Our Divine Nature and the Tigger Effect!

Many years ago I saw an episode of Winnie the Pooh. In this particular show, Tigger had lost his stripes. WIthout his stripes he thought he was no longer tigger. He went around trying to figure out what he was now... a rabbit?...no.  A Kanga?... no, on and on it went. His friends tried to convince him he was still a tigger, He still could bounce like tigger, he sounded like tigger....but without the visable stripes he couldn't be convinced.  Tigger had to  Iearn all by himself, that he had never stopped being tigger.

 I  walked away from watching that show with 2 questions for myself:

 1) How many times do I let myself feel less than what I am: "A beautiful daughter of a loving God" because of my appearance, or my obvious failures, of lack of any obvious talents, etc.  and yet all our friends and family can't convince us we are still a beautiful daughter of a loving God. We can spend time putting our selves down, spinning our wheels, getting in our own way.. and it changes NOTHING about the fact that you are STILL a beautiful child  of a loving God. No one else can make you believe this. Only each of us can do the work to figure that out. DON"T SPEND  ONE MORE DAY trying to be something you are not, or  treating yourself in a way you would NEVER let yourself treat someone else! Do as I say.. not as I do.. this one is a work in progress...

2) How often do I see others for less than they are: A beautiful son or daughter of a loving God? Maybe based on their appearance, lifestyle, religion, life choices.. sometimes we overlook people, judge them without knowledge of their true circumstances (Social media sure makes this easy).. I still don't know exactly how to spot the ways in which I may be dismissing people in my mind and heart as one that surely God loves less than the "rest" of us.. but I have a desire and prayer to know. I strive every day to do acts of small kindnesses ,even a smile to everyone I see.  This one will be a work in progress too.

I must run.. my stripes are missing  and I must go find them!

That Moment of Panic in the Dark and Keeping to God's Path

I deliver an early morning paper route. I always start in the dark and end in the dark. On the way home there is a slight curve in the road right as you are going through an intersection.

No big deal, there are a lot of those out there, right?

Well like most intersections, the middle dividing line between the lanes is not there. It picks back up as you get on the other side of the intersection.  The problem is that when they painted that line, they didn't start it immediately on the other side. Due to the curve in the road, the line being set further away, and the dark there is a moment nearly every morning where I feel like I've lost site of where the lane on the other side is.

If I don't adjust to the curve, I'll be in the oncoming lane, but with no edge lines on either side of the road, and no daylight to help you really need that middle line to help remind you of where you need to be.

You would think that after 20 years of driving on that road in the dark I'd have it down pat,but over and over again I have a moment of panic that I've lost sight of the lane.

It reminded me of the gospel, and holding on to the iron rod. (the word of god and his plan for how we should live.)

The commandments and all of the words of God that guide us as to how we should stay on the path that will lead us back to our Heavenly Father are right in front of us and available, but sometimes we lose sight of the path. Mostly due to our own choices and mistakes, but sometimes due to unforseen trials that mar our path.

Just like my moment of panic in the dark, when we lose sight of our Heavenly Father and the path he has laid out for us, we often have a moment of panic. Where do I go? Where did God go? How do I find Him? How do I get back on the path?

I have driven that road now long enough to know that the line is just a foot or two ahead and to hold steady till I see it. I do not need to veer too far one way or the other, When we lose sight of the gospel path we have a way back:

Lets just start with Prayer.  No mistake, no amount of anger or lonliness will stop Him from hearing you. The moment you turn away from prayer is the very moment you need it the most! Give him your sorrows, your pain, even your anger.. He will take it and help you find your way back.

Turn to His words through scripture as well as our modern day Church leaders. There is a saying.. If you want to speak to God, pray. If you want to hear from God, read your scriptures. It is so true! Put it to the test! Pick them up and try.

Talk with trusted church leaders.family and friends. Isolation will only keep the path to happiness further in the dark. Trust them to guide you back to the path of the gospel.

Don't stay off of the path to God any longer than you have to. Use the atonement to be forgiven if you need it, forgive others yourself, speak wtih God and Listen to him. Then take action.... actually move your feet back to the lane you know he wants you to be in!