GOT CHAIRTY??

So given rencent circumstances and recent associations, I have been thiking a lot about charity. Let me explain charity for those of us who dont use this word in everyday speach. Charity is what the scriptures refer to as the pure love of Christ. It does mean that which we give to others, but what I am about to refer to is the manner in which we treat other people.

My question is; When dealing with others, to what point does chairty extend? At what point do we become doormats?

I asked this question to three people, a mission companion, my roomate, and my Bishop. These were the answers I got.

Companion: " Remeber the song "I am trying to be like Jesus"

Roommate: " When it comes to people, chairty extends as far as possible. Reproving should be few and far between. When having to reprove it is done with love and respect. The best intrest of the other person should always be in mind."

Bishop: "One gives when and where he can, to the degree that it goes just shy of causing undue sacrafice to the giver. Chairty received unappriciated, or expected can bring curse the recepient."

Thinking about things and considering the answers I got from others, this is the conclusion I came to.

Charity extends as far as I am able. It has nothing to do with me being a doormat or even how I feel at all. As Moroni ( book of Mormon) says; "Charity suffereth long, beareth all things, and endureth all things." My thoughts revert back to the savior and his endless patience with others. Even when reproving, it was done with love and in the best interest of others. I still battle with wanting to see justice come to pass for unjust actions. ( Especially those taken towards me) I have come to realize that people who cause undue pain to others weather it be emotional or physical, get theirs in the end without any effort on my part. I have also come to realize that People who cause pain to others are suffering themselves. I guess my job is to love unconditionally and extend charity to the extent I am able. Christ loved and understood and was never a doormat.

This was a quick post sorry if it makes no sense.

Line Upon Line Precept Upon Precept

When I was a little girl my mom taught me how to crochet. First she taught me how to hold the needle. Then she taught me how to lace the yarn through my fingers. She then instructed me on how to make a loop and a knot. Then after I had achieved that, she taught me how to make a single stitch. After the stitch I was taught how to make a chain. After the chain I was taught how to crochet circles and granny squares and so on and so on. My mother taught me all the basics I needed to be able to crochet. After years of doing it I can make large Afghans, scarves, hats, angels, and so on. But it all started line upon line precept upon precept. I have come to the conclusion that most things in life work like this.

I have been learning that everything in life is a process. I think this has been the theme and t lesson I have had to learn for the past six years. You think I would get it by now. I am more hard headed than people know. I, like anyone else want things here and now. I figure things should just happen when I want them to. The heck with patience! I guess living in a society of now has skewed my perception on life.
When I was a missionary all I wanted was to be a good teacher and be good at the work. I came out of the MTC ready to conquer the world and baptize everyone that I met. When I got with my first companion, I realized I wasen’t a strong teacher, and I was not that great at getting my point across. This frustrated me a lot, I wanted to be perfect the first day I. Reality hit me like a load of bricks. I realized quickly that just because I was missionary, didn’t mean I was magically going to teach well. I learned that just like anything else in life I was going to have to work at this too. So I studied, I practiced, I made mistakes, I listened to others teach, and I tried different things. Towards the end of my mission I learned how to teach people, I learned how to connect with them, I learned how to get my point across, and listen to others. I learned to be a missionary. It didn’t come without trial, error, dedication, and most of all time.

Everyone knows the saying “Rome wasen’t built in a day” I don’t think anything worth anything is done in a day. Everything important is a process that takes dedication and work. I want so much some days to snap my fingers and have everything. I want some days to wake up in the morning and have and education, house, car, children, husband and 90 years of knowledge and experience. The reality is it doesn’t work that way. I use to tell people if anything is worth anything it requires work, desire, and patience. I eat my own words every day.

Miracles also most times happen little by little. The miracles I have seen in my life were also a process. They were things that happened over a span of time. Looking back on things, I use to wonder; “will these things ever come to pass?” Later on down the road I would see the things I desired most unfolding before my eyes and those moments were so sweet. Even miracles happen line upon line.

Relationships with people are built gradually as well. I hate superficial relationships with people. I hate small talk and I hate fair-weather friends. I like all my friends to be close friends. Close friendship doesn’t come without a lot of effort, love, and trust. There are some relationships that have required more work than others. I had a companion on the mission who was a very private person. She didn’t share too much about herself but took a general interest in others. She knew everything about me but I didn’t know much about her. It took me months and month and month to get little things out of her. I will say this because it took me so long I treasured the things she did tell me. I had to earn them. When we have to work for things we appreciate them more. This companion is now one of my closest friends and I love her with all my heart.

Another thing I learned is things that take a long time to build can be destroyed in seconds. We can work so hard to build a relationship, a life, a career and it can all be destroyed though carelessness. In turn things of worth are built line upon line precept upon precept and they need to be maintained through great love and care.