Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Love One Another


This week started out a little hard.

On Tuesday I felt like the way I was working and thinking were just not working out. I felt stuck, like I wasn't getting anything from my studies and prayers and that I didn't know where to go or who to talk to. I tried to pick an area and no one wanted to talk to us. I tried to give a card to a lady I normally wouldn't have talked to, and she rejected it really rudely and I just broke down in the car. I didn't get it. I didn't understand why I'd be trying my best to be a good missionary and have nothing but hard things happen for so long.

So we went back to the apartment and I prayed about it. Pleading and asking and trying to figure things out my way didn't work, so I decided to just be grateful instead. I thanked God for all the wonderful people in my family and my friends (psst that's you guys) who always did so much for me, even when I didn't give anything back or was ungrateful. And then it suddenly clicked for me.

Christ loved all of us enough to suffer. He loved ME enough to suffer everything I ever have or will and more. Why can I not extend a portion of that same love to everyone I meet? Despite my weaknesses, I too can sacrifice my time and personal comforts and energy for the sake of others.

There's a scripture that made a big difference too:
"Mosiah 4:26 And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants."

To impart of your substance spiritually... That's what I've needed to do.

Despite the rest of the week not going too much better, I can do it now. I know I can be a missionary and have charity for those I meet. I have the confidence to talk to everyone, even the people who are busy building model trains, the people who insist that they don't believe in God, and the people that I'd thought I should give up on.

If Christ wouldn't give up on me, and would give me hope as soon as he could, why should I not share that gift? Why should I not point people to Him and proclaim that there is more than this wilderness of life?

Thanks for being great everyone. You'll be hearing about baptisms and wonderful conversion stories soon. I promise.

Elder Adams

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