This week I was reading in the Book of Mormon and this particular passage really stood out to me. In 2 Nephi 2:17-18 it reads:
17 And I, Lehi, according to the things which I have read, must needs suppose that an angel of God, according to that which is written, had fallen from heaven; wherefore, he became a devil, having sought that which was evil before God.
18 And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind…
It dawned on me – that old adage…Misery loves company! Isn't that the truth! When you meet up with someone and ask them how they are doing and they start down the laundry list of how bad life is, their rotten situation and how they would probably be better off killing themselves. I always struggle with this one. My immediate internal response is "How can I help rescue this person?" Sometimes rescue is needed, but I think that more than them crying out for help is that they want someone else to save them. That kind of rescue is generally short-lived and they find themselves back in a similar situation. Successful change comes when they figure out how to rely on Heavenly Father for the help rather than leaning on the arm of man. That is the expert help we should all learn to seek.
I have heard so often that it is important to have a positive attitude. I think that is why I am drawn to people that love life. We all have to deal with the drama of earthly existence. We have bad days, good days, okay days, awful days and really super spectacular days. If I am having a rough day, being around someone cheerful really helps. Even a smile and warm hello can make a difference. I do not like to be miserable and I know where the source of misery comes from.
We know that there must be opposition in all things. We can't appreciate our health if we have never been sick. We can't fully comprehend happiness if we have never known sadness. We can't always choose exactly which path our lives will take us down. We can be sure that there will be stumbling blocks along our way. It is in adversity that we can learn to rely on our Heavenly Father and Savior. In the Sermon on the Mount, the Savior teaches:
Matthew 5:45…for he (God) maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. I guess it's just how you deal with what comes your way that determines if you are a happy person or a miserable one. Have you ever noticed that sometimes someone that is going through a tough time can be amazingly optomistic? They have learned a very valuable lesson…choose to be happy! Oh, and as a mother, might I suggest: A good night sleep never hurt either!
Don't you just love marigolds…I just wish they were more pleasantly fragrant! But as with all things, each creation has its individual purpose and I'm sure that the scent of marigold is part of their purpose. While unlikely to become an additive in any popular perfume, I have heard that they are suppose to keep the bugs out when they are planted around a vegetable garden - something I vaguely remember hearing years ago. Perhaps someday I will test that out for myself. If so, what a beautiful border and what a thoughtful design element of our Divine Creator. I guess I can relate this to people. We can find beauty in all of God's creations as they serve the purpose they were intended to, NOT just the sweet smelling ones…any mom of boys can testify to that!
Lovely thoughts and visuals.
I missed you today.