Face Forward

I was reminded of an experience I had while serving a mission in Guatemala, in the mountains. Each day we would see men and young boys (and sometimes even the women) carrying large loads of sticks on their backs, which were supported by a rope or belt strapped across their foreheads. Each time the Guatemalan was bent forward as if the load of sticks burdened them. Each of us, like the Guatemalans, have burdens that we have to carry. If we only had the types of burdens that those Guatemalans had, we probably wouldn't suffer so much, but unfortunately, with each burden we have comes fear.
For me, my fear is of the future. It is peculiar because throughout my life I have heard and continuously hear, ''Have great confidence in your future." Do you ever fear the future? It is difficult not to fear it. We have so many uncertainties and many decisions to make. However, we must have faith, and faith and fear cannot coexist.
There is a scripture that aids me whenever I have doubts about my future or when my burdens seem too large to deal with. The scripture is from the Doctrine and Covenants, section 122 and verse 7:
"And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good."
Our burdens, our trials, and our experiences are for our good. Sometimes it seems quite the opposite, but these words are truth. We also have the words from the present prophet, spoken almost exactly a year ago at the April 2011 General Conference. President Thomas S. Monson said,
"I testify to you that our promised blessings are beyond measure. Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments."
"My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith."
Maybe you (whomever reads this) have a challenge in your life at this moment. Maybe you have a doubt or a particular fear, but know that all that is uncomfortable and bad will pass. Our Heavenly Father wants us to be happy so He gives us a trial to help us grow a little, and then He removes it so that we can enjoy the peace after the storms. I want to finalize with something that my mom shared; it says, "That the birds of worry and care fly above your head, this you cannot change. But that they build nests in your hair, this you can prevent." (Chinese Proverb)

The Process of Service

First, take off the cap, and then grab a scrub brush; Fill a bucket with water.... Well, I actually doubt that service has a process, but I do know that service has a purpose. When I placed the title ''The Process of Service,'' I planned to refer to what makes up service. The Christmas stories go that children never see Santa's elves because after all the hard work they do all year they stay at the workshop on Christmas. In memory of Santa's elves I have a term called ''Elfing,'' which I use when I am going to do some small act of service in secret. For this present circumstance, ''Elfing" will also act as an acronym to describe what service includes.
1) E- Easy. Surely service includes donating large sums of money to charities, right? No. Although it is a great idea to donate money, service is much simpler. Most mothers and wives would be just as happy with the dishes washed than to receive several roses (and it is less expensive). Most individuals would appreciate even the smallest act of service; I know I would. Service ideas can be as simple as writing a note of encouragement, cleaning off driveways, walkways, or cars during the snowy season, or even being a friend. The truth is that whether large or small, serving will brighten your day.

2)L- Love. Today in the home wards (I had to give a talk in one) the high councilmen spoke about women using the book Daughters of My Kingdom. I started reading it and came across a section titled ''Charity never faileth,'' which happens to be the LDS Relief Society motto. Under this section I found a quote by Emmeline B. Wells:
''It is my strongest desire that our young women of today be made to comprehend the work of the early members who, without the facilities of the present time, comforted the sad and distressed, visited the widow and fatherless, and were like ministering angels."
If we serve we can be like 'ministering angels'. This definitely testifies how important service really is. In the Book of Mormon, in Alma 7:24, a prophet teaches, "And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always about in good works." When we serve with charity, or rather a pure love like Christ's, we too can be 'ministering angels' and servants of God.

3) F- Faith. Remember that scripture I used from Alma 7:24? Faith is one of the requirements of true service. We must have faith to serve with the assurance that although no one sees us serving we will receive the blessings anyway. In addition, I at least find that sometimes if I want to do something discretely for someone else, I need faith that they will not see me in the process.

4) I- Individual Spiritual Growth. Are we serving for praise or as a selfless act? Elder V. Dallas Merrell of the Seventy said, "Service involves us in a process of growth. We learn how to be effective servants step by step over time, even as the mortal Savior's youthful development was described as grace upon grace. My own very first memory is of imperfectly helping my mother by taking her a fresh diaper to use with our new baby. That was a beginning, although I can see now that I was outrunning my brother, Max, to get the diaper first and win Mother's praise. My early home teaching was with my uncle, Charles Lybbert; we did it regularly, but I suspect I sometimes went to avoid embarrassment from failing to do my duty. Learning to serve for the right reason is a vital part of our individual spiritual progress." We can build our testimony of the Savior's gospel and strengthen our own spirits as we serve.

5) N- Nothing-get-back. It is a lengthy name, but as we serve we should expect nothing in return for what we give of our time, talents, and resources. However, as we serve selflessly and willingly we benefit, though as little as a feeling of peace and lack of regret. I read a poem that states:
"I have wept in the night
For the shortness of sight
That to somebody's need made me blind;
But I never have yet
Felt a tinge of regret
For being a little too kind." (Anonymous)

6) G- Gratitude. When we serve we show God how grateful we are for what He has given us. Mosiah 2:17 in the Book of Mormon says (if I can go so far as to say it 'says'), "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." This means that when we serve others we are serving God!
I find that when I serve others I fill a void in my life. I love serving others, and I especially love doing it when others cannot see that I am doing it because it leaves them surprised and I have to be sneaky doing it. So my challenge for all those that read my posts is to go out and do a little more service, and make at least one of those an ''elfing'' service project.

