The trials that we have in our lives whether they are circumstances,
illnesses, or people become our greatest teachers. I am going to share
with you one of my biggest trials as it has taught me a lot. My intention
in sharing this is not to spill my dirt, but hopefully that maybe
through my lesson if discouragement, and depression frequent your
thoughts and emotions that what I am learning might be helpful to you as
well.
There is a saying that you can't pour from an empty picture, meaning if
you let yourself get empty you have nothing to give others. The truth of
the matter is that we are never empty we are always filled with
something or better put BEING something. The question is are we BEING
unconditionally loving, grateful, forgiving, patient, and kind or are we
BEING judgmental, a victim, unloving, selfish, unforgiving, or angry?
The proof is in the results that we are getting in our lives.
One of my biggest trials that has also become one of my greatest
teachers is depression. My depression was mostly (I say mostly because
there is the physical part that I have worked on through diet and
supplements as well) a result negative thinking. I was constantly BEING
judgmental and critical of myself and listening to the negative chatter
in my head. This resulted in me BEING judgmental and critical of others
as well. Because I was so focused on the things that I didn't like
about myself, many times all I could see and unfortunately sometimes say
were the things that I didn't like about my husband and children. I
remember a conversation my husband and I had years ago where he said in
great frustration, "it doesn't matter what I do, it will never be
enough". Just recently I was talking with my oldest son, who is now 23
about how sorry I was for some of the things I said when he was little.
He said, "Yeah mom, it seemed like no matter what I did it was never
good enough for you." I realized that because I felt like I wasn't
enough, or could ever be or do enough, that I poured that energy out to
my husband and kids. What we are BEING, is the energy that we are
putting out and ultimately, because of the Law of the Harvest or what
some people call Karma, is what we will get back. My relationship with
my husband and my children suffered and my children don't have the self
esteem that I wish they had. It can be very painful, but the good news
is that it's never to late to change. As I realized my mistakes and what
they were creating I started praying and asked for God to help me
change.
I felt inspired to pick up the Book of Mormon one day and I turned to Moroni 7:45 and words sort of jumped off the page:
For charity suffereth long (is tolerant)
, and is kind, and envieth not and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own (is unselfish and serves others)
, is not easily provoked (easily offended or becomes angry)
, thinketh no evil (doesn't think bad about self and others)
, and
rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in truth, bearth all things,
believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. (BOM,
Moroni 7:45) I knew that charity was something we were all supposed to
have but I didn't really understand that first we had to Be charity,
which is THE
PURE LOVE OF CHRIST. But before we can BE that to
others we first have to BE charitable to ourselves because it is
impossible to give others something that we don't already have. When I
am
tolerant of my weaknesses, (this doesn't mean I justify them, but cut myself some slack), am
kind to myself by filling up my cup,
quit envying and
comparing myself to others, be
patient
with myself instead of getting angry when I make mistakes, and focus on
my good qualities and acknowledge the good I do every day, it opens up
the space to see myself as Christ sees me, a beautiful daughter of God, a
work in progress, whom he loves unconditionally and WITH CHARITY. Then
it is easy to see good in others, see them as Christ sees them and be
charitable towards them.
Sometimes when someone breaks your trust, or hurts you feeling charity
toward them can be very hard, but as it says in Moroni 7:48:
Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart,
that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed up on all
who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the
sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him. It might take time, but God knows our heart and through Christ we can be healed.
Yesterday I was talking about this with a friend and I asked her what
she was going to do to show more love to herself. She said she was
going to quit being so critical of her looks and she was going to start
by loving and embracing her wrinkles. I told her that her wrinkles make
her eyes twinkle.
I am learning that the key to overcoming my depression and finding true
happiness is to ask myself what state of BEING am I in today and if
it's not love figure out what I am BEING that is keeping me from BEING
charitable to myself and/or others. Sometimes at that point I can use
energy work to clear the negative emotion and move on and sometimes
there is a further lesson to learn and I get to process it some more.
The good news is that God is always there to help me through it.