Making Roadblocks vs. Building Bridges [my attempt at a chiasm of sorts]

Sometimes life presents challenges that we may not feel ready for.  When those moments strike, there are things we can depend upon when those moments happen:

Heavenly Father loves us.   

 

And he certainly didn't send us here to fail.

 

He placed us in certain times and in certain places that we may have the support we need.  

 

Because those moments often mean making a choice. 

 

"Ye cannot serve God and Mammon"  

 

 

Agency means choosing.  It means we get to choose which socks to wear (if any), we get to choose to eat healthy or not, whether or not to be happy and to be at peace with God.  The whole spectrum of choice is ours-- that's agency. 

 

Satan would have us believe that we are alone when we make our choices.  He would have us believe that our choices only affect ourselves.  He is hoping that we choose to serve ourselves--  live our lives as if we are the only ones involved-- and make roadblocks that isolate us from those who are ready to help.   He would also have us believe that it is diminishing to ourselves to depend on, or work with others.

 

Satan's best tool is isolation-- because let's face it, life is too busy, too stressful, too crazy to do it all on our own-- but when we try to do it all, that's when stress builds up, depression sets in, and sin starts to look like an enticing 'escape'. And then he wins.

Nevertheless, Heavenly Father, the Savior, and the Holy Ghost are ready to strengthen, support, and encourage us-- always.

 

We are not meant to be alone.  We are meant to reach out our hands, our hearts, and our minds-- work together with each other to bring us closer.  By doing so, we build bridges-- bridges of hope, of compassion, and of healing.   All these things are selfless.  They serve God.  Heavenly Father wants us to build.

 

The Plan of Agency itself means that we are not alone.  It means we can work in a partnership with our Savior.  The Plan of Agency itself is dependent upon a partnership.  Our realization, and acceptance of that fact means the difference between success and failure of that Plan in our own lives. 

  

Our Savior has shown us how to choose wisely-- how to depend on our Heavenly Father so that we can learn faster, grow stronger, and live again with Him.  We can choose.  We can choose to serve God--  to focus on building a partnership-- a 'bridge' if you will-- to eternal life.  

 

"No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon."  3 Nephi 13:24

 

We have family and friends who love us, and are ready to help, if we are willing to work together.

 

He placed us in certain times, and in certain places, that we may reach out and receive the help we need. 

 

He did not send us here to fail.

 

He did not send us here to be alone.

 

Our Father in Heaven loves all of us.

 

The Prodigal's Path

It's been said that Jesus was never specific as to who the prodigal was in the Parable.  For much of my life, I'd always assumed it was the son that took the inheritance money early, spent it on riotous living, became so broke and poor that he considered eating the pig's food, and went home to beg to be a servant in his father's house.

A few years ago I attended an early morning talk given by John Bytheway.  Ok, really I sneeked in on the basis it was for the youth, and I had driven my two teens over-- and did I mention it was John Bytheway?!  Yup, there was an empty chair, and I was happy to keep it filled.

In his talk, he shared a whole new perspective on The Prodigal.  Yes, the money-wasting son is easy to identify-- but in reality, both sons exemplified the prodigal son.  The first for his outward sins, and the second for his inner sins.

Jesus has asked us to forgive, but sometimes that is a really, really, REALLY hard thing to do.

I have had an opportunity to experience a prodigal path of my own.

I have always identified with the hard working son, and this time has been no different.  I understand his feelings-- the tired resentment of having extra work put upon his shoulders, the feelings of being overlooked for being the quiet one, or for being the dependable one, and any number of little and big things.

Why is it so hard to forgive someone who has wronged us?

I can tell you, but I'm guessing you may already have had this discussion in your own head. We all have.  Sometimes even multiple times-- and until we figure it out, we are destined to repeat it over, and over again.

The Prodigal's Path is going to be a post about something small...... and about everything big.

It's about forgiving those who have hurt us, and living a life of love.  Love is a gift that our Heavenly Father has bestowed upon us.  The sacrifice of the Savior is proof of that.  His sacrifice is the reason why we are able to forgive others-- because He has suffered and paid the price for everyone's sins.  It was an infinite Atonement, so it covers it all.  All the way up, and all the way down.

When we can fully realize what that means for us-- that everyone's sins, big or small, have been paid for, then it gives us the freedom our hearts and souls long to have-- the freedom to love. To connect with one another and to stitch together the human race.

Together..... or perhaps another way to say it would be: To Gather.  To bring close, to add strength one to another, to hope and to pray that as we are all in our own ways learning and growing-- and often by our mistakes we learn the most-- we have the opportunity to put things more aright if we are willing to allow the completeness of the atonement to work within us as well as without.

'And again I say unto you,ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little child, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God'  3 Nephi 11: 38.

Why a child? Because a child is so very quick to forgive.  Somehow that becomes harder as we 'grow up'.

But as we allow the healing aspect of the Atonement to work within us-- to be the salve that heals-- we can change our hearts and minds to be more like the Savior's, and to grow closer to what He would have us become.

 I see that for all of us-- with our differing opinions, our different pasts and futures, that we all may have many chances to greet a 'prodigal son' as they return to their Father's house, with little expectations of a warm greeting. We can all change that. We have the opportunity-- as people seek to change for the better-- to be the one hoping, and cheering for a soul reclaimed from the darkness.

