Life is Funny

Life is such a "funny" thing, and I use funny because I don't know another word to use. If I were to talk scripturally I would say "mysterious". Because I don't think I will ever stop being amazed at how the Lord works and how He works in my life to teach me. This time he uses an activity on Saturday that I only went to because my husband asked me to, time to ponder and an "invitation" to prepare a talk to sacrament. I will try to explain...

Kelly and I spent some of our Saturday at another Alliance Defense Fund event. This one was a little more personal, and it was even more enjoyable than the last one too. Or maybe I am just getting better at these kinds of things....??..........nah.....

Anyway, I definitely felt another call to action. And so the thoughts and questions are just spinning around in my head. I want to be on the Lord's side and in the fight for right, active in building the kingdom. But that one question that is always so constant: how? how do I contribute?  How do I make a difference? what do I do?

Then, today, I begin preparing for my talk and I see a title to a talk and I feel compelled to read it. I contains this quote (It doesn't really fit my talk, but it did fit with the thoughts that have been mulling around in my head): "It has been said that we are becoming a generation of spectators and critics. Let me share with you one of my favorite quotes. I keep it on my mirror. It says: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least [he] fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”Theodore Roosevelt, “Citizen in a Republic” (address delivered at the Sorbonne, Paris, France, Apr. 23, 1910),

**I probably should mention that I called my husband this morning, and whined to him about the whole thing, how terrifying the thought of speaking is and how inadequate I feel at the whole prospect...blah, blah, blah.

So, anyway I continue to read and whallah! suddenly thoughts come to me and I feel some answers.

There is no standing idly by in these latter days, when we were reserved to come at this time, and to be Moroni-like in our defense of Truth and Righteousness. It seems that the very "time" we have so often spoken about, taught to prepare for and be willing to fight for is here and now. And to me it seems to have happened almost suddenly. One day I am teaching about being prepared for "that day" and now I realize we are living "that day". If you asked me a year ago how close we were to seeing prophecy being fulfilled my answer would be quite different than the one I would give today.

And the answer to: how? what do I do?

I heard part of the answer to that on Saturday that stuck with me. It as from Jesse Kelly, who is running against Gabby Giffords. He said that as a former marine (?), he has been trained to run to the fight not away from it. I was impressed by that and have thought about what that means for me. How do I run to the fight? What does that look like for me?

I think it is being present, by living each day the best I can and when I try and fail, I just get up and try again. I don't take the middle road, I am not neutral. I need to live what I believe and stand up and be counted as a believer. Let there be no doubt on where I stand. There should be no question that I am a Christian, (and even a "Mormon") I better myself, then my family and then others around me. There is only safety in high ground and pulling others up to join with those that feel the same way, not go down. The most important thing is to just keep trying, making an effort to be better, everyday. And that includes stepping out of my comfort zone to a new level of comfort, only to move on from that one as well. That is the broad answer.

The specific answer will come each day as I ask what the Lord wants me to do. Because as I strive to do what is right, and fix it when I don't then the Holy Ghost can guide me. And when I ask the Lord what to do, I will hear the answer.

And I need to ask that question everyday.

Life is funny and the Lord does work in mysterious ways because now I am thankful for the need to search lds.org in preparation for giving a talk. And I am grateful for the answer to the prayer to guide me to be able to find what I need.