"To Love another person is to see the face of God"

"To love another person is to see the face of God". This is one  of the closing lines in one of my all time favorite musicals "Les Miserables", I heard this closing line dozens of times this summer as I was in the show, I played a very memorable "Woman number 3". It was not until the last week and I realized that the show was almost over that I really started to let some of the messages sink in, this line, this closing line that had been saved for the end of such an epic show caused me to wonder. What were they thinking? Victor Hugo, Claude Michel Schonberg, Herbert Kretzmer, why did they save this for the closing moments. In a story about redemption, the balance between justice and mercy, fighting for what you believe in, survival, hope, despair, why was this simple line so moving? Of all the emotions that we can feel as human beings the closest we ever come to feeling celestial emotion is love. When we love without thought for ourselves, when we love with our whole hearts and without any expectation of gain, we are the closest that we can be on this earth to the celestial beings that our Father in Heaven would have us be. So, why would we "see" God when we love others? We have been told that we need to receive his image in our countenances', but when we look at others in love that is when we see his image in them. We can see the worth of the soul, we become more willing to sacrifice for that person, more willing to build them up and help them see what we see in them. We see God in them. We are allowed this brief opportunity to see what eternity is like. Wrapped in a compelling story and amazing showtunes is an eternal truth that our Heavenly Father loves us, that we are all allowed the chance to better ourselves with hope of redemption because of our Savior. No matter how we view ourselves when those who love us look at us they see the face of God, that is powerful, that should change our perception of ourselves. My take home message from this epic summer of musical bliss was to learn to look for my Father in Heaven in others, He is there, I just need to love others to see Him.

-Kristin

"Free Yourself From Unrealistic Expectations of Perfection"

Today I saw, "Free Yourself From Unrealistic Expectations of Perfection" on the LDS.org website and I immediately clicked the link. What followed was a beautiful talk reminding me about the all encompassing power of the Savior's Atonement. Below is a short excerpt:

"The Savior’s freely given atoning love helps us become more forgiving and less judgmental of others and of ourselves. This love heals our relationships and gives us opportunities to love, understand, and serve as our Savior would.

His atoning love changes our concept of perfection. We can put our trust in Him, diligently keep His commandments, and continue in the faith (seeMosiah 4:6)—even as we also feel greater humility, gratitude, and dependence on His merits, mercy, and grace (see 2 Nephi 2:8)."

Most times, my concept of perfection is completely skewed. An immaculate home, beautifully dressed children, a roast on the dinner table at exactly 5:30 when my husband arrives home, and of course my homemade apple pie for dessert (which I made 2 of to give one away, of course). While I'm typing this I realize how completely ridiculous this is, but apparently deep down, that is what I expect of myself- even if I don't neccesarily want that (I hate apple pie!)

But when I truly focus on the Savior, on what He wants for me, and on what He expects of me, I realize that perfectionism (at least my idea/the worlds perspective) is a tool of Satan. He wants us to get overwhelmed, unmotivated, depressed, & anxious over our weaknesses, to the point that we want to give up. That is not how the Savior works.

His infinite love surpasses anything we can comprehend, and as our Advocate with the Father, is fighting for our success. He loves us. He will always love us. And all He wants for us is to wake up each day, with a renewed hope that we will be better than yesterday.  

Tucking In Grandma

          My grandma and my uncle Gordon live in a senior center nearby, and I go visit every Sunday night. Most nights I’m there, Uncle Gordon asks if I can get Grandma ready for bed. She always says that I’m probably much too tired and shouldn’t have to stay and help her. I always say I don’t mind, that I’d be happy to help. Then I help pull her out of her chair, set her hands on her walker, and guide her as she shuffles through the bedroom and into the bathroom.
          The first time Uncle Gordon asked if I would get Grandma ready, I definitely minded. I had never helped anyone get ready for bed. Or at least, no one older than five. I frantically called my mom for instructions, then tried to stay calm and do my best. It didn’t help that Grandma was sick and I had to change all her clothes. I helped her clean up and get into her silky red pajamas. I put her black wig on the mannequin head on her dresser. Then she sat on her walker and handed me her teeth. Dentures are plastic and slippery, and I nearly dropped them. But I managed to brush them in warm water and Crest and hand them back to her all minty fresh. And all the while Grandma encouraged and complimented me like I’d been doing this my whole life. That’s just who Grandma is.
          When we were done with her teeth, I helped her over to her bed. We sat on the edge, and I held her hand while I said a prayer out loud that she would feel better and would be able to sleep through the night. Then I pulled the blankets back, tucked her into bed, and kissed her goodnight. It was probably the kindest thing I’ve been able to do for my grandma, and I wanted to go home and cry.
          Helping Grandma get ready for bed has become fairly routine now. Every Sunday night, Gordon and I sing a few hymns together while I play them badly and Grandma smiles like it’s the most beautiful sound she’s ever heard. I don’t know if she can really hear any of it. Then Gordon says, “After this song, will you get Mom ready for bed?” So we play one more hymn, and then Grandma and I slowly make our way to the bathroom.
          Now, as I help her get ready for bed, we talk. I tell her about the car I just bought, she asks about gas mileage. I tell her about the guys I just went out with; she asks which one I like best. She asks about work. We talk about Grandpa. She tells me I’m amazing, and I tell her I got it from her.
          She always tells me I’m amazing. And when I help her, I begin to believe she might just be right—and that I may have inherited more from her than I’d thought.
-Lori

Loving Others As Christ Does

Hi! I'm Kate and I'm really excited about this blog. I often get overwhelmed by all the terrible things going on in the world, so I'm really excited about adding some good.

So here is my good for the month...

I feel that women, in general, are quick to judge others. Maybe part of this quality is there to help us protect our children for potentially dangerous circumstances. But mostly, this habit needs to stop. Personally, I need to purge myself of this. Lately, I've been trying to understand rather than judge. As I try to see things from a different point of view, I find myself loving those who are different from me. 

I just assume that most people are simply doing the best they can. Most people are doing a much better job than I would under the same circumstances. 

Our Savior knows everything about everyone and He loves unconditionally. Why do we, who know very little about those around us, feel inclined to judge? I hope we, myself included, can learn to see others the way the Savior does.