Experiences

Lately I have have been thinking about the experiences we have had over the past 32 years of our marriage. We have all had ups and down, which are just a part of life. Some days it seems like everything would be easier to just throw in the towel and made major decisions that would change our lives. Sometimes we are dealt a hand that is difficult to bear. But most of the time, we have realized the the blessings come after the trials. And that isn't always easy to see while the trials are there. You just have to keep going.
There have been many times when we wondered if our prayers are being heard at all, when we felt that something wasn't right. You know, those times when you aren't getting what you want or feel you want or deserve at the time. We have looked at those times and wondered just what we needed to do to "deserve" or be blessed with our desires. Our desires were righteous desires, and we just didn't understand what was keeping us from getting some kind of answer. Any answer at all. It was at times like that we would have a "husband/wife" council and look at our lives. We would find one area where we would put more effort into living the gospel better. I remember one time during our early marriage we knew we could be better at paying our tithing. We really worked that on and have been faithful tithe payers since then. We have noticed many blessings coming from that commitment. Another time it was reading the scriptures so we started getting the kids up earlier and read the scriptures every morning. It helped to make the days go better, not perfect but better. And I think our children had better teenage years because of it.
The past week I have needed to take a look at myself again, and see what I can do to make some major changes or adjustments in my life. Since Garth and I aren't home in the mornings together (he leaves for work at 4:00 am) I need to read my scriptures better by myself.
I have the set of books "Your Study of The Book of Mormon Made Easier" by David J. Ridges, which is very good at explaining word by word what each scripture means. I don't have any problem with comprehending what the verses mean, but I enjoy the added details that are included.
I was reading in Alma 8-9, the story where Alma meets Amulek, which is a well-known man in his community. Alma was told to go back to the city that had treated him so badly, and he was told to "Rejoice". He had been rejected, spit upon, and thrown out of the city, and the angel told him to Rejoice! The angel's message was that no matter what circumstances or people do to you in a negative way, what really counts is how you stand with God. Alma had been faithful, so he had reason to rejoice.
The verse that always stands out as Alma and Amulek teach is Alma 9:13. "Behold, do ye not remember the words which he spake unto Lehi, saying that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper in the land? And again it is said that: Inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord." How many times do we feel that our answers aren't coming? That is when we need to re-evaluate our lives and see what we can do to live a bit better. Even if we think our lives are in tune with the gospel teachings, there is usually somewhere we can improve. Pray more often by yourself, family or couple prayer. Pay tithing. A true fast. Home and visiting teaching. Scripture reading. Helping someone else. Making it a point to do it and report back to the Lord in prayer helps us see what we are doing to improve ourselves. It is our own evaluation so we might be like Alma and be told that we have reason to rejoice even with all the negative things that are happening around us, or the prayers we feel aren't being answered.
My challenge to you is to find one thing, one area, where you can put forth a little more effort, not to perfection but just a little bit more. Work on that one thing for as long as you need, informing the Lord what you are doing and why you are doing it. Look for the blessings that come as you work on this one little thing. It will soon bring big blessings in your life.