It is the pure love of Jesus Christ. As we learn of Jesus Christ and strive to become like Him, we will begin to feel His pure love in our lives and be prompted to love and serve others as He would. “Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down,” said President Thomas S. Monson. “It is resisting the impulse to become offended easily. It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings. It is accepting people as they truly are. It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time. It is resisting the impulse to categorize others.”1
(Taken from The October 2015 Ensign Visiting Teaching message)
Do I consider myself a good person, a good Christian, a good Latter Day Saint, no, but I keep on trying. Why? Why do I keep on trying? Maybe because in this world where there is a constant stream of chaos, violence, anger, and misery, I need to try in my little part of the world to be good or at least try. Am I perfect at this, no, am I always happy, no, do I allow being grumpy to get the better of me some days? yes. Some days are just lame, or I am feeling off kilter, is this an excuse, not by any means. But I am human, we all are and therefore imperfect.
I am an imperfect person tying to be better each day, not always succeeding, but nonetheless trying.
And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themsleves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. Ether 12:27
https://www.lds.org/?lang=eng
BUT, I keep on trying. I am trying and doing my best to be a better person, a better Latter Day Saint, but please while we are all on this journey can we give one another a break. Give love, give compassion, give peace, give understanding.
I see this meme all over facebook, but do we really understand it's meaning? I have liked it, I think I may have even shared it on my Facebook page, just like I know others have as well. We don't know what one person from the next is really going through.
I remember many years ago someone asking me how I was doing, I asked, "Do you really want to know or do you want the short answer? Sadly, she said the short answer, so I told her I was fine, and she walked away. The point is we want to believe we want to know what is going on with someone but rarely do we take the time and effort to REALLY know them. Sometimes we just make snap judgements about someone because it's easier or because we have stuff going on with our own lives and have enough on our own plates. Sad, yes, but some days truer than most. It just means we are human, still trying to live in this sometimes crazy world of ours.
But if we choose to just be kind along the way, just maybe, maybe, we will leave the world a little better each day.
