I have recently thought a lot about a few questions that have really disturbed me. As I have pondered these I have spent days in prayer thinking and pondering what I ought to do and how to best accomplish the decision at hand.
I had my first answer this morning and it was a welcome ray of sunshine after swimming through the darkness. I guess the first thing I should say is that no I am not going to disclose the circumstances, but that being said I would like to discuss the process it took for me to get to where I am now.
As I faced the problem at hand I learned very quickly this would impact many people, and some of those impacts would be hard to deal with. My biggest concerns were the emotional impacts on others. The other concern was for myself, and this I will discuss openly. I found concern in how I have performed in my responsibilities in the past and whether or not I was handling things in a manner that is pleasing to God. This second concern came later because of my lack of perception.
I found myself really struggling as I attempted to look at every angle of the decisions to be made and how I could possibly assure what I did addressed what was the most important. How could I make the best decision possible? As I wondered I knew the decision dealt with many important things. In fact to be direct what I consider the two most important aspects of my life, and they appeared to be at war.
I knew one could give or the other, but how do you allow change to an aspect of your life that defines all you have worked for. I also personally believed that both options were important and both were good.
People have faced tough decisions since the creation of man, and there are endless stories of people overcoming outrageous situations.
And in this mindset my adventure began. I believed I had to make a decision between the two and this was my first flaw. I asked in prayer time and again to know the will of God in regards to which I needed to impact. I asked in differing ways and from every perspective I had considered. In fact it got to a point where I started to doubt myself and if I was going to get any answers. This is where the second questions came into play. This multiplied my problems, because I was not willing to accept that maybe both options could occur.
As I spent days in prayer and struggling, I often pondered on the scriptures of Enos and his wrestle with the Lord, and many other scriptures. I considered my commitment to do the Lord's will regardless of the cost. I thought back on many of the experiences of my past and of the knowledge I have that Christ is the son of God and that he has experienced all we will ever go through. I spent hours and hours discussing with God the dilemma I considered myself to be in.
However, as I started off to work this morning the concerns still in tow I caught a glimpse of more options than I had previously considered. I truly believe this was the start to my answers, and I believe these came from God. But what came next I know was from God...
I changed my prayer and asked very differently from my previous prayers for the simple answer of how to approach what I needed. The answer was very simple and direct and in one sentence, as is often the case with the way our Heavenly Father speaks to us all was resolved. I didn't need to choose between the two good options. I simply needed to realize that my priorities in a non-related aspect of my life needed to change. Yes I will need to make some physical changes, and in some cases they will not be easy. However, do I trust the direction I received from God? The answer is a resounding yes, in fact I believe all of the answer and the multiple impacts it carries.
Because of this I have made some changes and will continue to work on this new direction as it carries me forward to new heights and far away from the initial decisions that brought it about.
The reason I write this and share it now is because I truly believe it may help others. First to know that God (and more specifically His Son Christ), can help us through anything no matter how complicated. Second I write this because when we turn to Christ and gain our answers, they are not always what we expected, or even what we thought we needed.
I read an article today that made the following statement: "in 100% of cases there is a good reason and a real reason... A good solution solves one problem. A real solution solves 100 problems." The reason the help we receive from our Savior is so good is that it deals with the real problems and the real solutions. Not the good problems and good solutions.
I had my first answer this morning and it was a welcome ray of sunshine after swimming through the darkness. I guess the first thing I should say is that no I am not going to disclose the circumstances, but that being said I would like to discuss the process it took for me to get to where I am now.
As I faced the problem at hand I learned very quickly this would impact many people, and some of those impacts would be hard to deal with. My biggest concerns were the emotional impacts on others. The other concern was for myself, and this I will discuss openly. I found concern in how I have performed in my responsibilities in the past and whether or not I was handling things in a manner that is pleasing to God. This second concern came later because of my lack of perception.
I found myself really struggling as I attempted to look at every angle of the decisions to be made and how I could possibly assure what I did addressed what was the most important. How could I make the best decision possible? As I wondered I knew the decision dealt with many important things. In fact to be direct what I consider the two most important aspects of my life, and they appeared to be at war.
I knew one could give or the other, but how do you allow change to an aspect of your life that defines all you have worked for. I also personally believed that both options were important and both were good.
People have faced tough decisions since the creation of man, and there are endless stories of people overcoming outrageous situations.
And in this mindset my adventure began. I believed I had to make a decision between the two and this was my first flaw. I asked in prayer time and again to know the will of God in regards to which I needed to impact. I asked in differing ways and from every perspective I had considered. In fact it got to a point where I started to doubt myself and if I was going to get any answers. This is where the second questions came into play. This multiplied my problems, because I was not willing to accept that maybe both options could occur.
As I spent days in prayer and struggling, I often pondered on the scriptures of Enos and his wrestle with the Lord, and many other scriptures. I considered my commitment to do the Lord's will regardless of the cost. I thought back on many of the experiences of my past and of the knowledge I have that Christ is the son of God and that he has experienced all we will ever go through. I spent hours and hours discussing with God the dilemma I considered myself to be in.
However, as I started off to work this morning the concerns still in tow I caught a glimpse of more options than I had previously considered. I truly believe this was the start to my answers, and I believe these came from God. But what came next I know was from God...
I changed my prayer and asked very differently from my previous prayers for the simple answer of how to approach what I needed. The answer was very simple and direct and in one sentence, as is often the case with the way our Heavenly Father speaks to us all was resolved. I didn't need to choose between the two good options. I simply needed to realize that my priorities in a non-related aspect of my life needed to change. Yes I will need to make some physical changes, and in some cases they will not be easy. However, do I trust the direction I received from God? The answer is a resounding yes, in fact I believe all of the answer and the multiple impacts it carries.
Because of this I have made some changes and will continue to work on this new direction as it carries me forward to new heights and far away from the initial decisions that brought it about.
The reason I write this and share it now is because I truly believe it may help others. First to know that God (and more specifically His Son Christ), can help us through anything no matter how complicated. Second I write this because when we turn to Christ and gain our answers, they are not always what we expected, or even what we thought we needed.
I read an article today that made the following statement: "in 100% of cases there is a good reason and a real reason... A good solution solves one problem. A real solution solves 100 problems." The reason the help we receive from our Savior is so good is that it deals with the real problems and the real solutions. Not the good problems and good solutions.
