This is the last week of my first semester in the Pathways Program put out by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If you want to know about it you can read about it here. This program has been a blessing in my life and I am going to continue it so that I can become an educated woman.
This week in our Lifeskills class, we have been learning about Giving Back, in other words having charity and gratitude. I think this lesson has been my most favorite so far. I have learned so much and it makes me want to be so much better. I think in the world today we are so self-centered and so busy that we forget to give back. We judge too freely and are kind to infrequently. There are several quotes that I wrote down in this lesson that I want to make a BIG part of my life. One is, "Life is perfect for none of us. Rather than being judgmental and critical of each other, may be have the pure love of Christ for our fellow travelers in this journey through life. May we recognize that each one is doing their best to deal with the challenges which come our way, and may we strive to do our best to help out." Pres. Thomas S. Monson. This is such sage advise. We never know what another person is dealing with, what struggles and battles they are fighting. We can make a world of difference to someone that has had a rotten day when we try and lighten their load. Even if it's just a smile and a kind word.
Another quote by President Monson is, "Appearances can be so deceiving, such a poor measure of a person." I think this is so true. Mother Teresa said, "If you judge people, you have no time to love them." I think when you judge, you don't take time to get to know people. You put up walls and already decide that they are not someone you want to know. There is a woman in my ward that this reminds me of. She is a beautiful woman, always dressed to perfection. However, through small ways I am getting to know her, I have found that she struggles. She always feels inadequate and is very self conscious. Just to meet her, you would never know that she struggles with these feelings.
We all need to be kinder. I loved in this lesson the thoughts on Charity. Charity is the pure love of Christ. If we all have charity towards others, we will love them willingly and without reserve. One of the quotes I wrote down on this is, "The service we have been called to is the service of the Lord." "We are the Lords hands here upon the earth." I'm not sure who said these two quotes, they were in the same talk, but I think it was by Kim B. Clark, President of BYU-Idaho. He talked about the feelings of entitlement that come when we live far from the Spirit of the Lord. We cannot have charity if we feel entitled, therefore we don't serve like we should. We become selfish and too busy for others.
Another part of this lesson was on Gratitude. When we have a spirit of gratitude, big problems seem smaller, and we are able to focus better on what really is important. President Monson said, "We need to develop an attitude of gratitude." We have so much to be grateful for in this life. Even if it's as simple as the beauty of a sunset, or the smile in a grandchild's face. Such small things, but they make a difference in our lives when we view them with gratitude.
I pray that we can all follow the teachings of Christ. Christ showed us the way that we should be living. Every minute of His ministry here on earth was spent in service of His fellow human beings. If we serve others without judgment and with gratitude and charity in our hearts, I know that we will be blessed with more joy, happiness and peace in our lives. We will find greater communication with the Lord so that he can lead and prompt us in greater ways to touch the lives of others. We can be the light that He would want us to be to show others the way back to Him.
I am so grateful for this lesson and the way it has touched my life. I know my Savior lives, that He loves me and that He has placed this program in my path so that I can learn and become better! Today I feel such gratitude and peace with what I am doing. I know it comes from Him. I hope that we can all follow His example.
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