Happiness

While I didn't use the source talk a lot, there was one part that I did.

Remember, the talk was "Joy Through Covenant Discipleship" by Elder John A. McCune:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2025/04/46mccune?lang=eng 

He told various stories, about a mission president who carried warmth with him that people felt, and a woman who responded to that warmth when that mission president invited her to church. He told about how happy that woman's children were as they learned about commandments like tithing and felt that they needed to live them. 

He also told about the kindness and love extended by President Nelson on the same day that he lost a daughter to cancer. 

Many of these posts have been about how we are imperfect and that is normal and fine and it works out. As I think has also been clear, that can still be hard. 

I have heard people talk about how church membership gives you a lot of work. I don't see that as a downside, but I guess I do get that. When there are too many things that I want to get to, and I don't feel capable, that is frustrating.

There is also a lot of joy.

I had mentioned in one of the earlier posts how I can see hitting a plateau being a problem with spiritual growth, but as you keep getting new callings there is the opportunity for continued growth.

Again, it has been such a delight to get to know various women better and to relate to them.

Often we are relating about struggles. That's okay. I believe the struggle feels easier when you no longer thing that you are the only one. 

We'd had a member of the stake presidency visiting us when I spoke. He came up to me after and said that a lot of people felt the same way, worried about being enough. It is easy to not know that, but then once you become aware, you see it everywhere, and you also see that their efforts can be blessed and be enough, regardless.

I was at a meeting last week and a scripture came up that mentioned serving "with all your might".

My initial thought was that I have no might, but then, instead of "might" I gravitated on the "your".

Okay, my might is that while there are often things that I can't carry, I can sometimes still get them into place by shoving them.

I can be remarkably stubborn, which we can also call persistent to make it sound nicer.

My gift is not stamina, or smoothness or great musical skill or physical beauty or any kind of athleticism.

I am really smart, and good at working with data, and I love easily and listen well and I actually do have a lot of gifts that I can use to serve the people around me and God.

That brings me joy.

There are things that get me down. One pretty bad one that has been ongoing for a while now kicked up a notch last week. Do not think I didn't feel it.

I have still been strengthened and cared for, and life goes on.

Actually, one of my gifts is a fairly resilient emotional health, where I can roll with the punches pretty well. I know that there are people who have a harder time, and I am sorry for that.

I hope that there are people who care for you and help you.

I believe that you have your own gifts that can also help in different ways.

Those may not always be easy to figure out, but the joy in that is worth at least trying.