Eyes to See

How do you see others around you?

New York Times columnist David Brooks said “Many of our society’s great problems flow from people not feeling seen and known. … [There is a] core … trait that we all have to get … better at[, and that] is the trait of seeing each other deeply and being deeply seen.”

Today I taught a virtual church class about how we see and look at others around us. This does not mean we change the way we physically see them, but more of a way to understand and perceive others better.

In order to see others more fully and deeply we need to see ourselves better. To me that means truly understanding that we are all children of God. As we realize that fact ourselves, it becomes easier to see others in that same light.

The more you understand your true identity and purpose, soul deep, the more it will influence everything in your life.

Michelle Craig, Oct 2020

When our children were little we would ask them to clean their rooms only to find that they only put away an item or two before telling us they were done. Finally my wife would ask them, “Did you look at the room with mommy’s eyes?” Meaning did they look at things in the way that mom would look at them when she comes to check the room. Over time the rooms did get a little cleaner. 🙂

What if we looked at each others through God’s eyes? What if we tried to see people like Jesus Christ sees them?

In my lesson I asked how we can do this? And these are some of the answers I got: Listen to them (not just with your ears but with your heart), have patience, love them, and be consistent.

It was also mentioned that we ourselves have to be in tune with the spirit of God in order to see as he sees. Things like prayer, reading the scriptures, thinking and doing good things, developing positive habits can put us in a position where we feel better about ourselves and then can see others deeper and understand better their needs.

Let’s all try and make a conscious effort to gives others the benefit of the doubt, not judge, but be willing to have eyes to see like God. Eyes full of understanding, love, and patience.

Think about what you can do in your life to be in a better position to do so.

You just might find a new way to see the world!

To read a full talk about Eyes to See by Michelle Craig go here.

Resilience

Have you ever felt like something happened to you that you just didn’t think you would ever get out of?

It’s a feeling we all have at times.

A few weeks ago we had an ice storm and everything froze. Each blade of grass, each leaf and branch, and even each single flower became encased within ice in a very short time. It was beautiful, but actually quite devastating as trees and branches toppled to the ground.

We thought for sure that we would at least lose the flowers and quite possibly many of our plants. But we were surprised to see when the ice melted a way that that each flower petal had stayed intact. The plant not only survived, but thrived.

I’ve thought about what made that plant so resilient to the unexpected and rare experience that had occurred. I think it was partially due to the fact that its root system was untouched by the ice and was protected by the dirt around it. As well, over time it had received care (from me). It had been fed, watered, and nourished.

Each of us will experience times of unanticipated stress or difficulties. It’s a part of life. But what can we do to get through it?

Being resilient does not mean that people don’t experience stress, emotional upheaval, and suffering…Resilient people tap into their strengths and support systems to overcome challenges and work through problems.

Everydayhealth.com/Wellness/Resilience

Just like with the plant, we can receive help from others and and rely upon deep roots of strength and protection that we have developed over time. But if these support systems are not in place before hand it can make it more difficult.

So what can we do to develop inner strength and deeper and protected roots? A few ideas that I have found are praying more, serving and helping others, looking at things from a broader and longer term perspective, being more positive, reading the word of God, and developing friendships that are positive and help you to be a better person. We also may look at habits we have developed and work on limited those that are harmful and increasing those that are beneficial.

Let’s all take time to develop friendships and emotional strength that can provide help during difficult times. As we do so, we can all help one another become more resilient to life’s problems.

Just like the flowering plant, we can provide beauty and joy to others around us–even during times of difficulty.

Pray & Serve

We’ve all known people in our lives that are more concerned with what they get out of life than what they can give to it. They are kind of exhausting people to be around.

What if we thought about what we can give to others rather than what we can get from them?

People say things like “I didn’t get much out of that church meeting.” or “I don’t see why I have to go to that training at work; I already know about that.” or “I hope my family and friends get me something good for my birthday?”

What if instead we looked at it this way. “I wonder who I can help uplift at church today?” or “Could I help someone else understand something better at work?” or “What can I do to show my appreciation for my family and friends?”

