I have the opportunity to speak in church tomorrow and I came to look at my last post to steal some of my own word for my talk. I wanted to share with those who want to read it.
Blessings in obedience.
I told Brother cannon when he asked of if we would speak
in church that I would much rather sing than speak. We made it 6 years in our old ward without
being asked to speak but really I’m grateful for the opportunity.
Michael and I have been together for nearly 12 years and
have 4 beautiful children. Kailye our oldest is 10. Keija is 5. Gabriel is 4
and Luke is 3. We both grew up here locally. I am from Pleasant Grove and
Michael grew up in Provo. Michael was in
school at the University of Utah when we got married and played Rugby
there. He went back to school for a
second Degree from the U when we were pregnant with our 4th child and
now works in Real estate. I work part time
as a fitness instructor for Intermountain Health Care and I love being able to
be home with my children.
We weren’t necessarily looking to move when the opportunity
came up to purchase our home. We love
Orem and the area we lived in and our ward.
But we have also learned through experience that it is always best to
following the promptings of the spirit. The
Lord knows what is best and he knows what will make us most happy.
This is the topic we were asked us to speak on: The
blessings that come from obedience.
This topic to me, may as well be as broad as speaking on
Faith. There are so many possibilities. But
seeing as I’ve had lots of experience in my life with not being obedient and
the effects of that behavior, I was grateful for the opportunity to truly reflect on my blessings and
opportunities I’ve received from trying to be obedient and live a more Christ
centered life.
Sometimes the thought of all that needs to be done to
accomplish this goal seeming daunting and overwhelming. It is unending if we
are not moving forward we are surely slipping backward. When I think of my role in the Lords plan as
a mother I feel completely inadequate as most mothers do. There is always so
much to think about in raising little spirits of God. But often the key to
succeeding at something is to break it into its smallest pieces and figure out
how to succeed one piece at a time.
There are things
every kid should learn growing up and Michael and I decided those things would
be learned at home first, before they were brought up in a real world
situation. I want my children to have knowledge of how this world they
are growing up into works and I think it is safest if that is learned from home.
I feel it important that serious subjects that bombard the youth of this
generation not be taboo. It is very important to us that if our children have
questions about anything they see, read, or hear they know that our door is
ALWAYS open and nothing they want to discuss with us is off limits or inappropriate.
This has been a
true learning curve. We have had situations arise, as every parent has,
when some serious topics need to be discussed. The gut reaction of most
parents when they hear of these subjects is pure fear. We fear for what
our child may know, or what they may not know. We fear because we know
the consequences of the paths they choose before they do. We fear because
we are scared for them to grow up and have to become adults in this crazy world
we live in. I am so eternally grateful for the promptings of the spirit.
Michael and I work very hard not to let our fears or anger over run our
reactions. The only way, in my opinion, to have the "hard"
conversations is through the spirit. Although the conversations are hard,
they are also necessary. They become simple when done through
the guidance of the spirit.
I always fear that
what I am saying or doing in one of the delicate conversations will have a
negative lasting affect but I know that as I let the spirit guide my words and
thoughts my children will hear what the Lord intends for them to hear, when He intends for them to hear it. I
just have to have enough Faith to let it happen and not let the fear of my
child growing up rule my actions. I read a quote a while back from Pres.
Hinkley that has stuck with me and helped me not to fear so much for the
choices my children will make. I don't remember it exactly but it was
something like...”Someday our perfect children will grow up to be just normal
people”. It helped me put into perspective that my children will make
mistakes, they will have hard times, they will feel the Devil work against them
and that they will grow up to be like me. Just a person. My only
hope is to arm them with enough information, strength, and faith to face
whatever challenges lay before them.
I know that the Lord knows
me and knows what will make me happy. I also know that my children were sent to
me for a reason. And my promptings about their stewardship are specifically
tailored to me as their mother.
Which is why in motherhood
and every aspect of life I am grateful for the promptings of the spirit and for
my ability and my choice to follow
them.
For a long time I didn’t
feel like I was receiving promptings from the Spirit. After a late night conversation
with some family members about a year ago, I realized I wasn’t listening. I was waiting for the big revelations the
ones that are undeniably life changing.
But what I didn’t realize was that I was blocking out the simple prompts
of the Spirit. I know now through reevaluating
the way I personally receive guidance, that sometimes I receive small nudges
like, check the front door to make sure it’s locked, just to make sure I’m
listening. Because if the Lord can’t
trust me to listen to the small prompting how will I ever hear those that are
most important.
Our lives as seen from a
far look very different than when we are in the middle of the storm. Life looks like a broad summation of sweeping
strokes. A poetic movie or book. But
that’s not reality. We are stuck in the
tiny mundane, unglamorous folds of the fabric of life & that’s where
happiness is determined.
In following the small and
large prompting of the Lord. And living the gospel and being obedient I know I
will be the happiest I can be. I read somewhere
just the other day a quote that said, “I don’t know what I want, But the Lord
does.” He truly knows what will make us our happiest selves in good times and
in the hard. I know that in following
his guidance and being obedient, even when logically it does not make sense at
all, we will find true happiness. It doesn’t mean it will always be easy, life
is hard. But it does mean that we can be happy knowing we are doing as He would
have us do.
My sister-in-law has a
quote on the wall of her home that I love. “Never postpone a prompting” I have
learned that in my life personally in motherhood, in my marriage, and in all
aspects I cannot afford to ignore the guidance of my Father in Heaven. He knows
me best. He knows what will truly bring me happiness. So I will gladly follow
his example.
