Succored in the Labyrinth

Some days and weeks are more challenging than others, and often those times catch us by surprise.  I've had some of those days this week.  I had three kids gone in Arizona and, in theory, it was my chance to re-group and get some things done I needed to.  That was my plan.  

Reality check...God's plan is different than my plan most of the time!  I learn and grow more because of His plan, and there is far greater wisdom in His plan, I admit.  I just don't usually see it until later.  That means it takes faith and trust to keep pressing forward instead of having a tantrum.  Sometimes the reality is that I push forward WHILE having a tantrum still, but it's progress!

This week I learned a powerful lesson while striving to understand and work through some relationship issues that had come up (Yes, while the kids are gone is a good time to bring those things up Lord. I concede.). I felt like I was stuck. Lost and without hope that I knew anything different that would bring us closer to resolution. The scripture in Alma 7:11-12 came to my mind that Jesus had suffered all things so that He could know how to succor His people.  So often I pair this scripture in my mind with D&C 122:6-8 that lists a bunch of awful things and then reminds and asks, "The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?" The take-home message for me is, "Christ suffered more than you. Suck it up. Stop whining and just have faith." My thoughts started to go down that road again, but fortunately the Spirit intervened.  It went something like this.

Yes, I know.  Christ knows and cares, but it could be worse, so I just need to suck it up and endure.

No. That's not what the scripture teaches.

What do you mean?

Christ wants to “succor” you.  Do you know what that word means?

I've read that succor means "run to." I feel so lost about this though. What good will it do to have Him run to me? Can't He just beam me up to where He is? That's a better plan.

But then you would not grow and become like Him. You are stuck in a labyrinth, and what you do about it is the heart of why you are here on earth.

Yes, a labyrinth is the perfect description of how I feel.  I keep trying different paths to get out, but every corner I turn just makes me feel more lost and hopeless.

Imagine yourself stuck there.  Now think of the verse in Alma. 

"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.”

What do you see and feel?

He has been through this very labyrinth. He is there with me. He is filled with mercy and wants me and my loved one to get out of this just as much as we do. He’s not trying to talk me out of my hopelessness, He’s coming to me in my hopelessness. He knows the way.

Yes, exactly. He knows the way in and the way out. And, what’s more, He knows if you need to turn and go back the way you came in through repentance and changing false beliefs or if you need to keep pressing forward and learning new skills and principles to get to where you need to be.

I’ve never thought of it that way. “Out” can mean going either way, depending on the bigger picture, which I can’t see.

That is why it is so important to take Him and trust Him as your guide. He knows the way. He IS the way. You can only conquer the labyrinth if you let Him succor you and then follow His lead. That is true for this relationship problem and for every other ache in your life.

I just forget and try and do it all on my own. I need this. I want this! How do I begin?

If you get on your knees and pour out your heart and ask Him to come, you will see He is already there. If you ask to know the next step, you will know in your heart the one next thing you need to do. It may seem small and not make sense, but if you keep asking and doing what He prompts, He will lead you out.

"If they did not doubt"

I have been studying about the mothers of the Stripling Warriors this week, and this verse is a central part of the story.  I know I don't understand it yet, but the more I think about it and talk about it with others, the more pieces come together for me. 

Last night I had a good talk with some other Warrior Mamas about doubts and how we keep them from overtaking our faith. My friend Pam explained the connection with our thoughts and how the process of being more aware of them can really help.  So often my thoughts run on auto-pilot, and that frequently leads to doubt.  Pam explained a beautiful process so well--be aware of your thoughts, discern if the thought is true or not true, and if it's not true throw it out and ask God to teach His truth to replace it.  His truth is found in His word, ancient and modern.  One great verse Pam brought up to think upon when doubt is creeping in is D&C 82:10, "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."

This all got put to the test this morning. Don't you love how God gives us those chances to anchor in our learning? I have been struggling with a sinus infection that has been zapping my energy.  I have tried a bunch of different remedies, but I keep jumping from one thing to another.  I finally REALLY took it to the Lord and asked what I need to do.  Yes, I had been praying that I would feel better and know what to do, but this time it was like an appointment with the Master Physician and I was asking for His prescription for what my body needs to heal.  I got a prompting to clean up and simplify my diet and take a certain remedy every few hours. Consistently. I struggle with that.  I get so darn distracted. 

Anyhow, yesterday I was great with being consistent.  This morning I took it once, and then while I was cleaning up the casual thought came in that I still was tired and congested.  The remedy must not be working.  I'm going to be sick forever. What else do I need to do to make it go away?

