Spiritual Peace

Disclaimer: I hope these things make sense to all who take the time to read it.  There are so many thoughts racing through my mind, I can hardly gather them in a manner that is concise.  I hope I do them justice in this post. :)

Let's just say that this weekend has caused me to completely rethink my entire life plan.  And after thinking about it for a whole session of conference (about 2 hours), I threw it out the window.  Needless to say, those of you who heard the news about the changing of the missionary ages for males and females know why this is so.  

You guessed it, I have decided to serve an 18 month mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  I am not doing this simply because now I can, or to prove to anyone that girls can do what boys can do, or even to show my diligence in taking advantage in this push for "women's rights", as some might put it.  I am doing this because the Lord has made it very plain to me that this is what He would have me do.  I have had some challenges lately, and until this point, I didn't quite understand why.  However, upon hearing the Prophet of God announce that I am now able to serve a mission, 2 years earlier than previously thought of, I have no doubt that this is the best way to spend my time.  He has been preparing me for this for quite some time now.  I hope that perhaps most of you will understand why, and trust me when I tell you that I know this is right for me.  Giving up everything worldly to devote my life fully to the service of my Heavenly Father and His children is something I could never regret.  I just have to make sure that I go with the right intent, not expecting it to be easy by any means.  It's going to be harder than anything I could ever imagine, but I know that Heavenly Father will take care of me as long as I am doing what He would have me do.  Everything that He has planned is better than anything I could ever plan for myself.  His will and timing are supreme, and although we may not understand it at the time, it will all work out for the better in the end.

"If you will respond to share your beliefs and feelings about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, a spirit of love and a spirit of courage will be your constant companion, for perfect love casteth out fear." - L. Tom Perry

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love this.  I love my family with all my heart, but to be able to take 18 months and focus it on enabling other families to feel the joy and receive the blessings of being an eternal family is an opportunity that I could never forsake.  There is nothing more fulfilling than knowing that someday you may be reunited with your family once more, even after we have since left this mortal life, never to be separated again.  I want every family who has ever lost a loved one to know that there is hope after death.  Through the blessings of the temple, all things are possible.  

If there's anything I've learned the recently, is that once you're off balance, you don't get to choose what happens to you, but you get to choose how you deal with it.

"Let us simplify our lives a little.  Let us make the changes necessary to refocus our lives on the sublime beauty of the simple, humble path of Christian discipleship - the path that leads always toward a life of meaning, gladness, and peace." 

- President Dieter F Uchtdorf

So by learning that I am supposed to be on a mission has finally granted me spiritual peace.  I can now simplify my life and get on the track to where Heavenly Father needs me.  I could not be more thankful for this opportunity I have been given and I know that Heavenly Father had me in mind when He inspired our Prophet to make this monumental change.  It's just a further witness to me that He knows me more than I know myself and that He wants the best for me.  And I can tell you with a surety that He loves you and knows you just as well.  Even when you are feeling down or alone, know that He will never leave you comfortless.  He is always there, hands stretched out to each and every one of us, waiting for us to reach up and receive His help.  You're of such great worth to Him, no matter how far you may have strayed from the path.

"This is a paradox of man: compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are everything to God.  While against the backdrop of infinite creation we may appear to be nothing, we have a spark of eternal fire burning within our breast.  We have the incomprehensible promise of exhaltation - worlds without end - within our grasp.  And it is God's great desire to help us reach it." 

- President Dieter F Uchtdorf

If you want to know more about the LDS (Mormon) Church and especially missionary service, please visit mormon.org/missionaries