I've had a very eventful month. I started a new job, which I adore! But it's been a huge transition for me to go from nannying at home to working seven hour shifts on my feet. My body's had some adjusting to do.
My heart has also had some adjusting to do. A very significant relationship ended last week and I've been slowly coming to terms with it. And when I say coming to terms, I mean lots of peppermint ice cream and naps. Haha! I've also caught the cold that's been going around our house.
So with all of these things combined, when it came time to go to work yesterday, I wasn't very enthusiastic. I knew I'd love work once I got there, but I also knew it would be difficult because I was so exhausted. I gave myself time to rest in bed for a while, and then (not for the first time, nor the last I'm sure) I said a desperate prayer for strength. And absolutely nothing happened.
You see, I've learned a very important lesson this month. No matter how exhausted I feel, my prayers for strength aren't answered while I'm still in my bed or on the couch. They are answered when I'm on my feet and doing my best to work hard.
When I prayed on my feet at work, my exhaustion was taken away almost instantly. Our Father's love and grace is incredible, but He often requires us to do our part before He can do His. God helps those who help themselves. And I've never really understood that until now.
To some, it may seem unfair that we're required to work. It often feels like life should just be easy. But I've been studying the topic of work a lot lately and I came across this incredible quote by Bishop H. David Burton:
“Today, many have forgotten the value of work. Some falsely believe that the highest goal in life is to achieve a condition in which one no longer needs to work. President David O. McKay (1873–1970) was fond of saying, “Let us realize that the privilege to work is a gift, that power to work is a blessing, that love of work is success.””
That quote really hit home with me, as did this one:
“Work is an antidote for anxiety, an ointment for sorrow, and a doorway to possibility. Whatever our circumstances in life, my dear brethren, let us do the best we can and cultivate a reputation for excellence in all that we do. Let us set our minds and bodies to the glorious opportunity for work that each new day presents.” - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
It's true. I never thought I'd believe it, but it's absolutely true. After working last night, I came home feeling fulfilled and invigorated and alive. And I woke up this morning with more motivation than I've had in days. I had a few days off, and I think it was the idle time that allowed me to feel so depressed and exhausted. My sister Jessi always says that you need to use energy in order to get more. That's a very real, remarkable principle.
It's strange, but I feel that it's in my times of trial that I'm closest to my Savior and my Father in Heaven. I've heard many of you say the same. And in the end, I'm always grateful for the sorrow that brought me closer to them, because I know it's exactly what I needed. And indeed, this week has been exactly what I needed.
Life is hard, and that's exactly how it's supposed to be. I'm grateful for it. And I'm so grateful for the gospel and my relationship with my Savior and Eternal Father. I love you all!
Bonnie Gwyn
The days when I have the most to do at work are the days that go by the most quickly and leave me feeling the most worthwhile. It's the days that are kind of slow and I don't have much to show for my time that leave me feeling deflated and a little depressed. I also have a colleague who is well past retirement age, but insists he's in no hurry to retire because most of the friends he knows who retired died within a few years because they had nothing to "keep going" for. Like it or not, we need work of some kind. And yes, Heavenly Father follows the rules of physics, too, and an object in motion is easier to keep going and/or to get to move in a different direction.
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