those 2 options are one of the biggest lies that could fill our minds. Perfection can be an illusion if we do not understand that there is a long, hard road to get there. A road with many hills and valleys. A road that is sometimes paved but can also be a rugged dirt road. The road can be many things, but one thing it is not is short.

With that being said, for those of you who are trying, who feel like your are at your wits end of something. For those of you who feel like you're not good enough to keep trying. For those of you who feel like you have been thrown to the wolves and forgotten, I beg of you, keep going. Don't quit. Hold on for a moment more. Angels are coming to your aid and will give you whatever you stand in need of. 

Have a fabulous week! :) 

Character

Picture this. It's freezing outside. You are driving down a busy street, while on the street you see a woman chasing after a bus that had just left the stop she was headed towards. You can see the panic and disappointment on her face as you pass and she accepts the fact that she will have to wait another half hour in the freezing cold for the next bus to stop.

You weren't the only ones to see this happen. It is a crowded street filled with people anxious to get home. But as you pull over, car after car continue on their way deciding to ignore this woman's distress. 

You pick her up and realize she speaks absolutely no English. You have no idea where she needs to go, only the direction of where the bus was headed. You crank the heater in hopes to warm up the sweet soul in the backseat. "Thank you" is the only phrase you are able to make out of the exotic language she is speaking. It wasn't said in broken English, for neither of those words needed mending. It was more than enough. 

As you drop her off at the bus stop just a few seconds before the next bus arrives she exits the car and for the first time you get a good look at her. You realize how small and frail she is. The thought of how cold she must be passes throug your mind. Again, she wholeheartedly repeats those perfect words, "Thank you!" With that she rushes to get on the bus. 

The interesting part of the whole thing is that as the woman leaves on the bus you are left with a feeling of gratitude for her. You are left with a feeling of love for her.  You want to follow that bus and make sure she arrives to her destination safely. 

The ability and capacity we have to love and be loved is infinite, meaning that there is no limit on how much we can love one another and how much we can be love. The only thing allowing those limits to be created is ourselves.Christ's  character shows just that. Time after time he shows us how to look to serve others. Time after time, no matter what he was facing, not once did he ever turn inwards and have a pity party for himself. Time after time he looks out to find others to uplift. Elder Bednar puts he perfectly when he says, "Character is revealed in the power to discern the suffering of other people when we ourselves are suffering; in the ability to detect the hunger of others when we are hungry; and in the power to reach out and extend compassion for the spiritual agony of others when we are in the midst of our own spiritual distress."

 I can only speak for myself, but I'm not sure what my character would reveal based on those standards. I would hope they are close to the Savior's. I don't hand pick my experiences, but I am grateful for the simple life changing lessons I learn through them as hard as they may be. I pray to be better. It's a work in progress. A never ending work, for my salvation is eternal and so shall be my work towards it. So from here on out, consider to be open to love. Allow love to enter your heart. Allow it to fill and warm your heart as you shareand receive it. Don't limit yourself on how much you can love another human being. It may change your life.