To Look, Reach, and Come unto Christ

My thought on Sister Pingree's talk "To Look, Reach, and Come unto Christ"

When I'm feeling lazy, like today because of all the rain, I hate reading action verbs. This was a hard one for me to read. I don't think I'm the kind of person that following a prompting changes someone's life. Nor do I have very many people who come into my life at the right time to change my life. I do feel the Holy Ghost prompting me and I follow, but not miraculous stories of changed lives.

I also have a struggle with the "thy faith has made thee whole; go in peace." I have been fighting pain for almost 4 years now! For the whole story http://thebackdor.blogspot.com/2006_01_01_thebackdor_archive.html but the short version is that I was in an auto accident that could have and should have taken my life, but it didn't and now I fight pain almost daily. (Therapy and surgery has taken a lot of pain away, but not all.) I have had faith coming out of every pore of my body and I'm still "broken" so how can the Lord say this?

I have walked through this valley for many years with many questions and very few answers. My faith is stronger now than before the accident and yet I'm still hurting and have challenges. WHY?

Well, the answer isn't my faith----that I know with all my being. I'm not sure what the answer is, but eventually I will know. I know there are lessons that this trial has taught me and still needs to teach me. I just have to be contrite and humble enough to learn them. I don't believe this trial was for only that purpose, but for other things too. Again, my faith, lack or no lack, is not the reason I'm not healed, BUT it is hard for others to see me in pain and I often know what they are thinking and that is what hurts. I actually had someone say to me, "If you had more faith," thankfully one thing I had more of at that moment was patience and forgiveness.

I like to believe there is a part of this story we don't know.

(from another post)

First she taught us that to come unto Christ we need to look and reach (both action verbs) to Him and for Him. I have participated in a wonderful study group of women. A few years back we did the OT. It was amazing to us how often the Lord's children were wicked, idolatrous and down right ripe for destruction and yet he would send someone to save them and his words were constantly "my arms are still outstretched" . my personal vision of this is of a mom and dad with their baby toddling between them as he learns to take his first steps. How happy are the faces. How joyful the hugs when the child makes it all the way across. And how happy is the child when his face is nestled in the neck of his parent. Now put us in between those arms. Are we picking ourselves off when we fall down-just like a good parent our Savior lifts us up and tells us to try again? Are we happy when we make it? His face never betrays His emotions and He LOVES us and wants us to "come unto Him." Another thing that often happens to the toddler is that their arms as busy as they are trying to steady themselves is also reaching for their parent. Are we REACHING for our Savior?

(from another post)

Sisters,

After reading a few posts I want you to know that "inspiration" doesn't mean "feeling" warm and doing something out of the ordinary. Often I just do what comes natural and it just so happens that someone who needed what was "natural" for me was there who needed it.

This year as a coach I was coaching a young girl who was so afraid of the ball. I just happened to be her coach-she my player. I taught her not to be afraid of the ball. Her mother said that I was the best coach around and that her daughter finally loves to play sports and she isn't afraid to get after that ball. I was the answer to her prayers. I didn't feel inspired to say one word or the other to that little girl. I said the same things I have said to all my players. It just happened that I was the answer to the mother's prayer. The Lord knows that sometimes our "natural" habits are what other's need and we are the answers. And yes, sometimes we are prompted and inspired to do something. My personally definition to Promptings and Inspirations are doing something that I normally wouldn't do given that situation or some very odd thought that pops into my head. Those are defiantly from above. Doing things that I normally do-habits are mine and they become His when He uses them to answer someone's prayers.

So, sometimes when we just go about our lives we are helping the Lord answer someone's prayers.

(from another post)

When the Lord grants righteous people anything they ask for he does it because he knows they will ask for nothing that is contrary to His will. "Thy will be done, Oh, Lord." I've often thought about that as I pray and go through the day.

I also think there is a way for us to start recognizing His hand in our lives (and now comes a dirty phrase) "slow down." I sometimes think I'm so busy I don't recognize His hand until I've slowed down at the end of the day and am reviewing what happened and what didn't happen. I'm sure this is where the leaders of the church are. We just need to strive to do it, but for now in my lowly position I will just live my life so he can work His ways through me.