Just Love

I love people. I was so happy to be in church today and to enjoy the spirit of the meetings. I was happy to look around and see people that I have come to know over the last 10 months and to enjoy being there with them. I recognize that there are many like me who struggle every day. We all have weaknesses, we all fall short of the example of the Savior and of our potential, we all rely on the same atonement of Jesus Christ in order for us to overcome our weaknesses and to conquer physical and spiritual death.

It can be easy in this life to focus on the ill in others, to look at faults and weaknesses of others and boost ourselves up in our own eyes because clearly we don't have those faults or weaknesses. At the same time it is easy to look at others and see perfection whilst we know in ourselves that we are inadequate and we don't do this as good as they do or that as good as someone else.

I remember being taught by my Mission President that we are all at different stages in our spiritual progression. The most important thing that we can focus on is where we stand with the Lord and are we moving forward, standing still or sliding backwards? I hope that I am moving forward. I try to be diligent in a few key things and that has made a difference in my life. I know however that there are several other things that I need to work on improving, things that will help me to move forward as I strive to progress to my potential.

Feeling like the eyes of the congregation are on you is not fun. Feeling like you have let down your family and disappointed those you love is a miserable state. When things in life fall apart it becomes very easy to beat yourself up over them. I think there are a few things that help you through these times. For me it consisted of living angels. Friends and family who loved me through my despair and were there with a listening ear and a willingness to serve no matter what. That love provides light in dark times and sometimes that is exactly what you need. Do I provide that same kind of love that I was so freely given?

The Savior said "As I have loved you, love one another". His is a perfect love, unconditional. Nobody had to earn it, it is freely given and because it is given freely the Savior is loved in return. I hope that I can better follow that example and just love others. Love them for who they are, a child of God. Don't focus on what they have or have not accomplished but see them for who they can become and love them for that. I hope that I can do that and that others will do that for me. I hope that I can do that for myself as well. Just love. I'm not going to go out and shave my head, wear funny robes and hand out flowers but I do hope that during the days of my life I will be found filled with charity toward all men. Not an easy thing to do but I think it a goal worthy of my time and effort.