Today I was listening to a very lovely talk on the Easter story in Sacrament. Brother Harris did a wonderful job of capturing the importance of Easter. He very respectively told the whole story of Christ's resurrection and I really enjoyed it. There is one part that really stuck out to me, though. Brother Harris reached the part of the story when Mary Magdalen(sp?) was crying in the garden. She thought she saw the gardener and, while crying, asked him where her master's body was. The gardener simply said, "Mary" and she knew exactly who he was.
It made me realize that the Savior and our Heavenly Father know us so well, they know us by name. Heavenly Father knows my likes, my dislikes, who I love, what I love to do. He knows my favorite movies and songs that play on the radio. He knows that I love to sing and dance. He knows that when I'm home alone I will put on a concert for my biggest fans and dance my heart out to Lady GaGa. Better than that, he knows my heart. He knows when it's broken and how to mend it. He knows just how to make me feel loved and ok. He knew that I could cross over giant hurdles with flying colors and he knew just what to do to help me get over them. He knows me, better than I know me.
It makes me wonder, do I know him? If the Savior or my Heavenly Father called me by name would I know who it was?
I feel like the obvious answer is yes. I like to think that I would recognize my Father in Heaven but would I?
This made me think even further as to what causes me to know my Heavenly Father. There's the "seminary answers:" pray, go to church, pay your tithing, and read your scriptures. Love others, always serve with a smile,..the list goes on. But I have a theory. I think that you can do all of those things and still not know your Father in Heaven. I think it takes praying with your whole heart. Not just repeating the same prayer over and over again but really thinking about what you are thankful for that day. Really concentrate on your faults and shortcomings so you can truly repent. Then turn around and ask for a way to improve. Don't just quickly end; wait. Wait to see if He has guidance for you.
Don't just go to church. Serve at church. Get to know your ward members, love them, help them. Do the best you can in fast offerings so that your ward members can eat, have clothes, and wear shoes.
Pay your tithing in full. Never hesitate and always follow through.
When you read your scriptures really try to find the meaning of what your reading. I've found that when I read my mind wanders. I'm not always concentrating on the page. Sometimes that's a good thing. Sometimes I'm thinking about things in my life that the words pertain to. But most of the time I'm just thinking about what I'm going to do after I get done. I need to work on finding inspiration and lost knowledge in the scriptures. What a great opportunity it is to learn from prophets of the past. It's like reading General Conference from the prophets of old.
I end on serving others for a reason. I once heard a great analogy of service. When you are on an airplane the flight attendant tells you that if the air mask falls down make sure to put on your own before assisting another. I don't want you to be selfish or focus only on yourself but work on serving yourself. Your Heavenly Father loves you just as much as he loves the people around you. He wants you to be loved and healthy too. Make sure that you are taken care of and that you feel good so you can serve others to the fullest. Also, remember, that it's really the small things that count. You don't need money to serve. Sometimes you just need two hands that can fold laundry, vacuum the carpet, or wipe a counter. Sometimes you just need two ears to listen and a mouth to give advice.
Through these things you will come to know your Father in Heaven. I know that to be true. I also know it to be the greatest blessing here on Earth.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Listen to the still small voice
I have one of the greatest mother in laws in the whole world. It's true, ask anyone. She has taught me so much in the five short years I've known her. Today, I have the opportunity to share with you the greatest lesson she has taught yet.
When I was going through one of the hardest times in my life I felt all alone. Sure, I lived with my husband, had friends, had family, had a cat, and my mother in law (MIL) to talk to on a daily basis but I was still really alone. Through this time my MIL kept telling me to talk to my Heavenly Father and to really listen to what he had to say. She is humble enough to know that even though her knowledge is great that Heavenly Father's was even greater. Every time she told me to listen to what my Heavenly Father had to say I would start to feel uncomfortable. I've been told my whole life to listen for the spirit, or the still small voice, and they say that he will guide you and give you comfort in many ways. Up to this point I had felt the spirit, many times. Mostly, though, it was when something was being taught to me and I knew it was true. My whole body would become warm and tears would fill my eyes. I knew that feeling quite well. But I had never heard a direct way to go or felt a comfort that helped me understand where things will be going or that the direction I was headed would bring comfort.
Too embarrassed to tell my MIL that I didn't know how to listen for Heavenly Father's instructions, I realized I was on my own to figure out how to do it. I realize, now, that is truly the best way.
There is a great talk that Michael has on CD. Both of us have listened to it many times and it is one of my favorite talks to listen to. In the talk the gentleman, I can't remember who, talks about an experience he had when listening to the spirit. He was out giving firesides to groups of teens throughout Montana. He was somewhere in Montana supposed to be going to Laurel. He had gotten quite lost and it took him a while to get back on track. Once he was headed in the right direction he decided to stop and get something to eat. He pulled off on an exit that had an advertisement for $3.99 Philly Cheese Steak combos. As he pulled off the exit he saw a sign for a Burger King. He instantly heard the spirit tell him, "$0.99 Whopper special." He said it didn't take him long to decide that a whopper, medium fries, and a medium drink for only $0.99 was a much better deal than a $3.99 Philly Cheese Steak sandwich. So, he headed to Burger King. Would you know, right as he walked in the door he saw a man and his troubled son from his home ward sitting in a booth. Think of how that man must of felt when he saw his stake president walk through that door. The three of them had the opportunity to sit together and talk about the teens troubles and help guide him back on the track to righteousness.
