Just One More

"Just one more!"  I can hear those three words being said to me during a wrestling practice.  It was my freshman year of high school during the after school wrestling workouts.  Every time that I was struggling, those three words were repeated many times.  There is one instance that I particularly remember. 

This instance while I was doing pull ups.  After doing as many pull ups that I could (that number is isn't important), I lifted with all my might, and went no where.  "Just One More," said one of the people with me.  I exerted all of my strength, but still couldn't pull myself up.  The person with me held up my legs and told me to do a couple more pull ups.  I pulled as hard as I could, and because he was supporting some of the weight, I got a couple more in.  After that, I was totally exhausted.

Sometimes in life we feel that we are pushed beyond what we can handle.  Sometimes we are.  But it's during those times when the Savior is holding us up.  That's when we feel we can't do it ourselves, so the Savior comes to our assistance and gives us a boost.  Zeniff, in the Book of Mormon, knew he needed to rely on the Lord for strength.  In his time of need he said, "Yea, in the strength of the Lord we did go forth..."  (Mosiah 9:17).  When we can't do it on our own, we shouldn't give up.  We just need to look for the Lord's hand in our life.  Once we do, we'll be surprised how often he really is there. 

Pringles and Cookies

One year when I attended EFY, an awesome object lesson was given to us.  It involved Pringles and Chips Ahoy cookies, which just so happen to be two of my favorite snacks.  He began by talking about people that influence our lives.  We came up with a list somewhat similar to this: family, friends, teachers, church leaders, etc.  During our teenage years, friends seem to have the biggest impact on us.  It seemed like we didn't want to hear what our parents would say, and we already knew what was being taught by teachers for both school and church.

Contrary to our belief at that age, the people that we wouldn't listen to were the ones that could build us up the most.  Although friends can be a great strength in our lives, they can also be a great weakness if we choose them unwisely.  Picture yourself as a Pringle.  If you surround yourself with other Pringles, you can build each other up.  Through that you can withstand temptations better.  Let's talk about what happens when a lonely Pringle tries to build up a Chips Ahoy.  The Pringle will be crushed under the weight of the Chips Ahoy cookie, and both will end up at rock bottom. 

Even if we have multiple Pringles underneath the Chips Ahoy, our progression will be halted.  We can't stack any more Pringles on top of the cookie.  The only way to continue to be built up is if we surround ourselves with Pringles in our lives.  It can be hard at times and we may even be ridiculed for it, but if we continue doing what we know is right, we'll be built up until we reach the heavens.