These past few weeks as I have struggled with adjusting to the new life that Jooj and W and I are living, I am trying to keep a little more grounded, a little more perched to understand the Lord's will for me.
As I was reading, I was reminded of Nephi's response to the Lord's direction to return to Israel and get the plates from Laban. The words jumped out at me--that God gives no commandments without also preparing a way for his children to accomplish what is required. In the past, I have looked at that promise as something to cling to when it feels like I cannot go on--sort of an "enduring=hanging for dear life" perspective. As I have been pondering it this week I have realized that, for me, I need to look at it in the following way:
I must do what is asked of me, because it is a commandment. And because it is a commandment, the Lord will make it possible to accomplish. And because it is now possible to accomplish, I can do it.
This is probably something that you already know, but for me it has been an eye-opener, to say the least. For example:
Army did not command W to leave us for 15 months; W joined the military with fasting and prayer, and I know that God commanded W to be in the Army. Therefore, God has commanded W to serve away from his family for this time. But since it is a commandment, not an unfeeling order from some General somewhere, it is possible for us to be able to do this. Even more, it is possible for this to be beneficial to us in the long run; great blessings can come of this, since blessings always follow the keeping of commandments. Huh.
I can also apply this to health and fitness and keeping my house clean and mothering well--all are commandments given by the Lord (D&C 109:8, D&C 89, and D&C 121:43). When I realize that, since I have been commanded to discipline the Jooj so that she becomes a decent person, with faith I will be able to accomplish it, it seems doable. And when I remember that the Lord will make a way for me to get my house in order, even if it seems impossible, I have hope that it can be done. Does that make sense? It is like some sort of mathematical proof--if A is true and B is true, then AB must be true. If God always keeps his promises, and God promises that I can do it, then it can be done.
And that helps.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Thinking and coping and hoping.
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10 comments:
I have a testimony of La Yen.
Amen!
P.S. You have captured, and so elegantly expressed a concept I've been learning this past year (ok, really my whole life) in the exact words that fit my tangled-up mental description of it.
I've taken on a new motto for when I start to feel myself freeze up and things are getting to be overwhelming: This is hard. But everything will be ok. Because I can do hard things!
The amazing thing to me is somehow finding COMFORT and JOY in the midst of trials when I submit and consecrate those trials to the Lord. It's not that the trial is "poofed away"- as Heidi would say. But somehow, submitting to the Lord and giving these trials some MEANING eases half the burden and brings light to the daily struggles. Mind boggling. But wonderful to experience and to witness in your writings as well.
Loves and loves and smoochies to the jooj!
Ever since you mentioned getting shanked on the bus I'm terrified of the bus. Not that I had any immediate plans to take the bus... just thought you should know.
Also, I seem to have commandeered your comments.
COMMENT HOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You may banish me as you see fit.
I also promise to send comment-novella's to your email box in the future instead of posting here. :)
I'm quite finished.
What Amy said.
AMEN. And... HALLELUJAH for you.
We love you Yen. Hang in there. If you want we can come out for next Christmas and take you guys to a movie like we did when W was in Kosovo. You made it through that and you'll make it through this with all your friends and family praying for you.
In truth from the outsider perpsective it makes me appreciate Alma's injunction a little more to help lift one another's burdens.
It's funny that even though we 'know' something we don't know something, you know? So even though we think we understand that if the Lord has commanded us there will be a way to accomplish it, we (and by we I mean I) need to be reminded and confirmed of the blessing. It's funny to me that I need these little revelations, the deeper understandings on a continual basis.
Thanks. I needed that.
We had some good advice from Elder Richard G. Scott last month when he came to reorganize our stake. He told the women that as they would humbly ask the Lord he would make known to them both the things they were doing well and the things that were necessary for them to do for their families (he said it better than I did). I've been too chicken to ask yet, but I will.
I thought about this all day yesterday. I love and appreciate how you put it. Thanks LY.
Great thoughts here.
So true. Though, it's still hard to do things, knowing it's the Lord's will, we somehow get the strength when we submit to that.
Thanks for the thoughts.
I'm thinking of this daily. I finally got my house cleaned ...and I've started going through those boxes I never unpacked (4 years ago)... THANK YOU. I'm also going Vting tonight and am taking your post with me... with your byline...and am so grateful. I think it goes right along with January's message.
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