Tuesday, May 3, 2011

My Lesson for Relief Society today place here when done

Come unto me – Matthew  11:28-30
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” 
Life is tough, it’s hard.  We have a list, a mile long, of things that need to be done and yet only have 24 hours in our days, if you are like me you need at least 9 hours to sleep or I’m grumpy and grouchy.  Things come up on a moment’s notice and most of the time those things are not ever convenient or something we really want to do.  Or we have the opposite problem and there are two or three things scheduled for the same time and day and we can only attend one.  I hate that, how do you choose when you want to do them all?
Everyday stress keeps are minds busy and occupied and we are not able to respond or hear the prompting of the spirit.  But how do we clear that clutter and de-stress our lives?  Is it even possible?  How can we stop being so exhausted at the end of the day, week or month?  Can Christ really give us rest?
I was upset thinking about how we are going to pay for college, I complained to a friend and she could see I was distressed.  She smiled and told me to give my concerns to the Lord to turn over all my fears and doubts to him.  What?  How the heck would I do that?  She told me that if I was doing all I could, this is different for every one of us, that I could call on the powers of heaven for the help and assistance I needed.  I could ask the Lord to take care of this problem and she witnessed to me that if I had the faith that it would be taken care of.
 
Her husband had been out of work of a year, she hated her job and needed one with better hours so she worked over nights.  They lived the way they should and they paid their tithing(not members of our church) she and her husband sat down and wrote a list of all the things they needed to give to the Lord, worry, concern, stress, future plans like college for the kids and her need for a new job she couldn’t up and quit at this point.  They made a list and hung it on the frig and then prayed that list every night.  At first she felt silly putting down a new job for her because she had a job and should be grateful, but her husband talked her into it and even told her to be specific about the hours and the kind of job she was looking for.  This did not happen overnight, but her husband is working and she found a job with the exact hours she needed.  8-2:30 M-F.  She is able to pick up the kids at school and able to sleep normal hours again.

Well I need to work on the faith part, in Alma we read.  Alma 32:27  Just having a desire is the start and then that desire grows from there.  We can do this with anything in our lives, we need to desire it and then work towards that change, I need to work for that faith.  Alma 32:21 if we had a perfect knowledge then we wouldn’t need faith.  The sun will come up tomorrow, sure hidden behind the clouds but we know its up there 

I don’t have faith in that I just know that.
So I need to have faith that the Lord is willing and able to help me as he is all of you with the things you stand in need of.  Think for a moment of the things you need in your life.  How can you exercise this kind of faith to achieve those things?  What do you struggle with that you could turn over to the Lord, he has so much more resources then we do, so much more love for us then we do, he wants us to succeed in this life and he wants us to return to him.  Alma 36:3 this is a beautiful statement that tells us it can happen for us.

2 Nephi 2:25 SO what does this tell you?  We should be happy.  Life is messy and sometimes difficult.  How can we find this joy how can we be happy.  I heard a quote on TV I liked, it said, “That knowing is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beat the heck out of never trying.”  Let’s try to turn the troubles in our lives over the Lord to the one person who will never disappoint us, he may not do what we want, but he will do what he knows is best.  I love country music and one favorite is “Unanswered Prayers.”  Not unanswered just not answered the way you would have liked at the time, and for a good reason.

Alma 37:46 Try to live the gospel its really not that difficult.  The gospel is simple.

A person asked a member of the church why we thought we could buy are way into heaven with good works.  She said that she was going to heaven just because she believed in Christ.  Yes she is right we are all going to heaven because we believe in Christ,  James 2:20  The women asked the other do you follow the 10 commandments?  Of course I do she responded.  Well then you do good works.  That kind of changed the conversation.  If you believe in God and in Christ then you are going to naturally do good works.

From Pres Hollands Talk Broken Things to Mead.  Whatever your distress, please don’t give up andplease don’t yield to fear. I have always been touched that as his son was departing for his mission to England, Brother Bryant S. Hinckley gave young Gordon a farewell embrace and then slipped him a handwritten note with just five words taken from the fifth chapter of Mark: “Be not afraid, only believe.” 17 I think also of that night when Christ rushed to the aid of His frightened disciples, walking as He did on the water to get to them, calling out, “It is I; be not afraid.” Peter exclaimed, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” Christ’s answer to him was as it alwaysis every time: “Come,” He said. Instantly, as was his nature, Peter sprang over the vessel’s side and into the troubled waters. While his eyes were fixed upon the Lord, the wind could toss his hair and the spray could drench his robes, but all was well—he was coming to Christ. It was only when his faith wavered and fear took control, only when he removed his glance from the Master to look at the furious waves and the ominous black gulf beneath, only then did he begin to sink into the sea. In newer terror he cried out, “Lord, save me.”
Undoubtedly with some sadness, the Master over every problem and fear, He who is the solution to every discouragement and disappointment, stretched out His hand and grasped the drowning disciple with the gentle rebuke, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” 

Wherefore didst thou doubt?  What do we doubt, God knows all and is on our sides.  He wants us to win, he wants us to return to him, he loves us all.  He loves you.  Trust him, give him your worries, your fears and anything that brings you down.  Find your joy and your happiness in the Lord. 
Heavenly Father is just that, a father and he loves us like our earthly father, think of how you love your children and all the things you want for them in this life.  He wants that for us also.  Trust in him and turn over your burdens to him who all things are possible.

No comments: