To Run and Not Be Weary.

More success points! Are you ready?

1. You have to run faster, even though you're out of breath.

Back in November, our mission ran a 5K (3 miles). Just so you understand, I am not a runner. I love sprinting, but long distance? It really isn't my favorite thing on the face of the planet. Training and getting ready for this has been one of the hardest things that I have ever done. I worked really hard, and there were some days were I just didn't want to try running anymore. My goal was to finish in 40 minutes. I ran a practice on the Saturday before, and finished at 38 minutes! When the actual run came, I finished again in 38 minutes. I was so proud of myself. I have never done nor thought I ever could do anything like that.

On occasion, we feel tired spiritually. Things don't go our way, or we feel like we can't do the run anymore. If we only prayed to our Heavenly Father when we were in trouble, we would be in trouble. Those moments when we don't feel like going to church, reading our scriptures, or praying are the moments when we need to the most. From the Book of Mormon, we read that,

"And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."

-2 Nephi 31: 19-20 (Emphasis added)

Keep pushing forward! As you keep moving, you will find God blessing you with strength to go miles beyond what you first imagined possible.

2. You have to fight when you are already injured, bloody, and sore.

This is basically the same principle as above. When we go through a trial, we feel very battered afterwards. After running both my trial 5k and the actual 5k, I was sore! Hard times can put us through the ringer! However, when we remember that there is something to learn in every hardship, trials become easier. Having an eternal perspective makes all the difference!

The key is remembering that your weak things can become strengths. When we feel weak, the best place to turn is to the Savior. He exhorted,

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."-Matthew 11:28

Christ felt each of your scars before you experienced them. Trust that he knows how you feel. When you are denied multiple times, childhood dreams become harder than you thought, or things aren't working out, remember who felt all that first. Stand tall and push forward. The greatest Being who ever lived has already won your fight!

3. You have to meet deadlines that are unreasonable and deliver results that are unparalleled. 

For this section, I would like to refer you to my post titled "Because of Him". Jesus Christ's atoning sacrifice makes it possible to overcome the greatest obstacles- sin and death. We can do anything, because of Jesus Christ! One of my favorite scriptures comes from the book of Romans, in the Bible. It reads,

"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

-Romans 8: 34-35, 37-39

Because nothing can separate us from the love of God, nothing can separate us from his ultimate act of love- his atoning sacrifice. When we rely on the ennobling power of the atonement, we will be strengthened. I know quite a few people that I have looked at and thought, "I could never do what you have done, or go through what you have gone through." I am reminded every time I think something similar that everyone's challenges are individual, and because of Jesus Christ's atonement, we can meet deadlines and deliver results beyond reason. All because Christ did it first. I am so grateful for his atonement that makes it possible for each of us to overcome trials and come out on top- every time. Have faith in Christ. Trust in him. Humbly follow the Son of God, and I promise that you will feel his guidance and power in your life!

He Is the Gift.

CHRISTMAS.

What's the first thing you think of? Presents, trees, snow...presents. Hopefully family falls in there somewhere. Christmas is a really busy time- shopping, food, crazy grandchildren. There are so many different things going on that we lose a little of what is really going on.

I learned this lesson so powerfully last year. As a missionary, we don't have a whole lot of stuff. I had the chance to teach people about the importance of Christ during the time we celebrate his birth. He is the Son of God. He was born in a stable in the most humble and lowly of circumstances. Said Jeffery R. Holland,

"I wonder if (Joseph) felt the sting of tears as he hurriedly tried to find the cleanest straw and hold the animals back. I wonder if 
he wondered: “Could there be a more unhealthy, a more disease-ridden, a more despicable circumstance in which a child could be born? Is this a place fit for a king? Should the mother of the Son of God be asked to enter the valley of the shadow of death in such a foul and unfamiliar place as this? Is it wrong to wish her some comfort? Is it right He should be born here?” But I am certain Joseph did not mutter and Mary did not wail. They knew a great deal and did the best they could. Perhaps these parents knew even then that in the beginning of his mortal life, as well as in the end, this baby son born to them would have to descend beneath every human pain and disappointment. He would do so to help those who also felt they had been born without advantage."

(https://www.lds.org/ensign/1977/12/maybe-christmas-doesnt-come-from-a-store?lang=eng)

To help those who also felt they had been born without advantage. What a statement. Jesus Christ was born in such a way as to better understand and identify with you. The Lord of Hosts and King of Kings was born on this earth as a gift to both you and me. A gift is different than a present- gifts require something of you. Jesus Christ was a gift to us. God watched His Only Begotten Son be born in the humblest of places and grow into a man who would always be doing His will, and always be rejected for it. He watched His precious Son preform the atonement, feeling every emotion in the human spectrum. He watched as His Son hung on the cross, blood dripping from both his hands and his crown of thorns. He watched as His Son arose three days later triumphant over the grave, making it possible for all His other children to do the same.

This season, remember Christ. Remember that he is the gift- the ultimate gift. Give more than you get, and then give more. Forgive that person you've been holding a grudge against. Spend time with your family, playing games and telling stories. Read the Bible of the birth of your Savior, both together and individually. Take time to ponder what it means to you, and what you can do to give it even more meaning. When you do, share what you learn with others. Embrace the gift of Christ, and share that gift with all around you in the way that you live and what you say. As you do, I promise you peace. His teachings will improve the quality of your life as you learn and follow him more closely. I know he is the Son of God. I know he lives, and I know that he is the gift!