In a prayer at one of my church meetings today someone prayed that we might feel inspiration to help someone who may be in need.

Many times we pray for help ourselves, but how often do we pray to be the answer for someone else’s prayer.

God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs.

Spencer W. Kimball 1974

Jesus Christ said, “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 10:39)

Can we really find our lives—our purpose, our strength, and our direction, by helping others?  Can we really be the answer to someone else’s prayer.

I think we can!

How can you better give than take?

Who can you be an answer for?

Pray today to find out who you could help out this week and what you can give to others. You just might find your life!

Small Things

Whether in nature or in life, small things over time can add up to something far greater.

In the attached picture we see a crack in the sidewalk from the roots of a tree. This didn’t happen all at once or even over a short time period. But most likely over many years.

In our own lives the small things we do, both for good or bad, can have long term consequences. A bad habit, started off small can result in disappointment, failure, or even incarceration over time.

But a simple act of kindness, or a new daily habit of something good and uplifting can build over a period of time to something far greater. The act of daily prayer or scripture reading, or saying hi and smiling to someone, or eating healthy can have tremendous benefits over the days, weeks, and years.

In total and over a significant period of time, seemingly small things bring to pass great things.

Dallin H. Oaks

Just like each individual brick in a an ancient castle, or the daily sprinkling of water under a rose bush, each piece of grandeur and greatness in our lives are only made up of smaller increments.

What small thing can you do today to start to build something grand in your life?

The Path

Have you ever wondered if you are on the right path in life? I’m sure it’s a question most of us have asked at one time or another.

Last week I took a quick five mile hike in the afternoon. I hiked up and down a hilly trail through a beautiful moss-filled forest. At one point right after two paths crossed I stopped and looked down the winding trail toward a bridge and thought to myself “I wonder what’s down that path?” and “Should I go that direction or the other?”

I decided to wander down the path and over the bridge, then under a canopy of tree branches–all the while wondering what lied ahead. A few minutes later I encountered two things.

The first was that my path became blocked by more water than I wanted to cross through. A smaller stream had overran and covered the path and the way I had decide to go was blocked.

I was a bit disappointed.

And so I backtracked a little and saw a small trail that zigzagged through a copse of trees toward a campground. The place was either closed or very empty that day.

Second, to my surprise, only a short walk later as I came to a small meadow five deer picked up their heads and looked at me. I was so close–maybe 10 feet or so away from the nearest one. They stood still and watched me as I slowly moved between them. If I had food with me, I probably could have fed them from my hands.

The air was still; quiet and peaceful with only the sound of a nearby stream gurgling behind me. Seeing the deer and being so close to them was a very nice and unexpected treat.

After passing by them I crossed the campground–bypassing the path that was blocked, and continued on the rest of my hike.

The disappointment of my blocked path actually led to something better. Something that I wouldn’t have found if I had not been open to finding a new way.

As we go through life and look ahead at our path, we may not always know what lies ahead. But don’t take obstructions in the path as a time of failure. Look at it instead as a moment of opportunity.

You never know what might be only a few feet away. An unexpected surprise may be in your future.

Keep moving and keep trying and new opportunities will arise on your path through life.

Singing

Today we were able to sing again in church for the first time since the pandemic started almost a year ago! It was a little harder to hear through the face masks, but it felt good to once again join with everyone in singing hymns to our Lord.

Singing evokes strong emotion in each one of us.

When a song comes on during the day, many times we are instantly taken back to some moment in time. Maybe it was a date, a dance, a struggle, a time of comfort, or a night of fun with our friends.

Isn’t it amazing that after not hearing a song for ages that as soon as it starts we are able to sing along with it?

Something in the way music affects us reaches deep into our soul and touches a place that not even words can reach.

Today as I participated in our church services and sung three songs, I was deeply touched. I didn’t think I would miss singing as much as I did.

