Can I tell you what I am grateful for today? Living prophets and apostles. I just finished re-reading a devotional that President Henry B. Eyering gave back in 2001 at BYU-Idaho when I was a student there. I don't recall that devotional perfectly in my mind but I have always remembered that I felt something powerful as he was speaking. I remember that I thought to myself several times, "this is something I need to always remember, something I need to always come back to when life gets hard and I forget my purpose". I was a brand new freshman at that time. Now that I am a recent graduate of BYU-Idaho I read it again and realize how far I have come. I have had SO many experiences since that time that have allowed me to struggle and work hard and develop my character. I felt today that I have (in my own small and simple way) been a part of the prophecy President Eyering made at that time. I know when he gave it I thought, "could he really be talking about me? Will I really make a difference?". I am doing it.
I am doing it. That's something I was reminded by an amazing friend when I was a missionary in Argentina. Life as a missionary gets hard. It's something I'm not sure you can understand unless you have been a missionary yourself. I had been really frustrated for 2 or 3 months which began to affect what I did and in turn I got more and more discouraged until I felt like I couldn't do anything well. I remember I came home with my companion to eat lunch and I had been crying and frustrated. I layed on the bottom bunk bed and sobbed. The other companionship came home for lunch as well, and Hermana Thorup came and sat down next to me. We talked about a lot of things. I listened as she told me what she had learned about hope. I applied it to what I already understood about hope. She then looked at me with a big encouraging smile and said, "Hermana, you're doing it." I don't know why it hit me so powerfully at that time. I could finally breathe again. I knew deep down that I was doing the best I knew how. I had much to improve on, but I was doing it..JPG)
For me the key to not getting discouraged (and it can happen so easily) is to focus on what I am doing. Whether my efforts are validated by others or not, whether people respond well or badly, I do lot's of things right every day. I do the best I can. And when I screw up I fix it and move on as quickly as I can (no need to dwell or draw out something painful). So today I guess I realize that I have lot's of things I need to fix or be better at, but I AM DOING IT!
I am doing it. That's something I was reminded by an amazing friend when I was a missionary in Argentina. Life as a missionary gets hard. It's something I'm not sure you can understand unless you have been a missionary yourself. I had been really frustrated for 2 or 3 months which began to affect what I did and in turn I got more and more discouraged until I felt like I couldn't do anything well. I remember I came home with my companion to eat lunch and I had been crying and frustrated. I layed on the bottom bunk bed and sobbed. The other companionship came home for lunch as well, and Hermana Thorup came and sat down next to me. We talked about a lot of things. I listened as she told me what she had learned about hope. I applied it to what I already understood about hope. She then looked at me with a big encouraging smile and said, "Hermana, you're doing it." I don't know why it hit me so powerfully at that time. I could finally breathe again. I knew deep down that I was doing the best I knew how. I had much to improve on, but I was doing it.
For me the key to not getting discouraged (and it can happen so easily) is to focus on what I am doing. Whether my efforts are validated by others or not, whether people respond well or badly, I do lot's of things right every day. I do the best I can. And when I screw up I fix it and move on as quickly as I can (no need to dwell or draw out something painful). So today I guess I realize that I have lot's of things I need to fix or be better at, but I AM DOING IT!
No comments:
Post a Comment