This came from a dear missionary in my ward who is currently serving in the Philippines. His point certainly applies to more than just 9/11 but it was what caused him to reflect:
I have never found any peace or comfort in memories of 9-11. It has always brought feelings of anger, sadness, disappointment, and any other imaginable variation of these emotions. It is easy to classify such disgusting acts as evil and unforgivable. But such thoughts are drinking poison to our own souls and hoping that our enemies die from it. The Lord commanded:
"Wherefore, I say unto you, ye ought to forgive one another... I the Lord will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men." - DC 64:9-10.
As I have begun to attempt to let go all things of which I have no power to change, it has empowered me and relieved this angry burden. And if you will open your Doctrine and Covenants and check the date on which this revelation was received, you will see that it was given on September 11, 1831 - exactly 170 years before this tragedy would take place. And if you still believe in coincidences, you don't understand the Gospel of Christ.
The Lord has commanded us to have charity for all men. The pure love of Christ. This commandment was given for our benefit and blessing as much as it was for others. In the military version of "Principles of the Gospel" the first Presidency said: "If you must go to war, go in the spirit of truth and righteousness. Go with love in your heart for all God's children, including those on the opposing side." And I know if this is how we allow ourselves to think, we will be able to live more fully in this world, without feeling the evil effects of the world.
We tend to have differing thoughts than most of the world on how and why 9/11 came to occur. But the principle of forgiveness remains constant, regarding of the source of the tragedy. If I believe my own government had a hand in facilitating that day, I have to forgive them as well as those that celebrated our suffering around the world. I think about those leaders and decision makers and think: what happened to that person as a child, as an adorable baby that I would have cuddled and cooed over, to turn them into someone capable of calculating such atrocities? How have they been hurt and manipulated so their heart turned so cold and dark? I have no choice but to feel sorrow for them and I feel so grateful that I can let go of my hard feelings and let the Lord decide whom He will forgive.
But to carry that principle to a more personal level, if the Savior is asking us to forgive for the cruel, unexpected murders on 9/11, what and who is He asking me to forgive in my own life? If He gave that commandment in D&C 64 as a foreshadowing for 9/11, what does that process symbolize (as Sarah likes to look for)? If that event was a macrocosm for the smaller hurts and tragedies in our own lives, are we not commanded to extend the same forgiveness to our brothers and sisters and trust to our God to fix all things?
Monday, September 19, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Symbols of Monotony
The harsh reality is that I struggle every day. I don't love the tasks that make up the bulk of a mother's life. Do I love my life? Yes. Do I love my children? Uh, yeah...who doesn't love my kids? Do I love motherhood? Not quite yet.
So, in an effort to see my day as a tad more meaningful, I started making a list of the tasks I don't like to do and seeing what they mean/represent/symbolize. These are just quick thoughts and they may not even make sense to you but I thought I'd share them anyway. I'd love your additions.
Cleaning of all sorts= represents baptism/purification, repentance
Dishes= nourishment to bodies (representing nourishment of spirit), natural consequences (dishes follow food), abundance and variety
Laundry= clothe (shield and protect) our children, beautify, abundance
Cooking= again representing nourishment (which comes one small meal at a time), you are what you put into yourself (the purer the better), abundance and variety
Tidying= order, all things have a purpose in their sphere (if not, give it to someone for whom it will be able to fulfil the measure of its creation), abundance
Playing with kids= being WITH them (if God's work is to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life, He must actually WANT to be with us- there's no accounting for some People's taste), learning through symbolism, creative/imaginative power of human mind, abundance of time and freedom
Disciplining= all choices have consequences, my efforts represent God's constant teaching and redirecting, reminds me to learn lessons while the price is small
Meal planning/shopping= agency, planning lowers risk of temptation, thought/plans create reality, abundance of choices (this abundance is less cheery than the others- this one can be more a burden than a blessing and we must remember that each thing we put in our "shopping cart" will end up inside us eventually)
Okay, Cozy just woke up and is growling in her crib. I'd love to hear any additions you have. But before I go, I'll add one that just rose to the surface:
End of naptime= life is full of undulations, work always follows rest, and there is nothing better than a post-nap smile (assuming the munchkin isn't grumpy)
So, in an effort to see my day as a tad more meaningful, I started making a list of the tasks I don't like to do and seeing what they mean/represent/symbolize. These are just quick thoughts and they may not even make sense to you but I thought I'd share them anyway. I'd love your additions.