WAIT A SECOND! This is what we just talked about.  Do not doubt. God is bound when I do what He says.  I don't need a back-up plan. If I am consistent then the blessing of restored health will come.  I don't need to doubt and fear--I just need to trust and hold steady.

It all happened so fast, but it was the same process Pam talked about.  I recognized the thoughts I was having; I discerned that they were not true; I opened myself to God's truth and chose a belief and behavior that were founded in truth.

Bring on the remedy.  I am trusting in His words to me.  If I do not doubt, He will deliver me!

In the Center of His Will

In the past two years we have experienced two unexpected deaths in our extended family, leading to a great deal of introspection regarding my own mortality. It prompted me to go before the Lord with the question, "What are the most important things I need to teach my children before I return to Thee?"  Creepy question? Maybe. Profound answer that caused me to turn a corner in my life? Yes.

Tangent (I'm good at that...ask my husband!). I want to testify to the principle of ASKING. I know that the Lord answers our sincere and specific questions.  I learned this at a significant corner in my life journey, but that's a post for another day. I understand that many feel insecure about their ability to receive answers.  That's OK. God is bigger than our fears.  Taking our specific questions to the Lord is the surest way to work on receiving revelation. Will it be perfect? No. And that's OK. Receiving answers from the Lord is like riding a bike.  You can only learn how to do it by doing it, and it takes lots and lots of practice sticking with it to feel confident. Keep riding, even if you get scraped knees.

So, I asked.  What should my legacy be?  What do I want my kids to remember about me? What does the Lord want me to say again and again so my kids (and those around me) have no doubt I mean it? After much pondering and prayer, the answer came.

I love you.  You are an important part of our forever family.

God loves you.  He has a beautiful plan for your life.

The greatest peace and joy you will ever find will be in the center of God's will for you.

Since that time I have tried to learn more for myself about those truths. I have particularly focused on what it means to be in the "center of God's will." Asking the Lord about that has been very instructive.  So, when Sister Nelson shared her experience associated with this picture, I loved it!

Sister Nelson's remarks

Reality check...being on the straight and narrow path and being in the "center of God's will" doesn't mean we look or feel perfect!  In fact, a central skill in finding the center of God's will is disconnecting from the call and comparisons and expectations of the world.  Sister Nelson taught,

My dear brothers and sisters, it’s time to stop comparing ourselves with others. It’s time to put away those erroneous views of ourselves and others. The truth is that we are not as hopelessly flawed as we may think, and others are not as perfect as they may appear—all except, of course, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The only thing that really matters is that you and I are doing exactly what we committed—even covenanted—premortally with our Heavenly Father we would do while we are here on earth.

Her comments reminded me that striving to discover and live in the center of God's will and do what we committed to do is not a grand, one-time task.  It's a daily effort.  It is accomplished in the daily small and simple things.

When I pray daily and express my desire to be in the center of His will and then consecrate the day to Him, I have found that I see more teaching moments with my children.  I see His hand in problems and set-backs in my day and don't get as frustrated. I see more opportunities to minister to others in my life.  And, I'm happier. 

That's not to say it's easy.  I still get impatient.  I still get distracted.  I still get sucked into my fears and insecurities.  I still lose sight of God's will and get drawn away by the siren song of what I think others are thinking of me. The great thing is that Jesus is the way, and each time I course correct I get to come back to Him.  He is always there to tell me...

I love you.  You are an important part of our forever family.

God loves you.  He has a beautiful plan for your life.

The greatest peace and joy you will ever find will be in the center of God's will for you.

The Columbus, Ohio Temple women's dressing room showcases a remarkable painting entitled "Our Mothers Kew It" by Elspeth Young.  The work of art captures the earnest pleading of beautiful dark-haired mother who is alone in the painting but clearly not alone in her struggle. I felt something very powerful (and I leaked those feelings right out my eyes) when I first saw it and pondered its meaning. In that moment I felt a very real connection to the mothers of the Strippling Warriors who sent their young boys to fight for the Lord.  We know the end of the story today, so the inner battle of fear and faith those mothers faced every day was not real to me...until I stood in front of this painting and cried.

Since that time, we sent off a missionary son to Spain.  I understand those emotions more.  As I ponder the future, the world in which we live, and the recent enlistment call from President Nelson, I know there will be many more days and nights on my knees in prayer in behalf of my children.  The battles today are just as real as those faced by the Army of Helaman.  My role and your role as a mother is more important than ever.  I am so grateful for the example of these faithful women and the connection of faith that binds us across the centuries.

The original painting and the copyright belong to the LDS Church, Temple Art Collection, so the picture cannot be copied in any form.  This link will take you to the artist's site, where you can see it though.  Or, you can come to Ohio and visit me, and we can go to the Temple together so you can see an original.  Both are great options! And...we both really need to get purple scarves.

