Being There

Last night I was walking towards my apartment. It had been a pretty good day. As I got closer, I had this fleeting thought that I wished that when I opened the door, a friend of mine that I had not seen in a while would be there. I opened the door and there they stood. Thank you for making my day.

Making Sacrifices

People have a lot of definitions of sacrifice. The one I hear most often is that sacrifice is giving up something good for something better.

I think there is a better way of looking at it, or at least a more beautiful way of looking at it. Sacrifice is giving up something you want so that someone else can have something they want...because you love them.

I've seen so many examples of this lately. From the simple, to the life changing. From going to see a friend when you really wanted to take a nap, to quitting the job you always wanted to get a higher paying one to help your parents who are struggling financially. In either case, the motivation was not the hope of something better in return.

It was pure love.

Make the call

Tonight I was standing in the kitchen and thought about giving a friend of mine a call. Just to catch up, see how she was doing. I walked into my room to find my phone and saw that she had texted me. I immediately picked up the phone and called.

I am so grateful for promptings. In sharing with her some insights I had recently gained, I felt what I was thinking confirmed, feeling more confidence in trusting that God can do ANYTHING. Even help you find a job in a bad economy.

And it turned out it was something she needed to hear. It's amazing how it all works. So many times she has said stuff to me that I needed and found strength in, so many times she has listened when I needed it. I am grateful that I had the chance to be her listening ear today.

Looking good

Last week I received one of the most entertaining and appreciated compliments ever. I ran into an old coworker outside the library, and the first thing he said to me was, "Wow! You look so much less stressed."

Even when life is stressful, be grateful for what you have been delivered from.

Absence

Does absence make the heart grow fonder, or grow cold? I don't know much, but I do know I definitely miss the people I care about back in Austin, some more than I thought I would. And my little joyful moment is not just in realizing how much they mean to me, but that in a few days I will get to see them again face to face.

So...

...good talk.

A life lived in fear is a life half-lived

Often, we find ourselves making sacrifices and doing hard things because we believe something good will come out of it. We decide the rewards are worth the risk. We trust we will be blessed. I was sitting in Sunday School last week when the teacher introduced the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. They made a decision knowing that the outcome might result in death. It brings to mind Joseph Smith going to Carthage jail, knowing that his life would be taken from him.

Okay, so nothing to that extreme is happening in my life. Thankfully. But it did cause reflection on small ways in which I've tried to apply the same principle. Recently I was afraid to do something. I was 90% sure that it would not turn out the way I thought I wanted it too...but I did it anyway. Better to try to do the right thing and face my fears than miss out on a chance to grow.