I make my kids do it before they eat lunch, so I better do it, too, right? Now that I can?
Anyway, after going through Q-dawg's recommended exercise program for the week, I was sore. Soooooo sore. By Friday, I wasn't sure more exercise was what I needed, but, no. Q-dawg, the resident expert, assured me that going on a jog would actually do my tight, sore calves good.
On faith, I left the house and began running, and lo, and behold! It was true! They were feeling better. Better, in fact, the further I went!
As I reflected on this peculiarity, it made me think about spiritual muscles...how there are times when we feel so tired, sore and achy that we just want to call it good. However, sometimes, it is the going out and still doing good, even when we are aching spiritually or emotionally, that brings greater growth and strength...and makes us feel better!
I was still thinking about this apparent contradiction when I heard this new song from the new Youth Theme for 2013, "Mountains to Climb":
Part of the chorus goes like this:
"Give me mountains to climb, give me rivers to cross;
Give me mountains to climb because I know it's taking me higher than I've been before."
While it is true in my own life that my trials and mountains have taken me higher than I've been before, I must confess that I balk at the climb, at times :). I also hesitate to ask for things that make me stronger...kind of like praying for patience? I never do that, because then God will give me ways to practice being patient :)!
As I thought about this, I was reminded of the talk by President Eyring when he talked about asking God for a trial to make him better...and then he got it! He said the following (in a talk that was titled, ironically enough, "Mountains to Climb"):
I heard President Spencer W. Kimball, in a session of conference, ask that God would give him mountains to climb. He said: “There are great challenges ahead of us, giant opportunities to be met. I welcome that exciting prospect and feel to say to the Lord, humbly, ‘Give me this mountain,’ give me these challenges.”1My heart was stirred, knowing, as I did, some of the challenges and adversity he had already faced. I felt a desire to be more like him, a valiant servant of God. So one night I prayed for a test to prove my courage. I can remember it vividly. In the evening I knelt in my bedroom with a faith that seemed almost to fill my heart to bursting.Within a day or two my prayer was answered. The hardest trial of my life surprised and humbled me. It provided me a twofold lesson. First, I had clear proof that God heard and answered my prayer of faith. But second, I began a tutorial that still goes on to learn about why I felt with such confidence that night that a great blessing could come from adversity to more than compensate for any cost. (April 2011 address)
Perhaps one of the reasons that trials are so, well, trying is because they expose our weaknesses--UNCOMFORTABLE! :) I want to be like the song above suggests--it is so peppy and full of truth! It makes me want to have faith and hope and happiness in the idea of welcoming and embracing the trials that come my way...I just feel like such a coward at times :). Stretching those spiritual muscles when they still ache from the previous experiences takes a lot of faith!
Yet, through these trials, as we discover these weaknesses, we can find our strengths:
Ether 12: 27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their aweakness. I bgive unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my cgrace is sufficient for all men that dhumble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make eweak things become strong unto them.
This brings to mind something the Goob had us watch for devotional the other day. (I love these little strings of "ah-hahs" and connections...feel free to tell me your own if you read this and have some...I love it!) One minute and totally worth it!
The Greatest!
Through our trials we may realize that we are not the greatest hitter in the world, but, in fact, we are the greatest pitcher in the world :)! For instance, I may not the be most coordinated person in the world, but I am pretty darn good at cleaning up messes!
Oooooh, I had to write "trials expose our weaknesses" in my study journal. Love that.
ReplyDeleteHere's one for you. "The soul is like a violin string: it makes music only when it is stretched" (Elder Neal A. Maxwell).
Francis Webster, a member of the Martin Handcart company, stated, "Every one of us came through with the absolute knowledge that God lives for we became acquainted with him in our extremities... The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay." I know a few women with MS, and while it may not be true for all with it, these beautiful women each seem to have a peace and strength about them. I can't imagine living with the difficulties they have, but rather than curling up at home, they are out being and doing.
Trying to understand something you said. You . . . I'm not even going to go into all the details, but YOU, a coward? I guess that means the rest of us are cowering in corners and under rocks.