These are the a few of the words that we shared together in singing today:

The Lord is my light; then why should I fear? By day and by night his presence is near. (The Lord is my Light)

Abide with me! fast falls the eventide; The darkness deepens. Lord, with me abide! When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me! (Abide with Me)

Fill our hearts with sweet forgiving; Teach us tolerance and love. Let our prayers find access to thee. In thy holy courts above. (In humility our savior)

The truthfulness that accompanies the words to these sacred hymns testified to me once again that God is in control, Jesus Christ knows who I am, and that everything will be all right.

The music swept through me and gave me peace.

The impact of songs in our lives are not only in sacred church settings, but exist in all parts of the world and in all genres of music.

Universally, music can lift our soul, bring us peace, sooth a troubled heart, and bring back joyous memories of days gone by.

Decisions

It is said we make over 35,000 decisions each day. Researchers at Cornell estimate that 227 of these are about food!

That’s one decision every two seconds of our waking hours.

How much weight does one decision have on your life?

Each decision we make has the potential for a life-long change in our behavior or way of life. Or in the life of those around us.

At any moment the decision you make can change the course of your life forever.

Tony Robbins

What food we reach for. What words we say to someone who may have offended us. What we choose to spend our discretionary time on. All have the opportunity to change your life.

Is your life where you want it to be? If not, make a decision today!

What decision can you make today that will change your life forever–for the good?

Take some time to think about it.

Ministering

I have found that when I am feeling down or overburdened with something that one of the best ways to help is to turn my focus outward rather than inward.

There is something uplifting that happens when we serve and minister to others. We realized that we may not be so bad off and that others are also suffering with their own problems.

When we prepare ourselves each day to look outward we will be guided to opportunities to help and serve others. As we turn our hearts outward to others and upward to God we find more peace and love in our own hearts.

Balance your life with spiritual experiences that remind and prepare you for continued daily ministering to others.

M. Russell Ballard

What do you do to prepare yourself to be open to opportunities to serve?

How do you serve or minister to others?

Unity

Today in church we heard talks on unity and making decisions.

Recently I listened to a talk that spoke about unity and diversity. The speaker brought up the thought that we need both unity and diversity to continue to grow as a society.

“Without unity, Diversity becomes divisive. Without diversity, unity becomes stagnant.”

Kevin worthlin, BYU president, Jan 2021

Unity doesn’t mean we all think and do the same thing. Unity means we work together, utilizing our differences, to become better overall.

Recently our country seems to be struggling with a case of divisiveness. Those with the loudest voices are telling us that we must hate those we disagree with.

But you and I have the choice to decide for ourselves how we respond, how we act, and how we treat others.

The Bible says: “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” (Luke 6:31).

It is said that each of us can make up to 35,000 decisions each day. Some of those decisions carry more weight than others, but each decision can lead us in one direction or another.

Rather than spending our decision time tearing others down, let’s spend our time making decisions that help, uplift, and strengthen others.

There may be things we can’t control. But we can control ourselves.

We can decide how we react and how we treat others.

Let’s all make the decision to have more unity, celebrate our differences, love others, and work together for stronger families, nation, and world.

Let’s stand united as children of God!

Bridges

As I was hiking the other day I crossed over a small bridge that went over a creek. I thought about the purpose of bridges—to get over an unpassable, deep, or dangerous area or obstacle.

They help us get more directly to our destination.

One time while hiking the trail just ended at a creek—I could see the trail continue on the other side, but unless I wanted to get very wet, I had to turn around.

However, as I continued on this new direction I found a beautiful path that went through areas I had never been before. In the end the hike was longer than I planned, but I could say, it might have been even more enjoyable.

In our own lives, we have goals and destinations we are trying to get to. What are the bridges in our lives that help us to overcome seemingly unpassable or difficult obstacles?

For me it is using the gospel of Jesus Christ to help me keep a longer term perspective.

It is family and friends that reach their hands out and offer support during hard times.

It is the quiet whisperings of God and His spirit that comfort me and tell me that everything will be all right.

And there have been times that I thought my journey was in one direction only to hit the end of the trail and have to go a different way. Looking back I can see the things I learned and the beauty that I saw on those other roads.

In the end it was exactly what I needed.

Here are a few pictures of bridges I have taken through the years for you to enjoy!