Directions for Life

Hello all!

This week was good.  A lot of traveling to far away areas of Korat, getting fed by members of the Branch, and reading the scriptures a lot personally, with investigators, converts, and less actives.  Oh and a lot of chocolate milkshakes.  The weeks may go by fast, but we are all still learning - that is one thing that truly never ends.

Something I have learned this week is that in life there should only be two directions that we look.  The first is FORWARD.

Sometimes we may have regrets about the past  - things we wish we could change.  Or sometimes we look back longingly on the way things used to be.  Both of these thoughts are contrary to the way the Atonement works.  Faith does not work in retrospect - it is a forward-moving principle.  When we look back, in a way we are forsaking our faith and hope.  We start to believe that God isn't going to give us anything better than what we have already had.  Such a thought is not true.  When we have repented of the things we have done wrong, we should only move forward.  God forgives and forgets when we repent - why shouldn't we do the same?     Why is it so hard for us to forgive ourselves and forget our own past transgressions? Why do we allow room for the fear Satan seeks to instill within us that causes us to look apathetically towards the future?  The only explanation is that we have eternal potential and Satan does not want us to see it.

The only other direction we should be looking is up.   In life sometimes it is easier to look to either side for direction or for a measure of success.  But this is also contrary to God's plan for us.  God knows what He wants us to be, so why should we look to other people instead of going straight to the source of all knowledge and truth for the answers we seek?  When we look side to side all we see are other humans giving us their opinions on how we should be acting or what success we should be achieving.  We see them in the same mortal journey that we are taking on as well.  There is no one human being that is the same, so why should we look to them.  Let us always look up to the One who knows us perfectly and wants to see us reach our full potential.  

God has given us all the tools we need to succeed -  the Scriptures, Prayer, the words of modern day Prophets and Apostles.  Above all He has given us the gift of His Beloved Son.  He wants to see us succeed and has given us all the things we need.  Let us always be in constant use of these tools and never look the wrong direction.  Sometimes we may mess up, but we never need to doubt the love that God has for us.  We are His children.  He knows us perfectly.  He has given us the ability to become like Him.  Let us not waste our time in looking the wrong way.  Let us only heed to the voice of the Lord in facing the future with faith, and in looking up for the direction and confidence that really matters.

I love you all!
Sister Norrell