Saturday, January 22, 2011
Things As They Really Are
I was reading Abinadi's words in Mosiah, and, as usual when reading scriptures, I thought of something else that was helpful to me personally (funny how that goes). I thought how we can covet our own possessions, even our spouses and family members or friends, and how that attitude can lead to fearfulness and possessiveness and competitiveness. I thought about how we don't own any one or any thing, every thing and every one belongs to Heavenly Father, yet even He allows each person the freedom to choose for themself, and He allows us to have all the blessings we stand in need of. That is the accurate view of things as they really are.
I also thought about how I live in a kind of defensive posture against Heavenly Father, always watching out lest He punish me or have cause to punish me. I think that's because of my misunderstanding (and my dad's) of some rather harsh-sounding scriptures. Bro. Jensen, from LDS Social Services, told me that some scriptures are meant to warn those who are slow to hear, and people who take everything to heart should read more joyful scriptures (I think he meant that we should concentrate on those portions of scripture). That makes sense, since the scriptures are meant to help everyone.
Being defensive stops me from acting as freely as I could, and it keeps my face from reflecting all the joy that comes from knowing about Heavenly Father's plan.
All these thoughts were brought to my mind by Abinadi's statement that Jesus will redeem those who have looked forward to His coming. If I am fearful or defensive, then I'm not really looking forward in faith; I'm behaving as if there is a limited amount of love and forgiveness available to everyone or anyone, and that's a totally incorrect view.
I really want to learn to let go more, to feel much more gratitude, to believe in the Savior's redeeming power for myself and my loved ones, to believe that He makes up for where I fall short, and, above all, to trust in Heavenly Father's plan with all my heart.
Thank you for reading this!
xoxoxo
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4 comments:
Thank you for that insight, it helped me today. I need to call you, or you call me, we haven't talked in a while!
I wish grandpa hadn't had that negative view of us all being bad and fighting our natural bad selves to attempt to be good, because it kind of rubbed off on a lot of us! I don't like the negative scriptures either. I guess no one does, but it does give a sense of doom no matter what. :/
Oh yes, Megan! It will take a lot of prayer and fasting to change things that are practically bred into me! But that's the way the generations improve, and I have to look at the whole picture. I, from what I know of myself, probably 'foolishly volunteered' (author Carlfred Broderick's phrase)to be a link in the generations that needed to overcome false traditions. When you look at where Grandpa came from, he probably did the same.
So it starts to make greater sense.
You must be very strong, to come to the circumstances you did - and I really mean that!
PS to Megan: And you hit the nail on the head, when you described what we were taught!
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