My dad's birthday was just a few days ago! Happy birthday, dad! My family means the world to me. Oddly enough, I would say that being here on my mission has brought me closer to them than I have ever been before. I only get to talk to them over email on Mondays, but my experiences out here have made me really appreciate my family more, and helped me to develop a greater love for them.
I imagine that is how God feels about us. We know that God is more than just some all powerful being who watches what we do. He is the father of our spirits! That makes us his children. How cool is that?! The greatest being in existence who created everything around us is our Father! And, because He is perfect, his love for us is perfect. I can think of no better way to put it than how our modern-day prophet, Thomas S. Monson puts it. He said-
"...your Heavenly Father loves you—each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It is not changed by your talents and abilities. It is simply there. It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there."
I had an experience with this some years ago. At one point during my sophomore or junior year of high school (it's all a blur to me), nothing was going right. I felt really upset, but tried really hard to make everyone else think I was ok. Well, one night I went to hang out with some friends, and I was just struggling. I eventually walked out, and sat in my car and cried. My friend noticed I was missing, and came out and sat with me. I told her about everything that was going wrong, and how alone I felt. She then gave me some advice about being a child of God that I have never forgotten.
1. You will always have somewhere to go. Whether it be crying out in prayer, visiting a church building, or walking around temple grounds, we will always have somewhere to go to be with him. He truly hears us as we pray, and He wants to pour out such rich blessings on us. Our Heavenly Father will never leave us here to wander by ourselves.
2. You will never be alone. We were not put here on this earth to be alone. Heavenly Father's greatest joy comes from us, his family. He wants us to be just as happy as He is, so He has blessed us with our very own families. If your family isn't a source of joy for you in one way or another, than He places other people in our life to help us along the way. Best of all, our Savior, Jesus Christ, has already traveled the path we must walk here on earth. He knows how to overcome anything. In our moments of greatest struggle, our Savior and Redeemer is the closest person to us. continually offering support and encouragement. No matter how alone we feel, we will never truly be left to struggle by ourselves.
3. You will always be loved. Think about this for a minute. The most powerful being in all the universe, who made the stars and heavens, knows you. The God of all, the creator of everything that is beautiful, knows you. How? Because you are his child. He knows each of us because we lived and grew at his feet in heaven. He sees us as beautiful sons and daughters, destined for a glorious future he has prepared for us. I promise you that He loves you. He loves you enough to give his Son, our brother Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice so that we could return to him. He wants us to come home!
No matter where you are, what you are doing, and where you are headed now, you can feel of your Heavenly Father's love for you. Pray to him, and ask to feel it in your life. I promise you that you can trust him, and that He is always there for you. You can go to Him in prayer. You don't have to do things alone. And, most importantly, you are loved!
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