Redeeming Love

 I have a confession, I covet. Yes, I know it's one of the commandments that we should not covet - but I do sometimes. I'm not perfect! Fortunately, I don't tend to look at things that other people have and want them either not to have them or for me to take those things. It has its limits. 

Mostly, I look forward to future things and future events so much so that my future self must be feeling pretty well envied. I constantly search rightmove.co.uk wishing we could buy a house right now; and I look for one with enough rooms for that family we don't-yet-have to fit in. 

My anxiety for the future means that sometimes I have to confess that I don't really live in the 'now'. There's always something to press forward for and while that motivates me, it's also a bit disheartening when you find that you are not moving at quite the pace you would like. This tendency toward impatience can be pretty tough to master and sometimes it impacts on others in my life - I want them to hurry the pace up too! 

It can also impact on my view of trials in my life as well. Trials sometimes make me feel like I'm in a running race - but my track is covered with sticky thick mud in places and when I'm trying desperately to make progress this is constantly impeded. This is so very unwelcome to me! 

This week, I went walking in the mud. It was a cold day and I put on my boots and I got out there. The mud was a lot muddier than I had anticipated - even once going all the way over my boot. It was difficult to see how I was ever going to get home without drowning, sinking, becoming exhausted or at the very least being covered in filth. 

But I had chosen the walk. Thinking about trials, the following scripture came to my mind: 

"...if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?" 

This scripture was part of a speech that a King gave to His subjects. Now, life might have been pretty good for the majority of them, but I would suggest that some of them at least were going through trials. They were wading through mud of their own; mud that was their fault or mud that was inflicted on them through the agency of another person.

Today, I realised that I love my life. I love the walk even with the mud around me. I can squelch cheerfully on. Life doesn't have to be perfect for you to be able to feel like you can 'sing the song of redeeming love'. In fact, sometimes it's the mud itself that makes you appreciate the exercise and the foliage and the daytime. Of course, it's lovely to walk over perfect lawns. In our times of ease it is great to enjoy the happiness that comes from not having to try so hard. When life seems challenging, how much more do we need to be able to say that we can smell the roses? Life doesn't have to be perfect to be entirely full of love and beauty. It's ok to be completely happy regardless of challenges.  

I'm so grateful for the strength that comes from grace and from the atonement that allows me to be hopeful without having to wish the present away.