Spiritual Wounds

"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly . . ."

Just looking at this old World War I picture, while contemplating the spiritual battlefield we are in (Ephesians 6:12) stirs memories of the times when my heart has been so wounded I literally could NOT pick myself up, but when I could go no further on my own, angel friends and family have been there to carry me to a place of comfort, help and healing.

My dear friend Darla Isackson has written another wonderful article in Meridian Magazine, titled "Clay Feet and Childhood Wounds"

In that article she said, "Wounds we received five minutes ago, as well in the distant past can cause us problems. Our society is full of prickly possibilities for spiritual wounding. Pres. Henry B. Eyring said in a recent address, 'Our comrades are being wounded in the spiritual conflict around us . . . Spiritual wounds are not easily visible, except with inspired eyes.' ("Man Down!” April 4, 2009, General Conference). I remember an additional message urging us to treat others with gentleness and kindness. The main idea was that if we treat everyone as if they are wounded, most of the time we’d be right. How true!

So many people “put on a happy face,” and never let the pain show. Others may put on a grouchy face, partly to keep people at a distance to make sure their woundedness is not found out. We know so little of what goes on in the minds and hearts of those around us—and things are so seldom as they seem. The most successful, seemingly altogether people may be hiding serious emotional wounds. The women of the “Five Browns” comes to mind. How many have envied them? Who would have guessed? No wonder the Lord has told us not to judge. He is the only One who knows each person’s heart. In 1 Samuel 16:7 we read, 'The Lord seeth not as a man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.'"

Sarcasm

When I was a teenager and young adult, sarcasm was the in thing! Everyone around me let it fly constantly, but I found it cruel and painful. These quotes posted by a dear friend on facebook, expresses so well how I've always felt about it!

"Sarcasm, I now see to be, in general, the language of the Devil" (Thomas Carlyle, 1846)

"Ironically, most people who use sarcasm, feel as though their message is less toxic because it rides piggy-back on humor." (John Lund)

If The Savior Stood Beside Me

My Sunday School lesson this week is on being born again, or born of the spirit. To be born again we must become like Christ--a pretty tall order! It is something impossible for the natural man to do alone. To be born again--to have "no more desire to do evil, but to do good continually!" (Mosiah 5:2) Wow! Bruce R. McConkie taught that to be born again is a process. Like any other process we "become" line upon line, little by little. How grateful I am to have the gospel, to have the privilege of attending church each week which feeds my desire to do good continually, and reminds me that when I dissapoint the Lord and myself, that I CAN repent!

What a wonderful reminder this is for me, and for all of us to re-examine our lives and answer the question posed to us by a prophet of God in the Book of Mormon: "Alma 5:14 And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?"

As I ponder this, I see the plaque my daughter-in-law gave me a few years ago that reads:

CHRIST
The center of our home
A guest at every meal
A silent listener at every conversation

It has been a wonderful reminder and has inspired me to try harder to live my life so that I can share with the Savior every conversation I have, every book I read, every movie I watch, every song I listen to and when I do so, I feel comfortable in His presence and I know that my eyes shine a little brighter with His Image and His love, and I want nothing more than to do good continually. (And then, when I dim that light by dissapointing Him and myself, He loves me still and allows me to repent!) I want to try harder this year to emulate the primary song, "If The Savior Stood Beside Me" by Sally DeFord.

If the Savior stood beside me,
Would I do the things I do?
Would I think of His commandments and try harder to be true?
Would I follow His example?
Would I live more righteously if I could see the Savior standing nigh,
watching over me?
If the Savior stood beside me,
Would I say the things I say?
Would my words be true and kind if He were never far away?
Would I try to share the gospel?
Would I speak more rev’rently if I could see the Savior standing nigh,
watching over me?
If the Savior stood beside me, would my thoughts be clean and pure?
Would His presence give me strength and hope and courage to endure?
Would His counsel guide my actions?
Would I choose more worthily if I could see the Savior standing nigh
watching over me?
Watching over me, watching over me,
He is always near me, though I do not see Him there,
And because He loves me dearly,
I am in His watchful care,
So I’ll be the kind of person that I know I’d like to be
if I could see the Savior standing nigh watching over me.
I will be the kind of person that I know I’d like to be
if I could see the Savior standing nigh watching over me.

Door Locks

Often I wake up with interesting thoughts. This morning I woke up with the image of a door lock clearly in my mind. It was the kind that latches public bathroom stalls. How strange. As I lay there in that state somewhere between sleep and fully awake I tried to remember a dream or some reason for the strange image. I couldn't. So I pondered door locks. Locks can protect us, but sometimes they can keep us isolated as well. I thought of how sometimes life for me has been so tramatizing that I have learned to lock out people and feelings, even the love of the Lord. I then thought of our recent stake conference. We had a general authority come and change our Stake Presidency. Elder Gonzales talked of the Christus Statue --- Christ with his arms open wide. He said too often we leave the Savior standing there with his arms outstretched and we never allow Him to encircle His loving arms around us! Or we dodge His love and go right under His outstreched arms. Or we just lock it out!