Be Still

Friday. I love Fridays. It’s been an interesting week, as usual, with highs and lows. The one thing that keeps me sane has been my new habit of what I choose to listen to in the car. I switched to listening to the October 2005 Conference sessions. They are the only ones I’ve purchased on CD so far. I think after the October sessions this year I will get a copy of those and listen to them over and over to really gain a better understanding of the messages. The talks from the 2005 conference are just as applicable today as they were then. It was the year that President Hinckley asked everyone to read the Book of Mormon again by the end of the year in the August Ensign. Today I listened to a few talks while I was driving and was personally touched again by Elder Eyring’s talk on faith. Because I am about to embark on a new adventure by changing my profession I have spent months thinking and praying about this. It has been agonizing. Not until I made a decision and wrote it down last week have I felt peace. Every day I pray for the Lord to help me along this path and let me know if this is in line with His will. But, I have also known that faith requires you to act on things that you are not perfectly sure of and that after the trial of your faith is when you receive the witness. So, I am pressing forward with faith and hope and a knowledge that the Lord will take care of me in my circumstances.

I was reading from the October 2008 Ensign tonight - I just got it in the mail today. I read a particular passage that spoke to me about my current circumstances that I will share with you here. The article is called, “The Lord Can Ease Our Burdens” by Elder Maury W. Schooff.

“As you face challenges such as a daunting calling, too much to do, family problems, the loss of a loved one, a career reversal, or uncertainty, remember that the Lord will sustain you. Recognize that these experiences can polish you as you place your faith and trust in the Lord, actively practice patience, and listen to the counsel of Church leaders. The Lord has said, ‘Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God’ (D&C 101:16)

As I have been trying to focus more on remembering the Savior every day of the week I find that my understanding and relationship with Him is deepening and changing. I feel a profound gratitude for the Atonement and I have a stronger testimony of what it means to have faith in Jesus Christ. It means to me that all the things that I thought were unattainable earlier in life really are attainable, and that brings hope. I can discern more clearly when I am being lead astray and tempted to wallow in self-pity or get caught up in worldly cares. This helps me to avoid these pitfalls much more quickly than before. I have made a conscience effort to stop watching TV programs that are degrading or that don’t allow the Spirit to be in my home – which is mostly all of them! It’s amazing how much time you have to do other things when you aren’t watching TV. Plus, I just feel better without those images in my head.
It’s been about a month since my experience at Education Week and I plan on continuing down this path of learning and growing and changing myself to be more like Christ. I know it’s a lifetime pursuit and it feels really good to be on the right path!