I am grateful when people unite rather than divide. Life is tough enough without humans as a whole trying to rip each other apart. I don't follow politics very closely. However, there are two members of my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or Mormons as we are nicknamed, who have come into the political limelight. I have been nauseated as I have read about how they, despite any redeeming qualifications, would never have a chance in politics solely because of their 'weird' religion. I have listened to a Mom tell me her daughter was dismissed from a 'Christian' school solely because of her Mormon beliefs. I myself was ridiculed and picked on in high school by a group of 'Christian' kids because of my Mormon beliefs. I had a friend of another faith tell me she loved a certain song about Christ's love, but was told she couldn't sing it in church, however wonderful it may be, because it was written by a Mormon musician. Another friend, who had a deep and abiding testimony of Jesus Christ, was told she couldn't teach at a Christian Preschool because she is a Mormon. I had a man from another church come into our sacrament service once and tell the entire congregation that if we didn't follow him to his church we were all going to Hell. And the tales go on....
Being a Mormon takes a thick skin sometimes. At one point the United States government had an extermination order sent out against people of our faith...in the land of religious freedom. In the land where those same people who were left to be scattered or massacred had fathers and grandfathers who had given their lives in the Revolutionary War so that they could secure the freedom to worship according to the dictates of their own conscience. So I get having to have a thick skin. Those who are truly converted don't do so out of convenience, but rather a burning testimony of truth. Being a Mormon takes a lot of dedication and yet we do it because we love our Savior, Jesus Christ, and we love our Father in Heaven. It is so frustrating that the entire center of our belief system is focused on the true gospel of Jesus Christ and yet people claim we are not Christians. A love for our Savior is central to our beliefs and yet we are damned to Hell in the eyes of some. It is so disheartening to be so misunderstood by so many people who claim themselves to be 'Christians'. Over the years I have kind of built up a little shell with 'Christians.' Ones who will really like you until they find out you are a Mormon and then look at you like the devil. Ones who claim to be one thing with their mouth and another with their actions.
So tonight I am grateful for a recent interaction with a true Christian. I was in a place where I was struggling with a relationship with my brother. I was hurt and angry and peace was far from my heart. I felt I was carrying with me a wound that would never heal. Then to my rescue came a post from Justin's cousin, Keira, on her blog.
Keira, who is Catholic, shared with me a prayer that was meaningful to her and it really calmed my soul and helped to bring peace back into my heart and helped me to set a different course in my mind in regards to my brother. I was so touched by Keira sharing that piece of her heart and soul and by sharing her faith. I was grateful that in that moment that religion wasn't a dividing line. But rather another bucket at the Savior's well in which I could draw cooling relief from.
I know in my heart that God loves all of His children. I know we are all brothers and sisters to our Savior, Jesus Christ. I was so grateful for Keira, for getting it. For sharing the good instead of spreading the bad. For lifting the burden of another, as Christ would have. Her faith helped motivate me to live mine more fully and I am grateful for that. Grateful that in a world full of divide, there are people who still seek to unite and encourage and share. Thank you Keira, you touched my heart.
The Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.
My friend Beth told me I had to read this book. So I ordered it from Amazon and when I finally read it I was laughing out loud! It was like someone had been spying on my life and written a book about it! It's about "Four sisters, different sizes. Four sisters, early risers. Bouncing balls, climbing trees, tossing mud into the breeze..." Basically it's the tale of four, spirited sisters who were always getting into trouble and pinning the blame on each other....yes, it's a familiar scene here at the Young household!
