The Parable of the Chemistry Test

The Parable of the Chemistry Test

A couple days ago I had a General College Chemistey test. In the weeks leading up to this test I studied for hours upon hours so I could be ready. When the time came to take it, with my trail mix  and water bottle in hand, I marched into the testing center. Four hours later I finished the test and as I looked at my grade I realized I had achieved a new personal record... for the lowest test score I had ever gotten! 

But the feeling I had as I left the testing center surprised me. Instead of depression and wallowing, I felt two completely opposite feelings:

1. Peace

2. Determination to do better

I was grateful for these feelings and the spirit helped me learn a lesson about life. I believe that our earthly achievements are not as highly regarded in the eyes of God as are our efforts to become better people. Of course He wants us to succeed and be happy, but the blessings of His gospel to do not hinge on the results of a chemistry test, a promotion at work, the amount of money we have, or any other worldly advancement. We are blessed when we are striving to follow the Savior.

I believe I was accorded peace after that test not because Heavenly Father wanted me to fail, but because He was happy with my hard work to prepare. Instead of me then being weighed down by the heaviness of failure, I was lifted up by the hope of improvement. 

I know that because of the victory of Jesus Christ we all have a hope of improvement. The Lord is waiting to reward every effort we make and give us strength beyond our own. All we must do is turn to Him. :)

https://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/for-god-so-loved-the-world?lang=eng

Don't Be Road Kill

This week's wonderful blog post is from an anonymous guest blogger. Enjoy!

Last week I got a phone call from a very stressed sister of mine. In the middle of a move to a new apartment with a new roommate, she had been feeling keenly some anxiety of the unknown. She was already committed to the arrangement and short of quitting her job and moving into our parent's garage her options were fairly limited. All the same, the fear had made her start to doubt the decision she had been so excited for just a few days previous. I asked her if she liked the new apartment. She said yes. I asked her if she preferred living with her new roommate to her old one. Again, she affirmed. I asked her if she'd prayed about her decision. Her answer was yes, but she hadn't been told exactly what to do.

Life is complicated. Full of forks in the road, twists, turns, and even some off-reading at times. But one thing in life is consistent: if you want something to happen, you have to start moving. Sometimes I think that when we have important decisions to make, we want someone to tell us what to do. The stakes are too high. We don't have experience. Someone, clearly, must know better. But God does not always work that way. If you always wait to be told what to do before you act, you effectively paralyze yourself. If you are too afraid to go right because of missing what is to the left, you will never reach the beach or the mountains. And as you stand there, frozen in indecision, when life does come around and happen to you, you're far more likely to be run over than taken anywhere you wanted to go.

Sometimes God doesn't make our choices for us, but this is a blessing. It is a chance for growth and a sign of His trust. Sometimes He needs us to learn to become initiators instead of followers. And in these situations I have learned that it can be much more beneficial to pray to know if ours is a good choice, not if it is the right one.

The next day I received another phone call from my sister. As soon as she understood where her anxiety was coming from, her feelings toward the new living arrangement improved. It wasn't till after she moved forward that the peace about her decision came. If we can just trust that God is not abandoning when we get to choose, wonderful opportunities unfold and we can gain an increase in love for Him and confidence in ourselves.

The World's Most Expensive Lightbulb!

Service is a wonderful way to find joy in this life. However, it can be hard to find opportunities to give meaningful service. Sometimes we even hold back from  helping others because we are afraid we will just make the situation worse. This last week an event happened in my family that taught me a lesson about serving others. Here is the story of "The World's Most Expensive Lightbulb!"

Last week my mom posted this picture on Facebook: 

Many people commented asking what had happened but she didn't tell why. I finally called her up to ask what had happened to her favorite table. It turned out my dad wanted to change all the lightbulbs in the kitchen, and to render this service, he stood in the middle of the kitchen table. Oops. Many people would consider this a major fail, but I was touched when I heard what my mom said about it. "Your dad was just trying to make me happy." Yeah, so he broke her favorite table. But she was able to see that he did it for a good reason. I am grateful for a dad that has a good heart like that. Plus, he fixed the table afterwards:

J.K. Rowling once said, "It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default."

We can be tools in God's hand in helping His children feel loved. We just gotta go for it. When we have love in our hearts, our service will impact those around us in a positive way, even if we break their favorite kitchen table!  :)

The Parable of the Basketball Team

As you prepare to make the team you realize that you are going to have to work hard. You have a couple buddies helping you out, but it's difficult to change your footwork errors and improve your dribbling. Despite the difficulties, you improve through practice and your desire to be on the team grows. You realize that even though you are making a bunch of shots now it is not directly contributing to the team winning any games. You know that you will never get a championship ring if you're not on the team. 

So even though you're not perfect at free throws, you try out for the team. To your great joy, you are welcomed whole heartedly. The coach tells you that even though you still have many things to work on, he will be there to help if you put forth the effort. He tells you he can make you into an all-star if you trust him.

At first it's hard to learn the plays and it gets a little discouraging. Fortunately, you have your teammates there to lift you up and help you see your potential. 

You win some games and you lose some, but all throughout the season you are getting better and it feels good. You finally feel like you are where you belong. Your skills are way more advanced than they would have ever been if you hadn't joined the team. 

The championship game comes along and you can't help but feel a bit inadequate and overwhelmed. You go to your coach's office and explain your feelings. He smiles and says, "I know how you feel. I've been there before. You are so much more talented than you know. Don't worry about those yelling in the stands. They can't harm you unless you let them. Follow the plays I've taught you and you can't lose." 

The championship game feels like a blur. It's like you are floating on the encouraging confidence that your coach has in you. As you raise the championship trophy high above your head there is an overwhelming joy that fills your heart. Tears flow freely as you reflect back on the season and all you have been able to accomplish. With the help of your teammates and especially your coach, at the end of the season you have become the basketball player you were meant to be. Your name is placed in the hall of fame right next to your coach's. 

You can join the team too!

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/come-join-with-us?lang=eng