July 9, 2014
Fourth of July in the
Midwest is ridiculous. I heard so many fireworks ALL WEEK that I had flashbacks
to all the "bombas" in Mexico! It felt more like we were serving in
'Nam than NOM! (Nebraska Omaha Mission) It was just wild. I have never seen so many Hispanics and
Sudanese so excited to celebrate America haha. :)
But I've gotta say that I
have been super sad this last week. Everywhere I looked people were trashing
their yards with beer bottles and debris and it just reminded me how different
of a lifestyle we are blessed to live. It has been so heart-breaking
to me to see that these people could be so much happier than they are. (Or
think they are.) I can firmly testify, from my heart, that when we bend to the
pressures of the world and give up our agency to vices and substances, we are
"selling ourselves for naught." Those worldly things bring no joy.
Absolutely none. I can firmly say that I despise them, because they rob people
of TRUE happiness. We've only got such a short portion of time on this earth,
and it is way to precious to waste with "riotous living." I love that
General Conference talk by Bishop Gary E. Stevenson called "Your Four
Minutes." We only have such a short amount of time to leave a beautiful
legacy of faith for our descendants and to make a positive difference in the
lives of those around us. Do we sense the urgency in this life? Being on the
mission has made me realize just how fast time goes. I don't want to
look back on my mission with any regrets. I want to be obedient. I want to be
focused. I want to be joyful! Because, you know what? This mission is the MTC
for the rest of our lives. The patterns and habits we set now are the patterns
and habits we will most likely continue after the mission too. And this life
is like the training center for the rest of our eternities.
What we do today does not just effect ourselves. It effects our family
members who have passed on, our current families, and our families in the
future. That has become one of my biggest drives and motivations in life.
Family. My Heavenly family, aka my Heavenly Father, my brother
Christ, and all my spiritual brothers and sisters that I re-meet every
day, and my Earthly family. I wish I had a dollar for every time I prayed for
my future husband, wherever he is, and for my future children. I'm not a very
good missionary, but gosh darnit I sure am trying hard. I'm doing it for all of
them. Because I understand that if I don't utilize every moment right now, I
won't be quite as prepared as I could have been to help and serve and love them
later. And I love them too much to sell them (and my Heavenly Father) short of
that.
I wish I could say that I
have served a perfect mission. That I'm a perfect missionary. But the reality
is that I am the furthest thing from it. But the Atonement makes up for that,
as long as we give our best. And sometimes our best is not very much, but if it
is all we have, and we give it with love in our heart, it's enough. And only
you and the Lord know your best. Are we all giving our best in these "four
minutes?" (Read that amazing talk!) We have such a short time to live and
an eternity to look back on it. Will we have regrets? Something that has
changed my mission is this little excerpt from the talk "Let Him Do It
With Simplicity" by L. Tom Perry.
"It was in March of 1845 that Thoreau decided to move out on the banks of Walden Pond and spend two years trying to figure out what life was all about. He settled on a piece of property owned by his good friend Ralph Waldo Emerson. He purchased an old shanty from a railroad worker, and tore it down. From the lumber from the shanty and the lumber from the woods, he constructed his own cabin...
Thoreau lived quite independent of time. He had neither a clock nor a calendar in his little cabin. He spent his time writing and studying the beauties and wonder of nature that surrounded him, including local plants, birds, and animals.He did not live the life of a hermit—he visited the town of Concord most days, and he invited others to come into his cabin for enlightening conversations. When the two years ended, he left his cabin behind without regret. He considered
the time he had spent there a proper amount of time to accomplish his purpose—to experience the spiritual benefits of a simplified lifestyle. He also felt he had other life experiences ahead of him. It was time to move on and explore other opportunities...
Just before Thoreau died, he was asked if he had made peace with God. He replied, “I was not aware we had ever quarreled.”
I
don't want any regrets in my life. I want to know I did my best with what I had.
And my best isn't very much but with Christ on my side it's a lot more than I
could ever imagine. I love my mission. I cherish it. I love this gospel.
Please, never take it for granted. Don't "sell yourselves for
naught." Don't trade priceless crown jewels for a dollar-store imitation.
It looks just as sparkly but it's literally worth nothing. The prize that comes
at the end, an eternal family, is well worth any efforts or sacrifices or
self-control we must exercise here in these 4 minutes.
Here are the links to the talks:
All
my love, Hermana Miller
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