last night i was talking with my good friend Hams about Change, and Charity, and the change charity brings to lost souls. Including our own. We talked a bit about how off track we personally felt, and a bit about how to get back on. This morning she sent me a link to a General Conference talk given by Silvia H. Allred. (an awesome awesome lady.) This particular talk is entitled Charity Never Faileth.
In the talk, she gives and repeats so much wonderful council about one of the most important attributes we can obtain; the pure love of Christ. Highlighted in the beginning she says, "Plead for a desire to be filled with the gift of charity, the pure love of Christ."
advice i truly needed.
In the talk, she gives and repeats so much wonderful council about one of the most important attributes we can obtain; the pure love of Christ. Highlighted in the beginning she says, "Plead for a desire to be filled with the gift of charity, the pure love of Christ."
advice i truly needed.
She then quotes, " Charity suffereth long, and is kind; Charity envieth not, charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. It seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked & thinketh no evil. Rejoices not in iniquity but in truth. Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, and edurath all things. CHARITY NEVER FAILS."
While reading these particular words i was filled with such a desire to "enlarge my soul towards others." A desire to glow with a light that is shared with none other then the creator of light itself. A desire not to nap when I got home from school, but instead to play ball with little boys down stairs. A desire to help the little old ladies down stairs sew the thousands of jeans they care for, and a desire to teach the girls at the bra store English, instead of watch FRIENDS in my apartment. A desire to become better, and walk taller. A desire for change towards charity.
Sister Allred goes on in her talk to describe how one can obtain Charity. she says,
increase in innocence and virtue.
have a full desire to become Christ-like
pray with all energy of heart
read your scriptures
minister to those around you and give special attention to those in need
forgive.
extend brotherly love to all
be kind, compassionate, and generous
these things, are the things i want to be striving after. If i pray intently and honestly about finding opportunities to serve, i know my experience here in China will be priceless.
Charity, is a state of being.
a state of heart.
Charity, is light.
light is a funny word. it has so many meanings and implications.
not heavy.
illuminated.
simple.
understanding.
and even, fire.
light.
i was light once. i weighed little, because my soul was not darkened. I was light from the inside out, because i had an understanding. I was a simple being of fire.
As much of you know, and many of you will soon find out.. i have a spiritual soul complex, if you will. I'm always feeling topsy turvey when it comes to being on the right track.. yet completely pulled and lured and yanked into the right direction. Never am i satisfied with where and who i am, and very rarely will you see me enjoying the complete entity of my life. And unfortunately as of lately, i have been completely off my marker and have found myself in the middle of east Jesus no where... spiritually that is. (or i guess physically works too.. who knows where Zhongshan is anyway? haha) I still have personal walls to bring down, friendship bridges to rebuild, and spiritual mountains to climb before i can really make any sort of an impact, on myself or others, but at least i am on my way. On the path of forgiveness, change, and virtue. It's a much cleaner route, and a much more rewarding one, i can tell you this already.
Charity as the power to purify.
President Monson says on this subject, " “Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down. It is resisting the impulse to become offended easily. It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings. It is accepting people as they truly are. It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time. It is resisting the impulse to categorize others.”13
i view this as a personal statement as well. If i TRULY want to make a difference here, i must start to have patience with myself. Even though time and time again, i have let myself down, i must resist the impulse to be offended and to offend. I have to accept my weaknesses and shortcomings. I have to realize where and who i am now.. and accept that. I must look beyond the physical things i hate about myself, and focus more on the things that truly matter. and I can no longer categorize myself as a failure.
Because, because of Charity, none of these things really matter.
What matters is that we ALL have the ability and divine right, to become as great as Christ.
to become like Him.
Charity. never. Faileth.
