Faith and The Power of Choice

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This morning I was reading the story of Enos, who goes out in the wilderness and thinks about the things his father had taught him about Christ.  As he pondered he decided he really, really wanted to know God, and to be pure before Him.  So he prayed, and prayed, and prayed -- for hours and hours.  He did not give up.  He poured out his whole soul to God.  He told God everything.  And finally Enos hears God's voice telling him he's forgiven and will be blessed and He knows God doesn't lie.  Then Enos asks an important question.  "Lord, how it is done?"  How is he forgiven?  Enos is told that it is "Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen."  He is told that "Thy faith hath made thee whole"  (Enos vs. 8)

This line struck me differently this morning than it has before.  It doesn't say Enos is made whole through Christ's Atonement, which would be true.  It says it is because of Enos' faith in Christ.  Enos chose to believe in Christ.  God gave us agency, but I think we don't often realize what power there is in agency.  If we read the scriptures we can read about God's love for us, but we have to choose to believe it.  He will not make us believe it.  He will send us tender mercies, but He won't make us recognize them as tender mercies.  He can point out that His voice speaks truth, and that we should believe His voice above anyone else, but He will not make us believe that voice.  He will tell us He listens to us, but we actually have to choose to believe He does.

We are told that miracles come after faith.  After we choose to believe God's love for us, we can have the miracle of beginning to see it.  If we choose to believe He sends us tender mercies every day, and we look for them, the little miracles in our days will become more evident.  We can read His words that guide our life, but until we choose to believe them above anyone else, and to find our answers in them, we will not have the miracle of courage that we need to act on those things.  We can pray, and feel like our prayers hit the ceiling and bounce back at us and still choose to believe that He is listening, and that He hears.  We can pray with our prayers feeling that way for a long time, but I know from experience that if we do not give up, in time He will provide the miracle that lets us knows He hears.

When we choose to have faith in Christ, who we have not seen or heard, then like Enos we will eventually understand that it is our faith in Christ that made us whole.

***Picture by Robert T. Barrett used by permission from churchofjesuschrist.org

Leave Room For Faith. Watch For Miracles

I believe in miracles, but I also believe that I often keep them from happening by my lack of faith.  One of my biggest challenges has been that when I have felt broken, I would think, and think, and try to figure out what was wrong, and try to fix everything I might be doing that could be causing a problem.  I would try to grit my teeth, and work my way to a happier, unbroken state.  After focusing on any and all of my faults that I could find, I would pray for help -- but it was more of a plea from a drowning person who didn't have much expectation of being rescued.

I have learned that faith does not require me to dig up and think of every little flaw I have, or to focus on all of the ways I fail.  I am human and so I have lots of flaws and fail often. Concentrating on these things is exhausting and discouraging.  Faith requires me to do my best to follow the commandments and to be as good of a person as I can.  Heavenly Father will let me know if something needs to be fixed, and He will not be mean about it.  He will direct me to Jesus, and I can trust that Jesus' Atonement will provide the way for whatever is broken to be mended!

In everything I do, and in all of the ways I want to help, it is always best when, instead of gritting my teeth, looking for solutions with desperation, and carrying all of the weight myself, I leave room for faith.  When I do this, then I can watch for miracles, and they will happen.

The What If Walrus

Photo by Jay Ruzesky on Unsplash

Back in the days before cell phones, Derek would occasionally come home late from work without calling me first, and I would panic.  What if he had crashed?  And died?  He would get home to a distraught and somewhat angry wife.  He didn't have to be very late for me to panic either -- just 5 or 10 minutes.

I was reminded of this when I was reading the Book of Mormon this morning.  Lehi had sent off all four of his and Sariah's sons to get the brass plates.  The boys weren't back as soon as Sariah thought they should be, and she panicked.  What if they were hurt?  Or had died?  She said things that were not particularly kind.  She was angry.  Lehi tried to comfort her, but it wasn't until the boys arrived back on the scene that she really felt better.
(There wasn't even a helpful landline type phone back then!)

All of this had me remembering a story that I used to read to my girls about Walrus.  Walrus wanted to learn to ride a bike, but he was plagued by all of the "what ifs"  that he came up with.  So many horrible things were possible, and he probably would hurt himself, and be life flighted, and fall out of the helicopter and die!

Granted, this story is different -- he was worried about himself getting hurt and maybe dying -- but he was paralyzed by his fear, just like Sariah and I were stuck in ours, not moving out of the fear until we knew our loved ones were safe.

Walrus did try riding a bike, and he did fall.  He also learned to ride that bike.  When we are feeling afraid, wouldn't it be nice to be able to just pull out the confidence that God is with us, and no matter what happens He will still be with us? Walrus had friends who helped him when he fell off of his bike, and we will have help when we face hard things too.  Worrying in advance over the what ifs just paralyzes us, and doesn't help us now, or later. 

It Is Well With My Soul

The hymn It is Well With My Soul was written by Horatio Spafford as he passed a spot in the ocean where, just a few days before, his four daughters had died when the ship they and their mother were travelling on sank.  His wife was the only member of his family left alive, and you can imagine how devastated they both were.  I saw a dramatization of the story done during a Tabernacle Choir concert.  It was so sad!  It was also a story of faith. The mourning that, for both Horatio and his wife, eventually turned to peace and assurance.  The words written by Horatio show his trust and faith in God, even in this incredibly sad circumstance.

It Is Well With My Soul

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well, with my soul

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul

It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

Shortly after hearing the story of this hymn, I found, and bought the sign from the picture above.  It is on my room on a shelf.  Sometimes, in the evenings especially, I will glance at it and wonder, "Is it well with my soul?" This sign has unexpectedly given me a reminder to ponder whether I am trusting God in whatever situation I am in, and if I am trusting Him to forgive me when I make mistakes, or to help me when things seem hard.  I am thankful when I come to the conclusion that, at least for the moment, it is well with my soul.