Finish

Recently I heard a poem that reminded me of my mission. It is one of my favorite poems because it can apply to each one of us so well. Have you ever felt like a failure, or felt like giving up because you are behind a little? I have. I often ponder 'What if I had tried? What if I had continued? Where would I be now?' Many of us have that question pass through our heads time and time again, 'What if?'

Something I have learned within the last two years is to never give up and never quit. The poem that I heard is called "The Race'' by D. H. Groberg.

''Quit!" "Give up, you're beaten!" they shout at me and plead,
"There's just too much against you now, this time you can't succeed."
And as I started to hang my head in front of failure's face,
My downward fall is broken by the memory of a race.
And hope refills my weakened will as I recall that scene.
For just the thought of that short race rejuvenates my being.
A children's race, young boys, young men; now I remember well.
Excitement, sure, but also fear; it wasn't hard to tell.

They all lined up so full of hope. Each thought to win the race
Or tie for first, if not that, at least take second place.
And fathers watched from off the side, each cheering for his son,
And each boy hoped to show his dad that he would be the one.

The whistle blew and off they sped, as if they were on fire
To win, to be the hero there, was each boy's desire.
And one boy in particular, his dad was in the crowd,
Was running near the lead and thought, "My dad will be so proud."

But as he speeded down the field, across the shallow dip,
The little boy who thought to win lost his step and slipped.
Trying hard to catch himself, his arm flew out to brace,
And 'mid the laughter of the crowd, he fell flat on his face.
So, down he fell, and with him, hope. He couldn't win it now.

Embarrassed, sad, he only wished he'd disappear somehow.
But, as he fell, his dad stood up and showed his anxious face,
Which to the boy so clearly said, "Get up and win the race!"
He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit, that's all.
And ran with all his mind and might to make up for the fall.
So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win,
His mind went faster than his legs. He slipped and fell again.
He wished he had quit before with only one disgrace.
"I'm hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn't try to race."
But, in the laughing crowd he searched and found his father's face.
That steady look that said again, "Get up and win the race!"

So, he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last;
"If I'm to gain those yards," he thought, "I've got to run real fast!"
Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight or ten,
But trying so hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.
Defeat! He lay there silently, a tear dropped from his eye.
"There's no sense running more. Three strikes, I'm out... why try?"

The will to rise had disappeared, all hope had fled away.
So far behind, so error-prone, a loser all the way.
"I've lost, so what's the use?" he thought, ''I'll live with my disgrace."
But, then he thought about his dad, who soon he'd have to face.
"Get up," an echo sounded low, "get up and take your place.
You weren't meant for failure here; get up and win the race."
With borrowed will, "Get up," it said, "You haven't lost at all,
For winning is no more than this- to rise each time you fall."

So up he rose to win once more. And with a new commit,
He resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn't quit.
So far behind the others now, the most he'd ever been.
Still, he gave it all he had, and ran as though to win.
Three times he fallen, stumbling, three times he rose again.
Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.
They cheered the winning runner, as he crossed the line, first place,
Head high and proud and happy; no falling, no disgrace.
But, when the fallen crossed the finish line, last place,
The crowd gave him the greater cheer for finishing the race.
And even though he came in last, with head bowed low, unproud,
You would have thought he won the race, to listen to the crowd.

And to his dad, he sadly said, "I didn't do so well."
"To me you won," his father said, "You rose each time you fell."
And now when things seem dark and hard and difficult to face,
The memory of that little boy helps me in my race.
For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.
And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
"Quit!" "Give up, you're beaten!" They still shout in my face,
But another voice within me says, "Get up and win the race!"

When I heard this poem, I was reminded of a poem I wrote in the mission field that described my own personal mission experiences. Sometimes I felt like the narrator of the poem by D. H. Groberg. I believe each of us feels like this often nearly each day of our lives.

They told me that I'd never be great, but I took the climb.
They told me I'd never reach the top, but I made it up just fine.
I grew breathless at a couple of points, but I enjoyed the sights.
At times it rained until I was soaked and I didn't sleep well each night.
My muscles were sore and I felt ill. I nearly wished to give in.
And it made me discouraged to think about how their faces would each have a grin.
Their mocking and laughter would bring me to tears
As they tell me I shouldn't have tried,
And they'd point and laugh at my attempt as I stood there and cried.

With a prayer in my heart I remembered what God wanted me to be.
I put one foot in front of the other and ignored all that could happen to me.
And with a smile on my face I kept walking,
Determination played in my mind.
Though it was painful I kept hiking, and I continued trying to make the climb.
I honestly tell you that it was hard; I wanted to give up many times.
But though they said I couldn't do it, I indeed made the climb.

Our Heavenly Father wants us all to finish, but He does not give us a deadline. In the end the question will not be, "When did you finish? Did you finish first? Did you finish last?" The question most likely will be, "Did you finish?" If we keep pressing forward, doing all we can do, we will be able to finish and reach the greatest goal and prize: Eternal life.