Disclaimer: I realize everyone has their own level of devotion to the Sabbath Day - and how I have chosen to honor the Sabbath may pale in comparison to the devotion of others or may seem extreme to some. No judgement here. We all walk our own path.
But here is my story.. Years ago, I committed myself to keeping the Sabbath Holy. It was a personal effort to increase my devotion to God. I decided that was my offering to God and, no matter what, I would try my best to honor the Sabbath Day.
It was pretty easy at first. No shopping, no boating trips, no going to the movies or watching television (Luckily I can record Downton Abbey). The harder part was doing positive things to fill my beautiful Sundays. Plan with the family, eat together, fellowship with church members and neighbors, read my scriptures and other good books, play games with the kids.
It was all good until the Super Bowl Sunday rolled around and my kids were old enough to know that there were parties going on at every other house in the neighborhood. That is what everyone was talking about at church - there was an excitement and buzz - Where would you watch it? Who invited who over? What food are you serving? All our friends were getting together to watch the game of the century with lots of food and fun. The pressure was tremendous... Should we go? How do we explain why we aren't coming?
When do you change what you have dedicated to God to fit in with those around you?...
It was hard. My husband was miserable. My kids were revolting. I was second guessing my offering of devotion. Wasn't doing what is right supposed to make us happy? Why were we all so NOT happy? It was torture.
My family had a million complaints: Why were we the ONLY people on the planet not watching the Super Bowl? Why were we the ONLY people who wouldn't know about that awesome play or that super funny commercial? Why did we have to miss out on the biggest event in history? What would we say around the cooler at work? The concerns were valid (although a bit first worldlish...) but real to my family. How do we fit in and still keep our commitment to God?
Why can't we just do it this one day? I thought a lot about that question. And I guess we could have. But I wonder how it would feel like to explain to God that we kept our promise to Him at all times except the times when we planned not to...? It just felt wrong to PLAN to break the Sabbath.
Ugh! How do we justify the situation?
Then my husband had a brilliant idea! Let's just go to bed early and get up super early and watch it. Why didn't I think of that? Probably because football isn't that big of a deal to me - but it is to him so we decided to do it.
We got up at 4 AM and the adversity began to push back on our efforts. The remote was gone! We looked and looked. It was nowhere! AAAAHHHHHHHH! 7 people looking for a remote that was there yesterday but gone today... So much aggravation I can't even describe it. It was like Satan was just laughing at our feeble attempt. We looked for 30 minutes which seemed like forever at 4:00 in the morning... Finally we said a prayer and wallah! We found the remote!
We turned on the Super Bowl and I made a yummy breakfast. They watched the game. We weren't so strange and backwards anymore. My family went out into the world knowing what happened during the Super Bowl. Yay. Life was good. A tradition was born.
The next year we planned ahead. We carefully placed the remote in it's designated spot. Prepared as much of the food as we could ahead of time and the tradition continued. We got up and had a Super Bowl party before school. And the years ticked by with our new tradition. It was our thing. Our family. Something special but different.
So, yesterday I hardly even knew it was Super Bowl Sunday. The stress and anxiety and pressure of years gone by was gone. The house was calm - or as calm as it usually is on Sundays (which actually isn't calm at all...) We had dinner and family planning and one of our kids actually shared a beautiful testimony of his gratitude that families can be together forever during scripture study.
This morning with chorizzo tacos and blueberry pancakes we ate and snuggled and watched the Super Bowl - or at least part of it. It was tradition. And fun. And exciting and wonderful.
Often I am so fed up with all the adversity and pressure I feel and I am ready to throw in the towel. But I am so grateful for the times that I don't and the beauty that comes after the storm. Because I can testify there is always a storm. But I could never enjoy a Super Bowl as much on a Sunday as I do on a Monday morning snuggled up with my family.
My name is Tricia (pronounced TREEsha). I am a daughter, a wife, a mother, a dancer, a writer, a photographer and a believer in Christ. My life is crazy and wonderful and this is where I share my thoughts and history.
Me and my man
Monday, February 8, 2016
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Nephi and a Wheelbarrow
A couple of weeks ago, Elder Holland came and spoke to the youth in our area. He said that every day since he went on his mission, he has thought about and benefitted from having served. I could not agree more. My mission to Guatemala has blessed my life in more ways than I can count. Daily I am reminded of something I felt or learned or became as I served my Savior on a full time mission. For those who are considering a mission, let me testify of the power a mission will have for good in your life.
The first scripture I learned in the Missionary Training Center was Mosiah 4:9:
Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.
The scriptures testify of God on every page.
But really, we only need to look around to know God exists. We need only to study the stars or take a physics class or hold a new born baby to marvel at the perfection of God’s creations. We only understand the smallest part yet all the parts point to an all loving creator.
Psalms 19: 1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
If God is real, and is the creator of our magnificent universe, and put our planets in orbit, and spectacularly designed our earth to be the one place in space, that we could exist. Shouldn’t our goal be to seek him? To find him? To know him? To understand his works and try to understand him? To be like Him?
We can’t comprehend all that our Father in Heaven is or all that our Savior is, But our goal is to try!
Isn’t that what personal conversion is? To seek and find God. In some small way? To come to discover and understand our Savior Jesus Christ?
But how do we do that?
Proverbs 4:7 Gives us a hint: It says, Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
We get. get get get.
Instagram, Netflix, carpool, jobs, mail, pedicures, sick, etc. But with all our getting, get understanding. a synonym for understanding is insight. We need insight into the spiritual world around us. We need to see more than the physical.
Doctrine and Covenants 88:15 And the spirit and the body are the soul of man. - our souls are made up of our body and spirit. Perhaps he is saying, don’t forget, you are more than just a body. There is more to see than you can see with your physical eyes. Perhaps getting understanding and insight into things that are spiritual is the essence of personal conversion.
I was called to be a Spanish speaking missionary in Guatemala in the City North mission. I’d been in there struggling to learn Spanish for 6 weeks when I was called to speak Kek’chi in a remote village in a valley several hours away from the capital. This valley was so isolated that there was only one way in. We were surrounded by mountains on both sides and the valley ended at an enormous lake. Only the valley floor was passable by a chicken bus that went to the end of the road in the morning and returned in the late afternoon. The round trip into the Polochic valley took about 6 hours. The old chicken bus was the only way in or out of the area unless you happened upon a passing truck. My companion was Hermana Lopez and she was an amazing missionary. She was a native from Guatemala and so valiant and intelligent and obedient.
15 And it came to pass that we were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea. And after we had been driven back upon the waters for the space of four days, my brethren began to see that the judgments of God were upon them, and that they must perish save that they should repent of their iniquities; wherefore, they came unto me, and loosed the bands which were upon my wrists, and behold they had swollen exceedingly; and also mine ankles were much swollen, and great was the soreness thereof.
4. And lastly, I learned that God uses experiences (sometimes painful ones) to allow us moments of clarity. Spiritual clarity. That night in a hut in Guatemala, it was like I could see. I understood God’s plan for me. I could see that it is: studying and seeking truth and goodness that gives us a Godly perspective on this earthly experience. I saw a glimpse of who I was and I knew God knew me personally. I recognized that study and service hadn’t saved me from pain and hardship but had prepared me for spiritual clarity. For personal conversion.
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