Through this talk I have learned that the spirit speaks to you in ways that you already think. If you continuously bring yourself closer to our Heavenly Father through prayer, scripture study, and by keeping his commandments the spirit will become so much a part of your life it will be just like your own thoughts.
How do I know this to be true?
I once was coming home after dropping Michael off at priesthood session. I took a different way home then normal and ended up driving by a friend's house that I don't normally pass on a day to day basis. This friend has gone through great trials in her life. Trials that I can not understand but I know are heavy on her heart. After passing her house all I could think about was calling her. Over and over I would hear, in my own how I think I sound voice, I should call so and so. I finally pulled over and gave her a call. Guess what, she didn't answer. So I just left her a message letting her know that I was thinking about her and that I love her.
A week or so later this friend approached me in church to let me know that she was having a really bad day the day that I called her. She didn't really want to talk to anyone and that's why she didn't answer her phone. She let me know, though, that my message was just what she needed and that she really appreciated the fact that I was thinking about her.
I know the feelings of the spirit and direction and guidance can be hard to hear or understand. I know, though, that through exercising faith in your Heavenly Father and faith in yourself, you too will learn that listening to the still small voice is as easy as hearing the voice in your head. You will soon learn what is really the spirit and what is the adversary. It's almost as if it's two different voices.
I hope and pray that you listen to your still small voice. It can guide and direct in ways that are unimaginable.
When I was going through one of the hardest times in my life I felt all alone. Sure, I lived with my husband, had friends, had family, had a cat, and my mother in law (MIL) to talk to on a daily basis but I was still really alone. Through this time my MIL kept telling me to talk to my Heavenly Father and to really listen to what he had to say. She is humble enough to know that even though her knowledge is great that Heavenly Father's was even greater. Every time she told me to listen to what my Heavenly Father had to say I would start to feel uncomfortable. I've been told my whole life to listen for the spirit, or the still small voice, and they say that he will guide you and give you comfort in many ways. Up to this point I had felt the spirit, many times. Mostly, though, it was when something was being taught to me and I knew it was true. My whole body would become warm and tears would fill my eyes. I knew that feeling quite well. But I had never heard a direct way to go or felt a comfort that helped me understand where things will be going or that the direction I was headed would bring comfort.
Too embarrassed to tell my MIL that I didn't know how to listen for Heavenly Father's instructions, I realized I was on my own to figure out how to do it. I realize, now, that is truly the best way.
There is a great talk that Michael has on CD. Both of us have listened to it many times and it is one of my favorite talks to listen to. In the talk the gentleman, I can't remember who, talks about an experience he had when listening to the spirit. He was out giving firesides to groups of teens throughout Montana. He was somewhere in Montana supposed to be going to Laurel. He had gotten quite lost and it took him a while to get back on track. Once he was headed in the right direction he decided to stop and get something to eat. He pulled off on an exit that had an advertisement for $3.99 Philly Cheese Steak combos. As he pulled off the exit he saw a sign for a Burger King. He instantly heard the spirit tell him, "$0.99 Whopper special." He said it didn't take him long to decide that a whopper, medium fries, and a medium drink for only $0.99 was a much better deal than a $3.99 Philly Cheese Steak sandwich. So, he headed to Burger King. Would you know, right as he walked in the door he saw a man and his troubled son from his home ward sitting in a booth. Think of how that man must of felt when he saw his stake president walk through that door. The three of them had the opportunity to sit together and talk about the teens troubles and help guide him back on the track to righteousness.
Through this talk I have learned that the spirit speaks to you in ways that you already think. If you continuously bring yourself closer to our Heavenly Father through prayer, scripture study, and by keeping his commandments the spirit will become so much a part of your life it will be just like your own thoughts.
How do I know this to be true?
I once was coming home after dropping Michael off at priesthood session. I took a different way home then normal and ended up driving by a friend's house that I don't normally pass on a day to day basis. This friend has gone through great trials in her life. Trials that I can not understand but I know are heavy on her heart. After passing her house all I could think about was calling her. Over and over I would hear, in my own how I think I sound voice, I should call so and so. I finally pulled over and gave her a call. Guess what, she didn't answer. So I just left her a message letting her know that I was thinking about her and that I love her.
A week or so later this friend approached me in church to let me know that she was having a really bad day the day that I called her. She didn't really want to talk to anyone and that's why she didn't answer her phone. She let me know, though, that my message was just what she needed and that she really appreciated the fact that I was thinking about her.
I know the feelings of the spirit and direction and guidance can be hard to hear or understand. I know, though, that through exercising faith in your Heavenly Father and faith in yourself, you too will learn that listening to the still small voice is as easy as hearing the voice in your head. You will soon learn what is really the spirit and what is the adversary. It's almost as if it's two different voices.
I hope and pray that you listen to your still small voice. It can guide and direct in ways that are unimaginable.
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