A TRUE FRIEND

I have had many friends in my lifetime. Some came and left with the wind, and others have stayed to bring me joy throughout my life. There are those whom I have kept in close contact with over the years, but many were lost through distance and time. There is one true friend I will always have and I would like to tell you about him.

This friend knows everything that will bring me joy.  When I am sad, alone or feel that I have no one, he is always the first one to come and calm my troubled heart. He comes not to edify himself, but to take away my burdens and bring me comfort. I can share my dreams, my goals and the desires of my heart, for he is the inspiration behind my success. 

I can tell him my deepest secrets and I know they are safe, for he will never tell another. In fact, he is willing to listen to all my troubles, I share the joys and sadness in my heart and I am never turned away. When I have offended my dear friend, I ask him for forgiveness.  I am forgiven without question and no harsh words are used to condemn me.  You see, he loves me unconditionally!

There are times when I am selfish or preoccupied within myself and I have forgotten my friend. The days pass by until there is a tragedy in my life and I am in desperate need of his comfort. Embarrassed and ashamed from my neglect, I call out his name, Jehovah. I am afraid that he has gone away, but the truth is, he is waiting for me to return. When I ask for forgiveness for that which I have done, he forgives me before I have even forgiven myself!  I am never punished for my mistakes or imperfections, for he promised to carry all my burdens and take upon himself even the sins I have committed! I am amazed at his unfailing love.

He has taught me to be humble and how to love others through the perfect example of his devotion to me. He gave me the gift of eternal life and he said, "I have prepared a place for you in my Father's kingdom." He is so loyal to me that he was willing to sacrifice everything for my happiness and my well being. I want to be deserving of this wonderful gift.

His love for me is eternal and to prove this love, he suffered for my sins.  He was willing to take all my beatings, for every wrong doing in this life!  In fact, he gave his life for me when he died a humiliating and painful death upon the cross. Can you imagine such a friend, one who would give their life for you? The only way I have to show my gratitude, for his divine sacrifice, is to live according to his love.

I hope I will alway be the true friend to Him, that he is to me.  For a good friend overlooks your broken down fence and admires the flowers in your garden. A good friend lifts you up when you have fallen and without hesitation, they carry the burdens of your heavy load. They are those who encourage you to learn from your imperfections and constantly inspirer you to magnify your true potential. A true friend looks deep into their heart to find the perfect you. For you see, a true friend believes in you when you cease to believe in yourself.  Written by Linda Sumner Urza for: onefineday11.blogspot.com        

        

WHICH ONE ARE YOU?

The chef's daughter complained to him that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling through one problem after the next and the trials were weighing her down.  She explained to her father, as one problem was solved, another one would take its place.

Her father took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each one on a high burner. Once the three pots began to boil, he placed a potato in one pot, an egg in the second pot and a cinnamon stick in the third. He let them boil without saying a word to his daughter. The daughter moaned and waited impatiently while they watched the pots boil.

After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potato out of the pot and placed it on the counter. He took the egg out of the hot water and placed it next to the potato. He then took the cinnamon stick out and laid it next to the other two items. Turning to his daughter he asked, “What do you see?”

“A potato, an egg and a cinnamon stick,” she impatiently replied.

“What has happened to the potato," he asked? 

She picked up the potato and noticed that it was soft, mushy and began to fall apart. He then asked her to break open the egg. She pulled off the shell and observed the hardness of the solid mass. Finally, he placed the cinnamon stick next to the egg and potato.  He then asked her to sip the rich flavor of the cinnamon water and this savory liquid brought a pleasant smile to face. 

“Father, I don't understand, what does this mean?” 

