symphony

I read this today (read: found it blog stalking) and thought it too beautiful and poignant not to share. (Plus it may or may or may not have been something I personally needed to hear.)

"Some are lost because they are different. They feel as though they don’t belong. Perhaps because they are different, they find themselves slipping away from the flock. They may look, act, think, and speak differently than those around them and that sometimes causes them to assume they don’t fit in. They conclude that they are not needed.

Tied to this misconception is the erroneous belief that all members of the Church should look, talk, and be alike. The Lord did not people the earth with a vibrant orchestra of personalities only to value the piccolos of the world. Every instrument is precious and adds to the complex beauty of the symphony. All of Heavenly Father’s children are different in some degree, yet each has his own beautiful sound that adds depth and richness to the whole.

This variety of creation itself is a testament of how the Lord values all His children. He does not esteem one flesh above another, but He “inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; . . . all are alike unto God.”



. . .Brothers and sisters, if only we had more compassion for those who are different from us, it would lighten many of the problems and sorrows in the world today. It would certainly make our families and the Church a more hallowed and heavenly place."



-Joseph B Wirthlin

have a little faith

Recently I had an epiphany of sorts. All surrounding a five letter word. Faith. For most we associate faith with religion-and whether or not we believe in some form of Deity. But faith comes in all forms, and it’s something I think it’s safe to say we all struggle with in some degree.

I have never struggled with faith in regards to my religion. I know what I believe is true; I know that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me and blesses my life. I have known this from a very early age and have never wavered. Some people say I blindly follow, but to them I simply say “you don’t have to look for something you already know.” In this regard my faith is as easy as breathing. 

Where I struggle with this little word is having faith in others. There have been a lot of circumstances that have shaped me and made me who I am. Some are good, and some not so much. I am no longer bright-eyed and in love with the world; but rather I am cynical, angry, and distrusting towards that same world I once loved. Because of this I am very much a “if you want something done (not necessarily right, just done), you need to do it yourself.” Because of being burned before I always prefer to do things myself; that way I know it’s done and done the way I want it/need it to be. 

Because of my experiences I have a hard time having faith in people and their ability to follow through with what they say they will do, or asking for help because I don’t trust people to do what they say. Although I WANT to believe they will come through, more often than not I find myself expecting the “inevitable” and not being surprised when people do let me down. Yes, I understand what you put out to the Universe is what you get in return, but this is just something I’m really struggling with. I WANT to be that person who trusts people at their word rather than looking at it with skepticism and setting people up to fail before they've even begun.

How does one regain faith in people? Because I’ll admit, I have none.