The words Charles Dicken's once wrote, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." have run in my thoughts over the past month. While my life has never before been so abundantly blessed, I've also never been so abundantly challenged. To say that January has been a horrible month would be a gross understatement. In fact, I can't remember a time in my life where I've felt so overwhlemingly overburdened. But I've never been so blessed! So blessed for my sweet little boys, for my amazing husband, my incredibly charitable mother, for my wonderful new home, and especially for the gospel.
For me, trials have a way of purifying the imperfections in my life. One of the many lessons I've learned over the past few weeks is the power of friendship. Being stuck home, in the dead of winter with a newborn and two energetic little boys has been quite difficult. Now please remember I love my boys dearly! But when the only adult interaction I get in an entire week is with Jeff or talking on the phone with my mother, life gets a little depressing.
Its a bit challenging to feel like you've just slipped through the cracks.
Now here's where my lesson comes in. While thus feeling sorry for myself and my lack of friends and anyone "caring about me", I began to realize that human nature tends for us to be selfish. How many times have I been so busy doing "stuff" that I've let one of my friends go through trials without my support? How many times have I let someone else slip through the cracks because I've been too wrapped up in my own life to notice? How many of my friends are caught up in their own trials right now and I'm too absorbed in my problems to notice? How many times have I left some lame comment on Facebook or a blog instead of calling that person or going to visit them?
I very quickly began to see that I've been the selfish one.
How can I expect to get support when I've been slow to give it at times? May I strive to become a better friend to all those around me! May my heart become more charitable and my thoughts more concerned about those who matter most. May I not waste my time doing something that won't matter in years to come and focus more on building relationships with those around me!
Because in the end that's what's going to matter.
4 comments:
Thanks for the reminder to think outside of myself. I want you to know that I have praying for you every day for weeks! Good luck with everything and call me when you get down!
I can relate to this a lot. I love living in N.M. because I have made some great friends and it has taught me how I need to be when I move back to Idaho. I have felt the same way you do many times. It's so easy for me to feel like I'm making an effort in my friendships and that no one else is. How silly is that?
Way to turn it around. I'm sure it has been so super hard for you, and a huge adjustment. I'm sorry I haven't been as good as a friend as I should right now, it was a full time work week for me and I've barely been home.
Want to get together on Wednesday? or Thursday? Either of those days would be great for me. Plus, I think it would help both of us with sanity :)
You spoke from MY heart!! I am more than guilty of this myself right now. Thanks for the reminder of what we should be doing. I'm sure thankful for forgiveness!!
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