Last Tuesday I went to Institute even though I didn't plan on it. I went after recieving a caring nudge from a freind to go. It was a great lesson given by the instructor but I the thing that really caused some wheels to a turn in my head and in my heart was a scripture and her thoughts about it that Rachel shared while we were doing a group thing. It was in Moroni where he was talking about how charity never fails and if you pocess this you will not fail. This made so much sence to me, more then it ever had. Charity is the key... The key to everything. When I normally think of Charity I think of being nice to others. But it's so much more then that. Charity is loving God, God loving you, and seeing someone past the visible things and seeing their hearts, it's being sensitive to the spirit and knowing when someone is in need of help. Not just helping once someone ask but living so much outside of your own life that you are able to recongnize when someone else is in need perheps even before they are. Charity is also loving yourself the way Christ and Heavenly Father does, see the better you, seeing the beautiful you and refusing to fail. Charity isn't just about loving others, yourself or Heavenly Father, but to love BETTER. Iread an amazing talk last night. My friend Alyson and I decided to go on a Charity quest because this is something I feel like I have but have strongly misunderstood. I have a huge desire to have this attribute so we are on this quest and as of part of this quest I read the talk I made mention of which brought alot of light.
Do we judge one another? Do we criticize each other for individual choices, thinking we know better, when in fact we rarely understand another’s unique circumstance or individual inspiration? Have we ever said, “She works outside the home.” Or, “Her son didn’t serve a mission.” Or, “She’s too old for a calling.” Or, “She can’t—she’s single.” Such judgments, and so many others like them, rob us of the good part, that pure love of Christ.
We also lose sight of that good part when we compare ourselves to others. Her hair is cuter, my legs are fatter, her children are more talented, or her garden’s more productive—sisters, you know the drill. We just can’t do that. We cannot allow ourselves to feel inadequate by focusing on who we aren’t instead of on who we are! We are all sisters in Relief Society. We simply cannot criticize, gossip, or judge and keep the pure love of Christ. Can’t you hear the Lord’s sweet injunction: “Martha, Martha … ?”
Elder Marvin J. Ashton beautifully observed: “Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don’t judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone’s differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn’t handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another’s weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other.” 14
In exercising charity, we come to know a sister’s heart. When we know a sister’s heart, we are different. We won’t judge her. We will simply love her. I invite you to not only love each other more but love each other better. As we do this we will come to know with a surety that “charity never faileth.” 15
As seemed the case with Martha, one of the first things to go when I become cumbered about and troubled is my charitable attitude. Is this true for you?
I’ve learned that the best way to reclaim charity is to uncumber myself and simply love and serve the Lord. How do we do that? We start each day kneeling in prayer to our Father in Heaven, we hear His words through daily scripture study, and we follow the guidance we receive. We put Christ first, restoring charity’s circular love. “We love him, because he first loved us.” 16 This is the reciprocating cycle of charity. Sisters, “charity never faileth.”
Bonnie D. Parkin
How freakin Beautiful is that. Just made me think about how much charity I lack throughout my life. I try real hard to see the good in people and I think that is a strength of mine but I'm still human and I often get a little frustrated and annoyed with some people especially girls when I don't understand their behaviors. I forget that I have went through so many different stages in my life and personality that I was probably once like them as well. And I forget about my desire to have people see me for me but yet I forget to do that for everyone. I do have a big heart and love really hard and fall in love with people really easy (in a nonromanitc way, in a romanic oola la way I do not fall easily but thats an entire blog entry itself) but it does bother me when I don't seek to find the good in some people. Cause I feel so misunderstood when people refuse to see that in me. I have a strong desire to refuse to fail in this life, I refuse not to recieve the blessings we've all been promised. I want to try as hard as I can. I really want to be with my family again for all eternity. I recently thought about how the Priesthood and Temples seals families for all eternity so we have that promise but we still have to hold up our side of the deal. And I really want to be with them and my Heavenly Father. I really want to be a good person, so I'm realizing that I can do that with Charity now off to obtain it... Well try at least!
