What Do You See When You Look in the Mirror: Part 2 The Not So Glamorous Days

First lets talk about those not so glamorous days.

There were a lot of days that I looked into that practice room mirror and was really disappointed.  I would be working on a hand position for weeks and still wonder why I had not gotten any better.  I would practice hours every day trying to improve sound quality and intonation and perform and feel like nothing sunk in.  I felt it was all a waste of time because I could not see any improvement.  It was the most discouraging thing I have ever faced.  To do so much work and try so hard and have nothing to show for it.  There were a lot of times that I wondered if I had actually gotten worse.  I often felt just like my friend in this picture.  I was beyond frustrated. 

Now I'll admit it, those who have worked with me on my mission or at school and especially my parents and violin teacher know that when I get frustrated I get a little dramatic.  My brain seems to malfunction and shut down and refuse to think properly.  There is no way that anything useful is going to come from me once I reach that point.  I just have to walk away and then there is really nothing getting done.  Needless to say it is not the most useful practice method.  However my friends, this is why at least twice a week I had time scheduled to work with my teacher. 

Once a week I had a private lesson with her and a small class with seven other students where we performed for each other.  My teacher could see the problems in my playing and give me help to fix them because she had been there before.  My friends in the class could help by telling me what was working for them in their practice and suggest what I might try.  The best part though was that they were not with me in the practice room every day, so when I played for them once a week they could see the accumulation of the small daily improvements that I could not because I am with myself ALL THE TIME.  And then they could help me learn to start seeing those small improvements myself. 

Now sometimes I also get down on myself as I am trying to be the best person I can be.  Don't we all? I'm trying to follow Christ and really see his image within myself but I just don't see the improvement.  I don't often see any leaps forward in my patience, or diligence or in trying to be kinder or less grumpy in the morning.  I am trying to practice being like Christ everyday, but I still have so many weaknesses and just don't seem to measure up.  Sometimes I feel I have so much to work on that I do not even know where to start. 

This is where I am most grateful for an all wise and loving Heavenly Father who knew that I would feel this way in my life and prepared for it.  Just like a college music programs provides classes and teachers to help you improve, our loving Heavenly Father also provides places and people to help us see the changes within ourselves. 

In Moroni 6 it says-

 "And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.

 And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls."

You have been or can be numbered among the people of Christ.  At church you will be remembered, you will be nourished by the associations and the lessons.  You will be taught to see yourself and the world in ways that you could not on your own.  Others will be able to help you see the improvement in you that you cannot see in yourself.   

You may come downtrodden and upset.  You may feel you have failed the past week at your job, at being a parent, friend or student.  You may have feel you failed at becoming more patient or charitable.  You may feel you have failed at life in general or you could come feeling you are doing well at everything or any emotion in between, but if you come willing, you will be uplifted and you will start to learn to see the image of Christ shining through you.  You will receive the strength to start again, to try again, to pick yourself up and keep going. 

Just as my violin teacher and fellow students help me to see the violinist I can become one day, you will start to learn to see yourself as Christ sees you and what he knows that you can become.  It is a slow, daily, lifelong process and wont happen all at once, but it will happen.

 
How grateful should we be to a kind and wise Heavenly Father who has put friends, teachers, leaders, parents, companions, and his beloved son Himself there to help us see what we cannot yet see in ourselves. 

So what do you do to take advantage of what I have been talking about?

Find the nearest Latter Day Saint chapel and then come and see.

The Power of Helping Hands

As we all know, hurricane Sandy was devastating to the east coast, especially in New york and New Jersey.  It is heartbreaking to see the pictures and hear the stories of those who have lost everything they own.  Those affected really are in many ways lost in darkness.  They don't know how to keep going or how they will ever be whole again.

The scriptures say that Jesus Christ is "The light and the life of the world, a light which shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not;"  D&C 34:2 Listen and watch the true stories of how the light of Christ is shinning forth into the darkness of this tragedy through the efforts of those who seek to follow him.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has been organizing crews to go into all the affected areas since before Sandy even hit.  On Veterans day, Nov. 11, 2012.  Members of the congregation where I am currently serving as a missionary were part of a crew that went to Manahawkin, New Jersey to offer relief with the Mormon Helping Hands program established by the church. 

This is just one true story related to me that very evening by a member, Brenden Wikle, who helped serve that day.

After a morning of working the crew returned to the volunteer headquarters for lunch and to receive a new assignment.  While  there Brenden started talking to an 82 year old man who lives in Manahawkin.  This man  told of how he had lost everything in the storm.  His house was destroyed and the quote for how much it would cost just to remove all the damage was far beyond what he could afford.  To add to this heartbreaking loss, his wife had recently broken her hip while hanging laundry on the wet deck and was in the hospital.  He was left by himself to deal with everything the storm had dumped upon him.  He said he had put his name on the list to receive help and now just had to wait and hope.

Brenden told how his heart t broke for this man and he wished he could take the crew he had been working with and go help him right then, but they were already receiving another assignment.  So he departed with them to the next home they were sent to help.

When they arrived, he was overjoyed to learn that it was this old man's home.  There was another group from a different organization already there trying to help clean out the house.  When the leader saw the crew coming, he broke down into tears. 

When asked why he was crying he told them that they had been working for a long time and had gotten very little done and knew they could not do it on their own. He said that he had knelt down ten minutes earlier and prayed to God that he would send someone to help them.  He said I told God to please send the "little yellow army" (referring to the yellow mormon helping hands vests volunteers wear).  He wanted this little yellow army because he knew an army was what they needed to get this house emptied. 

The crew was able to clean out the whole house in only an hour.  Gratitude ran very high and prayers were answered all around.

In Mosiah 2:17 it says-

 "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

When we are in the service of God we are entitled to his help no matter what nationality, religion, race, gender, political or economic status etc. God hears and answers every heart felt prayer, and he often answers them through the helping hands of another person.

To find out how you can be a part of the relief, visit mormon.org and request to talk to the nearest missionaries or contact any local LDS member or location.