Cleaning of all sorts= represents baptism/purification, repentance
Dishes= nourishment to bodies (representing nourishment of spirit), natural consequences (dishes follow food), abundance and variety
Laundry= clothe (shield and protect) our children, beautify, abundance
Cooking= again representing nourishment (which comes one small meal at a time), you are what you put into yourself (the purer the better), abundance and variety
Tidying= order, all things have a purpose in their sphere (if not, give it to someone for whom it will be able to fulfil the measure of its creation), abundance
Playing with kids= being WITH them (if God's work is to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life, He must actually WANT to be with us- there's no accounting for some People's taste), learning through symbolism, creative/imaginative power of human mind, abundance of time and freedom
Disciplining= all choices have consequences, my efforts represent God's constant teaching and redirecting, reminds me to learn lessons while the price is small
Meal planning/shopping= agency, planning lowers risk of temptation, thought/plans create reality, abundance of choices (this abundance is less cheery than the others- this one can be more a burden than a blessing and we must remember that each thing we put in our "shopping cart" will end up inside us eventually)
Okay, Cozy just woke up and is growling in her crib. I'd love to hear any additions you have. But before I go, I'll add one that just rose to the surface:
End of naptime= life is full of undulations, work always follows rest, and there is nothing better than a post-nap smile (assuming the munchkin isn't grumpy)
Monday, September 5, 2011
Finally finished Les Miserables
I finally finished reading Les Miserables. It has been quite a journey which began several years ago when I listened to it on tape. But I have to admit that I only heard about an eighth of it because as soon as it would go into one of Hugo's detours from the main plot, my mind would wander. When Tiffany raved about it being one of her all-time favorites, I decided I had better read it. I started about four years ago and got about half way through it. Then I got derailed by other books and selling our house, moving, and remodel project. I finally got back to it about a year and a half ago by...brace yourself...keeping it in the bathroom. That's right, I read the last half a paragraph at a time while using the bathroom. I think Victor would be insulted. But at least I finished it, which testifies to the power of eating an elephant a bite at a time.
I wish I could say I loved it, but I didn't. I do love the characters, especially Jean Valjean. I'm always enthralled with multifaceted characters who are complicated, not all good and all bad. Jean Valjean, however, comes close to being all good, but not without paying a terrible price. My favorite parts are when he struggles mightily to overcome temptation and finally does the right thing, time and time again. I love the lofty values that are depicted, the marvelous example of true integrity. I also love, love, love the plot. It is just such a classic tale of love, sacrifice and honor with wonderful foils of corruption and evil.
Having said all that, why, you ask, don't I adore the book? Because I am lazy, for one thing. All those rants by Hugo were exhausting to me. And as the king of Austria said to Mozart, "Aren't there too many notes?", I want to say to Hugo, "Aren't there too many words?" He took twenty pages to tell something that could have been covered nicely in one (sometimes. I have to admit there were times when his explosion of words was breathtakingly wonderful). Besides being lazy, I'm also lacking in enough education to understand all the French words, the historical facts, figures, places and events. I felt like I was in a foreign country trying to understand a foreign language half the time.
As for the heart-wrenching conclusion of the book, the one that had Oliver DeMille and Tiff in tears...well, surprise, surprise...(we are talking about me, ya know)...nope, not even a lump in the throat. Actually, I found it to be somewhat melodramatic. I am always a little bugged when someone tries to play my emotions like that (yes, I do have them).
Still, all kidding aside, it is a marvelous book and I will surely recommend it to others, but I will encourage them to read a condensed version. Sorry Victor...and Tiff.
I wish I could say I loved it, but I didn't. I do love the characters, especially Jean Valjean. I'm always enthralled with multifaceted characters who are complicated, not all good and all bad. Jean Valjean, however, comes close to being all good, but not without paying a terrible price. My favorite parts are when he struggles mightily to overcome temptation and finally does the right thing, time and time again. I love the lofty values that are depicted, the marvelous example of true integrity. I also love, love, love the plot. It is just such a classic tale of love, sacrifice and honor with wonderful foils of corruption and evil.
Having said all that, why, you ask, don't I adore the book? Because I am lazy, for one thing. All those rants by Hugo were exhausting to me. And as the king of Austria said to Mozart, "Aren't there too many notes?", I want to say to Hugo, "Aren't there too many words?" He took twenty pages to tell something that could have been covered nicely in one (sometimes. I have to admit there were times when his explosion of words was breathtakingly wonderful). Besides being lazy, I'm also lacking in enough education to understand all the French words, the historical facts, figures, places and events. I felt like I was in a foreign country trying to understand a foreign language half the time.
As for the heart-wrenching conclusion of the book, the one that had Oliver DeMille and Tiff in tears...well, surprise, surprise...(we are talking about me, ya know)...nope, not even a lump in the throat. Actually, I found it to be somewhat melodramatic. I am always a little bugged when someone tries to play my emotions like that (yes, I do have them).
Still, all kidding aside, it is a marvelous book and I will surely recommend it to others, but I will encourage them to read a condensed version. Sorry Victor...and Tiff.
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