Get in Shape

I can remember sitting in the Orthodontists office, knowing what was about to happen to me.  Pieces of metal were about to be glued onto my teeth.  Oh how I dreaded that day.  All I had heard about braces were how much they hurt and how you couldn't eat certain foods.  Neither of those two things were making me very excited about getting my braces on.

It's true, the braces did hurt.  Especially the first couple of days that they were on.  Once I surpassed the first week, I could hardly feel that they were there.  My teeth had been pushed and pulled into where they need to be.  Then comes the next appointment and I went through it again.  Little by little, my teeth became super straight and I was left with a dynamite smile.

This is how the Lord works with us.  He puts strain on us, just like the braces do on teeth, and shapes us into what he wants us to become.  Elder Richard G. Scott said, "When those trials are not consequences of your disobedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more.  He therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion, which polish you for your everlasting benefit."  The Lord can see our full potential and knows what we can become.

Being shaped into what the Lord wants isn't a walk in the park.  We must be put into the refiners fire, so to speak, and be tested.  Elder Scott continues, "To get from where you are to where [The Lord] wants you to be requires a lot of stretching, and that generally entails discomfort and pain."  We must be pushed and pulled, just like our teeth, to be able get where the Lord wants us.  Yes, it will be hard at times, but once we see how dynamite our smile is, it'll be worth it.  All we have to do is put our trust in the Lord, and he'll mold us into the best person we can be.

Feeny! Fee hee hee hee heeny!

I've always liked the show Boy Meets World.  I just felt like a better person after watching it.  It follows a group of kids from 8th grade to graduating college.  There is always something to learn at the end of each episode, whether it be really obvious, or something harder to catch.

One continuous theme is the wise words of Mr. Feeny.  No matter the problem, concern, or trial, he always knows the solution.  Almost every time he solves a problem, he teaches the kids an important life lesson that will benefit them in the future.  He's preparing "the boy" to meet "the world."  Even though he knows how to solve the problem, he doesn't give the kids the answer right away.  He waits for them to approach him.  Our Heavenly Father works the same way.

Heavenly Father doesn't solve all of our problems for us right when they happen.  He sees how we'll play it out, and waits for us to ask him for the help.  The Lord will help us through it, but will make sure we learn a valuable lesson in the process.  The Lord is preparing "us" to meet "him." Alma explains it well when he states, "For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors" (Alma 34:32).  Remember, God is always there and is always willing to help us, but it's our job to do our part which is to ask for his help.  Never underestimate the power of asking, and remember that all things happen for our benefit.

It's Always Worth it

So we had a pretty good snow storm the other day.  Me and a couple of Elders went out to shovel some walks/driveways.  My shovel wasnt my favorite.  It got stuck on every bump, crack or dip.  It was pretty frustrating.  But I knew that I was doing the right thing.  I had one more house left, and their walks. 

I kept having a conversation in my mind while I was shoveling.  Like two shoulder angels were arguing.  One kept saying, "You've done enough.  This last person can get their own driveway shovelled."  The other one responded with, "You've only got one left.  Just do it!"  Back and forth this was going on. 

Sometimes this is what life feels like.  It always seems like when we are doing the most good, the most opposition comes.  When we are trying to shovel others sidewalks, the sidewalk cracks get more and more persistent.  We can't let this get us down.  So back to the story.

I decide to go ahead and shovel the last houses walk despite the negative voice in the back of my mind.  I forgot about myself and my troubles, and just went to work.  It was by far the worst driveway I did.  While I was finishing up, the person living in this particular house came out and thanked me for doing this.  He said he was in a rush to get to work, and didnt have time to do it.  How grateful I was that I endured to the end. 

Life can be tough.  It can bring us down and wear us out.  But we must press on.  No matter how much opposition there is, we must continue doing that which we know is right.  My testimony of that increased today, thanks to a snow storm.  And how awesome will it be to have the Savior thank us for the work that we have done when we've finished.  It's always worth it.