Love Comes Back to You

I recently posted some thoughts in a divorce group I'm in on Facebook.  I felt good about this message and wanted to save and share it.  It is short, but I believe it is very true.  Hope you are doing well out there, wherever you are.  Blessings to you!

I went to my former niece's mission farewell today. I guess to me, she is still my niece. I wasn't sure that I wanted to stay very long. You know, it's not always so pleasant to be hanging out with your ex and her husband at these kinds of events. Can you feel me? But I have to say, that every time I go to these joint family events, I am treated like royalty by all my kids and all my former in-laws and friends. I felt so good that I ended up staying and reminiscing with them for a long time. It was wonderful. Even my 16 year old son noticed and commented on it. He said, "You know Dad, all of mom's sisters still haven't replaced you. They all still love you 'cause you're a good person." I have to say I loved hearing that and feeling that, especially from my son. It reminded me of this scripture in the Book of Mormon.

Alma 41:14
14 Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.

15 For that which ye do ^asend out shall return unto you again, and be restored

I believe this scripture doesn't just pertain to the next life. It pertains to this one. I told my son. "If you treat people right and love them, then it will come back to you later, when you need it." This is a true principle.

Not everything happens immediately in this world. We are not always rewarded quickly for loving others. Offenders don't always have evil restored to them quickly either, but I have lived long enough to see the restoration of good and evil come to folks. It just does.

I am blessed that relationships that I forged over decades reward me in the present. This will accelerate throughout our lives and will culminate on the other side. Never think it is vain to serve God. Those who keep the commandments are the happiest people on this earth and will be also rewarded ten times more in the future.

I know that not everyone's former in-laws are nice or accepting, but love will win out for the righteous in the end. Never weary of loving others. Love is its' own reward. You will see it and feel it in this life. Don't forget.

Just some thoughts to share with you on a Sunday evening. Blessings to you all!

Revelation to Each One of Us

I've been asking some questions of late, questions that keep coming to my mind.  I've been casting them up to Heaven, letting them echo and reverberate back down to me and throughout the universe. The questions are not really new.  I've been asking them for years.  I've gotten little hints of answers here and there.  Little packets of information have been sent to me that seem to sink in more and more as I continue to experience life.  One day all the little packets will add up to a perfect brightness and my understanding will be complete. That's how revelation from God works.  It is scriptural. 

 Isaiah 28:10  For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

Even with all the prophets, the pattern is the same.  They are given knowledge in the time they need and as a response to sincere and earnest prayer.  We are no different from them in this regard and we are entitled to revelation from God just as much as anyone else.  The key to revelation is this, we must ask with all sincerity without attempting to hide anything from God.  We can't pretend with him. We cannot trifle with sacred things.  We cannot expect answers from Him on a whim and we must absolutely be willing to listen and act on the knowledge we receive.  If we follow that simple pattern, our knowledge will grow unto a perfect day and we will one day return to live in His presence.

Many times the problem is not with our prayers.  It lies with our willingness to listen and act.  We want God's answers to fit what we want, not necessarily what He wants for us.  That's the difference between a true disciple and one who has not yet made the commitment.  A true disciple is willing to make whatever change in his or her personal life the Lord wants.  They will take a different job, give up an ingrained habit, move to another place, talk to people they have never met, suffer rejection by others, suffer illness, give up former friends, former lifestyles, join a misunderstood church.  The list goes on and can be unique to each individual.  Why would a person be willing to do such difficult things?  It is simply because they see something beautiful that is not of this world and they desire it more than anything else.

Hebrews 11: 16  But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

As my imperfect path of discipleship has continued over the course of my life, I have worried at times that my mission on this earth has been interrupted or that my promised blessings would not come to pass, especially because of my divorce.   Divorce is not God's way.  It is not His plan for His children. Unfortunately a divorce was inevitable for me.  There was no way to stop it.   I fought it for a long time and would not give up trying to save my marriage despite all.

Finally after I had done everything and had laid it all upon the altar before God in my prayers, I heard the thought come into my mind, "It's time for you to let go and follow My plan now, son."  I heard the message clearly and it felt right in my mind and in my heart.  That's when I was finally able to let go.  There was another path for me and it had all been planned out.  

As I have had time to reflect, I have come to believe and know that my path has all been foreknown by God.  My divorce was previously known and planned for.  It was not allowed to happen in order to stop my progress and my promised blessings from coming to me. There has been no detour from my life mission and path.  My unexpected trials have been part of my plan and I believe, an essential one.  I never left my walk with God though I have walked imperfectly.  It's still my plan.  It's still my path.  I'm still moving in the right direction.  That growing understanding has meant the world to me.

I feel much more at peace now as time has passed and God has opened up little by little a greater view of my past, present, and future.  I have come to this knowledge not through a vision or dream but by small packets of inspiration that have come to me over time as I have striven to follow the path of discipleship.

He will do that for all of us if we learn to see with our spiritual eyes and hear with our spiritual ears, and let our hearts be softened instead of hardened in our trials.

This I believe and I hope you do too.

Upward and onward my brothers and sisters.