He then explained that the potato, the egg and cinnamon stick had each faced the same adversity of the fire and boiling water; however, each one reacted completely different. The potato went in the water strong, hard, and solid, but when exposed to the elements of fire and water, it became soft, weak and fell into pieces. The egg was extremely fragile before it was placed in the water.  Its thin outer shell protected the soft interior, but when exposed to the elements of heat and water, the inside had become extremely hard. However, the cinnamon stick was unique.  Although it was exposed to the very same elements as the other items, it had completely change its environment!  The moment it was placed in the water, the cinnamon stick immediately began to create something new and wonderful.  It did not change or compromise its shape or characteristic, rather it changed the surrounding elements. The air and water were filled with a delightful and savory aroma of cinnamon that was impossible to resist.

“Which are you,”  The father asked his daughter?

"When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you the potato that becomes soft and falls to pieces, or perhaps you are the egg that becomes hard in the center and eventually turns cold, or are you the sweet and savory cinnamon stick that will change all the elements that are surrounding you?" 

In life, things happen around us, things happen to us, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us. When we develop a strong character from within, remaining constant and steady, we begin to develop the ability to change the very elements around us.  These characteristics pull others into our center of influence and much like the cinnamon stick, we emulate a delightful presence that is hard to resist.  By, Linda Sumner Urza, One fine day.

DESTINY OVER TRAGEDY

We knew before we were born that we were coming to the earth to gain a physical body. We knew through the experiences of life that we would have joys and sorrows, ease and pain, comforts and hardships, health and sickness, successes and disappointments. We also knew that we would be subject to the perils of an earthly life and even though we knew these trials would be difficult, we accepted all these eventualities (both the favorable and the unfavorable) with an open heart.

We were willing to accept life as it unfolds and confident that we could have the power to overcome whatever prevails. Now that we are here and the memory of a preexistent life has been sealed, it's more challenging than we presumed. We knew that we would be tried and tested to the depth of our moral character and integrity, but we also knew that we possessed the strength to overcome any and all opposition placed before us. I believe we were not concerned if we should die of disease, of accident or of old age, for we knew that God's plan provided an opportunity for eternal life with a perfect physical state.

  

This is a life of destiny. We are destined to become the full measure of our potential within our own creation.  The obstacles placed before us pay tribute to our wisdom, strengths, and abilities to overcome. There are many who would like to blame God for the trials that take place in this life. If God were to shield us from all the events, there would be no purpose for an earthly experience and definitely no opportunities for personal growth. 

When bad things happen to good people.

Plane crashes into the mountainside and kills 97 people; there were no survivors. The voices cry out, "How could the Lord do such a thing?"  Yet the Lord didn't direct the plane into the mountainside; it was later determined that the accident was caused by mechanical failure and human error. 

Family of six, killed in an automobile accident.  The crowd murmured, "Why would God let such a terrible thing happen?"  Heavenly Father didn't cause the accident that sent this family into the eternities, it was the negligence of a young driver who failed to yield at a stop sign.   

We are not puppets suspended by the strings that dangle from heaven. We are in this life by our own free will and we are subject to a myriad of experiences and events as they unfold. God will not force us to be careful or to be righteous; that would nullify the fundamental laws of God and interfere with our agency to choose for ourselves. 

In this life, we are subject to the events that surround us, whether good or bad, these experiences show our spiritual capabilities, self mastery and provide direction for personal growth.  Our individual choices bring about many of the events in our lives and they allow us the opportunity to learn and to progress.

A wise parent knows not to shield a child from the disappointments, temptations, sorrows, and suffering.  A wise parent understands that a child must be held accountable for their choices and their actions, for where there is no accountability there is no conscience.  A wise parent allows a child to experience trials in order to develop the personal wisdom and strength to rise above them. Opposition provides a way for us to attain noble characteristics: responsibility to achieve success, hard work to develop good values, sorrow to teach compassion and temptations to test our level of integrity. Without the gift of opposition, I am afraid we wouldn't amount to much of anything! 

Yes, sometimes bad things happen to good people! These experiences allow us to prove our personal fortitude, depth of compassion, level of intelligence, amount of courage, sense of character, moral integrity, sincerity, honesty, loyalty, trust and so on.  Opposition is the only way to measure the worth of a soul and it defines the level of immortal greatness within each mortal being. By Linda Sumner Urza, One fine day.