From December 15, 2017: “This post has been ready for many months, but I have been reluctant to share it because of its personal nature. I was once told that ‘there is power in your vulnerability’. I had no idea what that meant, but over time gained understanding. Becoming vulnerable by revealing my personal concerns and history can have real purpose… according to Christ’s concerns for ‘the one’ (or more) who read and are open. An example, when I was ‘let go’ from a place of employment, many agreed. Working alone in a role of quality control (a large construction project involving 300+ mechanical workers). There was rhetoric, falsehoods engineered against me. It was hard and the Lord soon told me that from His viewpoint, ‘all was well, that I was moving on’. (Almost immediately he gave me… Psalms 1:1-6.) Of similar incidents that were clearly brutal, the composite of such work settings have left me unwilling even ‘gun-shy’ of situations others handle easily. AND…
Thus it is so good to have the Gospel and my best friend, Jesus Christ, to retain balance and forward perspective… when I allow Him in and seek His influence. It’s when I resolve upon the ‘independent approach’ that life can quickly become much more complicated. I have relearned that the Lord has given me tools to keep close to Him. Attending my meetings, fulfilling my church responsibilities, worshiping, prayer… living gospel teachings. AND…
Certain scriptures, inspired quotations / words from our Church leaders provide great spiritual energy that break a negative cycle by reorienting me to what is REALLY important. I was recently in one of those negative trends where my mind was so clouded I lay awake at night haunted by my past, including blunders, incidents of long ago. Finally after days of bumbling along when, for a time even prayer didn’t seem to work, there seemed a clear answer from above: “Forgive yourself and change your thought processes. I (the Lord) have forgiven you. By holding onto it (the baggage) you deny My power to redeem… you play into Satan’s lies that there is no real change, AND, He continued…
“Why aren’t you doing what you used to do… reviewing memorized scripture you love so much, talking to Heavenly Father, casting Satan out?(- see discontent) Why have you slumped back to counterproductive thoughts?” I am fortunate to have scripture that I have memorized before, during, after full time mission days and personalized since. (see personalizing scripture), these and other such tools, such as affirmations, He blesses me with when troubling past / present seem to rule and make my days difficult.
Life is so much easier with, than without Him! k