Below is the artist's explanation of the painting.

“Our Mothers Knew It”

Painted by Elspeth Young

They had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.  And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

Alma 56: 47-48

The story behind Our Mothers Knew It

About 40 years before the birth of Christ, apostate Christians in the Americas had succeeded in gathering armies to their cause and had sent them to subjugate or destroy the Christian nations in their midst.  Among the peoples who championed the cause of the Christians was a people who had recently converted to Christianity.  And, having previously been a very bloodthirsty people, they covenanted never again to take up their weapons of war; however, as the war of extermination against the Christians intensified and threatened to overwhelm the faithful (who were battling to defend even those who had covenanted never to fight again), those converts decided to break their oath for the purpose of rescuing their defenders.  At this crucial juncture, however, the prophet-leader of all these peoples persuaded them not to break their oath lest it become their undoing.  At this, the sons of those converts stepped forward to defend their families and their brethren.

This army of youths marched to the aid of the beleaguered Christians.  The following statement is excerpted from the account of their attitude at the time of their first engagement.  The account was written by the commander of these warrior youths.  Moroni was the name of the commanding general of the Christian armies:

And now I say unto you, my beloved brother Moroni, that never had I seen so great courage, nay, not amongst all the Nephites.  For as I had ever called them my sons (for they were all of them very young) even so they said unto me: Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus.  Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.  And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

Symbolism in Our Mothers Knew It

The figure in the painting is alone in a darkened turmoil of color against opposing hues.  Few circumstances in this world present more loneliness or helplessness than a mother's prayers for loved one gone away to war.

The message of this painting is that a woman's influence -- whether she is a child, an unmarried daughter of God, a childless wife, a mother, or a widow -- is the same today as it was then,being powerful enough to establish the faith and courage and, ultimately, the deliverance of her loved ones.

Be a Warrior Mama

It is rare for a sacrament meeting on Mother's Day to pass without some reference to the mothers of the young men who served in the Army of Helaman. Right?  They were awesome.  Perfect.  They taught their kids everything from integrity to bold initiative and great physical strength to miracle-producing faith.  It's easy to feel inadequate as a mother when I am surrounded with the sights and smells and sounds of my own teens.

But...let's stop for a moment and remember something.  We can't compare our worst to someone else's best.  The accolades recorded in scripture are about the end result and not the process involved in raising those boys to be Warrior Men of God.  I am in the middle of the process.

Reality check...the process of raising teens up unto the Lord is hard.  I LOVE this picture of a Strippling Warrior Mama.  Do you know why? Because she has bags under her eyes and looks exhausted. LOL!  That's the kind of authentic I can relate to.  I can be that kind of Warrior Mama. If I keep the expectation in my mind that it means being perfect then I will short circuit and hide in my closet with a bag of Oreos.  If I celebrate that I desire to be a Warrior Mama and gather with other women who desire that as well, then I will stay in the battle.

I will keep praying for grace.

I will keep reading my scriptures.

I will keep trying to learn what it means to be a woman of faith.

I will keep growing slowly in my capacity to receive revelation.

I will keep sharing and encouraging those around me.  Helaman's Army had 2,000 young warriors.  That's a lot of Warrior Mamas.  I'm sure they gathered and found strength in one another, just as we can.

Please know that this is a place that you can be authentic in your growth as a Warrior Mama!

Enlist in the Army of Israel

Have you listened to the Worldwide Devotional by President and Sister Nelson? Wow!  I am so grateful for their boldness and energy in calling the Saints to stand in our covenants and be a part of "the greatest challenge, the greatest cause, and the greatest work on earth." 

We have read about Captain Moroni's Title of Liberty and the Armies of Helaman our whole lives.  Their stories are inspiring, but they are just stories from the past.  They don't require anything of us. That time has past.  This historic call from our Prophet to enlist in the Army of Israel and be a part of GATHERING people from the whole earth to the gospel of Jesus Christ ranks right up there in Battle Cries that Yield Miracles.

The Prophet challenged the youth to...

1. Hold a seven-day fast from social media.
2. Make a weekly sacrifice of time to the Lord for three weeks.
3. Keep on the covenant path. If you are off, repent and get back on the path.
4. Pray daily that all of God’s children might receive the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
5. Stand out. Be different. Be a light. Give to a friend one copy of the booklet For the Strength of Youth.

Imagine those things written on a banner posted at the top of every LDS home and every meetinghouse.  Let's come running to that standard just like the people did for Captain Moroni.  Let's make a plan to implement these things in our home and in our ward families.  Miracles will come!

This is the call from a true Prophet of God.  This is our time!