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This semester for Pathway I have chosen 'Enduring Charity', with a special emphasis this last week or two on 'Love'.  What this means is that for a space of time, I am trying to learn, to grow, and to show my chosen attribute of the Savior-- so that my testimony may grow, and that I can become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ.   This week-- today actually-- I offered a hug to someone who had caused great pain and sorrow to me.  The 'Prodigal Path' is a journey of healing-- something that I believe can be a testament to the wondrous power of the Atonement.  It can be done. Healing and change is all possible--  if one is willing to reach out to claim the gift that has already been given.

A Change of Heart

Preparing a talk: A Change of Heart

When I lived in Lancaster-- a city most would consider a desert city, there were many times I packed water in my bag-- even if I only thought I was going to be gone for 15 minutes.  As anyone who has visited or lived in the desert knows, water is the most important thing to bring with-- no matter how long you think you are going to be.

One hot July day, after drinking my water, there was a long space of time before I could get more.  With the desert heat surrounding me, I could feel myself drying out. I knew that if I ignored the situation, I would become seriously dehydrated, and in danger of heat stroke.  I decided to leave what I was doing and drive to the nearest store and grab more water.  I drove to the local grocery store, pulled a couple of chilled water bottles out of the mini fridge, and paid the requested amount.  As soon as I had paid for the water, I twisted a cap off, and drank.

The tingling that came about was marvelous.  It was a physical hydration reaction.

A Change of Heart can be the same thing-- but what is a 'change of heart'?

In his talk, 'Putting off the Natural Man' David Hellem stated:

"Spiritual rebirth as a separate experience 

that does not necessarily occur at the   time of water baptism or the laying on the hands, the changes that occur when   this rebirth takes place, and the necessary conditions that bring  about this transformation.

We recall that Nicodemus approached the Savior inquiring how one  might enter the kingdom of God. Although the Apostle John did not  record Nicodemus’s specific questions, he did record the Savior’s  response: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born  again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3.)Moments later, the Savior clarified what he meant: “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5; italics added.) After Alma had been“born of the Spirit,” he announced that all mankind must be similarly “born again” or they can  “in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.” (Mosiah 27:24–26.) Clearly, the rebirth experience is a necessary prerequisite to enter the kingdom of God."

There are many times where we 'dry out'.  One of the most recognizable is when we sin.

As humans, we all sin.  We learn, we grow, but the process can be messy.  And-- as humans-- we are bound to make mistakes along the way.

In President Benson's talk, ' A Mighty Change of Heart', given in 1989, we can learn some enduring principles.

"Violation

of the laws of God brings only misery,bondage, and darkness." 

Or, in other words, we 'dry out' when we don't obey God's commandments. 

 If we would be true members of the Church is that repentance involves not just a change of actions, but a change of heart.  

President Benson states:  "When King Benjamin finished his remarkable address in the land of Zarahemla, the  people all cried with one voice that they believed his words. They knew of a surety that  his promises of redemption were true, because, said they, “the Spirit of the Lord  Omnipotent … has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, [and note this] that  we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.” (Mosiah 5:2.)

"When we have undergone this mighty change, which is brought about only through faith in Jesus Christ and through the operation of the Spirit upon us, it is as though we have   become a new person. Thus, the change is likened to a new birth.Thousands of you have experienced this change. You have forsaken lives of sin, sometimes deep and offensive   sin, and through applying the blood of Christ in your lives, have become clean. You have no more disposition to return to your old ways.You are in reality a new person. This is   what is meant by a change of heart."

Sometimes, if we are careful, we can 'stay hydrated', but it is a challenge.  

Elder Wilford W. Andersen stated: 

"Those who exercise faith in Christ by obeying His commandments, repenting of their sins, earnestly entering into the covenant of baptism, and then renewing that covenant weekly will experience the purifying power of the Holy Ghost unto the remission of their sins. They will receive and retain a mighty change of heart.... 

Alma taught that God grants unto men according to their  desires, whether they be good or evil see Alma 29:4).Our hope,then is not just to refrain from sinning but also to turn to the Lord,  who has the power to grant a remission of our sins, to purify our  desires, and to change our very natures (see Mosiah 5:2)."

There is an additional step, however, in the miraculous process of  the remission of sins. Nephi taught that after we receive the gift  of the Holy Ghost, we must endure to the end. When we exercise our   faith unto repentance, are baptized, and receive the gift of the   Holy Ghost, the miracle begins. But the cleansing power and   reassuring influence of the Holy Ghost will remain with us only if we “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ”(see 2 Nephi 31:19–20).

"Alma understood this principle, asking his people, “And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of   heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I   would ask, can ye feel so now?” (Alma 5:26)."

"If after baptism we commit sin and lose the Spirit’s influence,what are we to do? The Savior has provided the answer. He has given us  the sacred ordinance of the sacrament."

The sacrament-- a time of bread and water. Hydration-- but for the spirit.  As we strive for that mighty change of heart, and to keep it, and endure to the end, we are not alone.  We can work towards this mighty change with the partnership of our Savior.

In Helamen 15:7, it states: And behold, ye do know of yourselves, for ye have witnessed it, that as many of them as are brought to the knowledge of the truth...and are led to believe the holy scriptures, yea, the prophecies of the hol prophets, which are written, which leadeth them to faith on the Lord, and unto repentance, which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart unto them---

 I know that change is possible.  I believe that this can be ours-- a new birth, a new heart.  I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.