A thought just crossed my mind - it is simple, but profound. You cannot truly have a "peaceable walk with the children of men" until you have made peace with yourself. An important factor in the service and love that we share with one another is our motivation. For me, today, this means that my messy after vacation house is not a reflection of my worth as a person. For me, today, this means that I can allow my children time to decompress and have a little fun while I'm cleaning the messy house. For me, today, this means that I can look forward to the New Year with hope and excitement without the need to berate myself for the failures of the past year. It means that I can look to the growth that came to me and say with honesty, "I like who I am Now and though I wouldn't want to go through it again, I wouldn't want those struggles to be removed from my life." That's what it means to me to be at peace with myself on a day to day basis.
When we truly feel that we are enough, as imperfect as we are, our service can be truly Christlike. Striving to feel the love that Our Savior and Heavenly Father have for us, and to feel that deeply in our soul also leads us to recognize the love that They have, in turn, for our brothers and sisters. We will serve out of pure love, rather than "because we will be better for it." We will give out of a desire to make life better for our brothers and sisters (whether we know them or not), rather than the desire to "keep the commandments." The precious understanding of Their undying love for us can make every part of our life more bearable, more wonderful, more peaceful.
2 comments:
I agree. Peace with yourself is vital. It's tough to achieve, especially since we all want so badly to do and be better.
It's true. We all struggle with the pain of our imperfections. It will take eternity to achieve that perfection. That is the only perspective which gives my soul an excuse to relax a little bit, and enjoy my foibles rather than be frustrated with them. I really try to see myself as He sees me. I imagine that to be a lot like I see my baby. So sweet and precious. Trying so hard. A times landing flat on her face when she tries to run. I love her so much. I'll pick her up time and time again, because I know she's learning. She'll get is someday. She'll be everything I am and more, in time.
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