I am continually impressed that I receive what I need, just when I need it. I love the blessings the Lord showers upon me, and today is no different. It was a hard week. Despite the good news I received at the doctors on Monday that some of my tumors are shrinking, the chemo got the best of me this week.
Wednesday and Thursday were two of the longest and most exhausting days I've had in a LONG time. I felt like I just wasn't going to make it. I thought about calling in sick, or once I was at work teaching only half day and then calling in sick. When I actually think of calling in sick I know I am feeling bad...because I love my job and I love being there and hate it when I can't be there.
Days like these are most frustrating to me because that is when I get especially hard on myself. I begin to feel overwhelmed and think of all the things that I am not doing and begin to focus on what I haven't done.
Today, being past the worst, I watched the latest video on lds.org name Choose You this day. It is taken from a talk that Elder Henry B. Eyring gave in April conference of 2007 called "This Day." Watch the video and then partake of the HUGE amount of goodness found in the complete talk. May I share some of the parts that were DIRECT answers to my pleadings in my prayers:
He opens by talking about that dangers of saying that 'someday you will do something' when that someday means 'not today.'
The first quote is this:
"All of us will need His help to avoid the tragedy of procrastinating what we must do here and now to have eternal life. For most of us the temptation to delay will come from one or both of two feelings. They are polar opposites: one is to be complacent about what we have already done, and the other is to feel overwhelmed by the need to do more." (I would be the overwhelmed =)
Next quote:
"....assurance from the Master can help those of us feeling overwhelmed by our circumstances. In the hardest trials, as long as you have the power to pray, you can ask a loving God: “Please let me serve, this day. It doesn’t matter to me how few things I may be able to do. Just let me know what I can do. I will obey this day. I know that I can, with Thy help.”
The quiet invitation to you may be to do so simple a thing as to forgive someone who has offended you. You can do that from a hospital bed. It may be to go to help someone who is hungry. You may feel overwhelmed by your own poverty and the labors of the day. But if you decide not to wait until you have more strength and more money, and if you pray for the Holy Spirit as you go, you will when you arrive know what to do and how to help someone even poorer than you are. You may find when you get there that they were praying and expecting that someone like you would come, in the name of the Lord."
There IS something I can do, even when I am may be tired and not able to do all that I may want to do. If we pray the Lord will help us know what we CAN do. LOVE IT!
and last:
"For those who are discouraged by their circumstances and are therefore tempted to feel they cannot serve the Lord this day, I make you two promises. Hard as things seem today, they will be better in the next day if you choose to serve the Lord this day with your whole heart. Your circumstances may not be improved in all the ways which you desire. But you will have been given new strength to carry your burdens and new confidence that when your burdens become too heavy, the Lord, whom you have served, will carry what you cannot. He knows how. He prepared long ago. He suffered your infirmities and your sorrows when He was in the flesh so that He would know how to succor you.
The other promise I make to you is that by choosing to serve Him this day, you will feel His love and grow to love Him more."
WOW! Things can be better, when we choose to serve the Lord. He help strengthen us, carry our burdens. HE DOES KNOW what we are feeling. HE KNOWS how to help us. HE WANTS to help us.
I am now inspired to pray for ways I can help others, even through my rough times. I can do it, WITH THE LORD'S HELP!
Don't forget to go read the whole talk....the whole talk is FANTASTIC!
7 comments:
Jamie, you are so awesome! I love this talk, and your testimony. I am sorry that you had a hard week. Thanks for your friendship :) I love your positive spirit.
Thank you for sharing, Jamie! Even in your hardest times, you know how to reach out and lift others up! I love you!
Ya know what. I've seen that video for a long time since I go on that website a lot while planning my YW lessons. I always thought I wanted to see it and never did...procrastinating I guess =) But today I needed to hear that and the Lord knew I was too stubborn to give a few more minutes on the computer to watch it and thought I really needed to hear it so when i clicked on your blog and read those quotes that you loved...boy were they what I needed too. it's funny how words of an inspired man can help so many people in such different situations all over the world. thanks
you continue to amaze me jamie. your strength is a becon to all who know and love you. i'm lucky to be a part of your life!
Jamie-kins, I LOVE YOU!!!!!!! You inspire me, motivate me, bring joy into my heart, and simply delight me. Oh to find the simple joys in life the way you do. Especially when life throws those curves at us sometimes. I resolve to do better. Thank you my friend. I cherish you. Always. :)
This was great, thanks for sharing those parts of his talk that you picked. I really loved it...I feel overwhelmed so much of the time as well with what I'm not doing.
Jamie...Wish we were closer so I could help take care of you and Ethan could tell you knock knock jokes to cheer you up. We sure love you girl! Come visit!
Post a Comment