Muddling thru the Middle

Muddling through the Middle

I remember as a child hearing Scripture stories for the very first time.  I worried for David because Goliath was so wicked and wanted to kill him.  I feared for Daniel when he was put into lion's den.  I was so relieved that David and David were triumphant. 

After hearing and reading those and many other stories many times over the years, I found myself thinking, "It's okay, everything is going to be fine".  For David and Daniel, they did not know the outcome of their story while they were living it.  Their fear and their faith that overcame their fears were very real.  

We are living our story. We don't know the ending and how it will all turn out, but our Father in Heaven knows.  Often times it's fearful and frustrating while we muddle through the middle of our lives.  Our choices now will affect our story. 

Sometimes I've prayed and asked to know RIGHT NOW how the story ends. However, when I'm reading a novel or watching a movie, I don't want to read spoilers.  I'm learning to wait, have faith, obey His commandments, listen for personal revelation and see how my Father in Heaven blesses me once again.

Our Savior, Jesus Christ will come on earth again and He will conquer all darkness before Him.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland stated, “The future of this world has long been declared; the final outcome between good and evil is already known. There is absolutely no question as to who WINS because the VICTORY has already been posted on the SCOREBOARD. The only really strange thing in all of this is that we are still down here on the FIELD trying to decide which TEAM’S JERSEY we want to wear!”

I have found peace even amidst trials by following the teachings of my Savior and his prophets.  It's never been easy but it is always worth it.

Two LDS conference talks that I love given by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf that inspired my thoughts in this post.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/04/your-happily-ever-after?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2012/07/always-in-the-middle?lang=eng

Blockbusters and Palaces

Blockbusters & Palaces

Think of one of your favorite books or movies...I'm going to go with the Harry Potter series. Think of the plot, all the twists and turns. Think about why you love that story.  

Now, take out all the problems that hero/heroine encounters. In the case of Harry, both parents live, Voldemort doesn't exist, he goes to school, everyone is his friend. He marries Ginny.  Everything is perfect.  Would you want to read that story?  I wouldn't be interested. Why not? It'd be quite boring.

Our Heavenly Father has sent us to this earth to learn and to grow. He is allowing us to have an epic experience.  Sometimes we score and win the game, sometimes we feel alone and lonely.  It's all part of the story.  

President Spencer W. Kimball, a prophet of God, gave this insightful explanation:

“If pain and sorrow and total punishment immediately followed the doing of evil, no soul would repeat a misdeed. If joy and peace and rewards were instantaneously given the doer of good, there could be no evil—all would do good and not because of the rightness of doing good. There would be no test of strength, no development of character, no growth of powers, no free agency. … There would also be an absence of joy, success, resurrection, eternal life, and godhood.”

If there are no trials, there could be no miracles. Heavenly Father loves us enough to allow us to grow. A muscle that is not used will atrophy. Our Spirits if left unchallenged would atrophy as well.

I love this quote by C.S. Lewis, a Christian writer, 

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

You are the protagonist in your very own story.  Don’t give up, don’t ever quit!  We are all in this together J  When we return to our Heavenly Home, imagine the stories will have to tell!