The Beginnings

I have always wanted to do a blog seriously, totally unsure of where this posting passion came from, but as yet have not been very successful. The point of this blog is to once again attempt at accomplishing this goal. Not that I have anything particularly interesting to say to the world, but I do hope to add something to it.

One thing that has been on my mind a lot lately has been the concept of charity. The prophet Moroni defines charity as "the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever..." (Moroni 7:47). I love the wording "endureth forever." When I think of the word "endure," it doesn't quite bring a positive image. Something that endures lasts despite of something negative or harsh beating against it, much like the ship enduring the storm, or the hiker enduring through the changing climates and steep climbs of the mountain. Yet always at the end of enduring, something beautiful emerges. Suddenly the long, hard trip is worth the work and the result is sweeter because of the struggle.

Lately I've been trying to improve my heart and be that charitable person I want to be. I find myself constantly breaking that desire with harsh judgments against those I meet, completely lacking that love which I thought I was gaining. Charity is not just a love that comes easily. It endureth through the harsh storms, whether those rains come from those hard-to-love people or from within your own hard heart. An enduring love lasts through everything that tests it. It is called the love of Christ because Jesus Christ's love for us was tested to the most gruesome level, endured through the most bitter persecutions, yet he still remained true to His mission and love. His love was perfect and unyielding to all that tried to tear it down. It never wavered. Christ showed true charity even to those who spit upon Him, flogged Him, and crucified Him. Never were His thoughts turned inwardly, but always outwardly to those He was enduring all of this for.

I know I can never amount to the perfection of the Savior in this life, but He certainly gave me the gift to know what true love is like. When I am harsh on others or myself, I know how powerful God's love is. It doesn't matter how bad I screw up sometimes, or how cruel the world can seem to be to each other; the Lord loves them and me more than I could ever understand. He suffered so that, someday, all tears will be wiped away and all sorrows forgotten (Isaiah 25:8). He did that for all of us. I want to remember this the next time someone speaks to me grumpily, or seemingly never remembers to put their dishes into the dishwasher, or when I beat myself up about something I wish I could have done better. We are all here on this earth together, all facing different struggles, experiencing sorrows that makes our own hearts break. What makes my sorrow any more important than another's? Christ loves me as much as He does anyone else, and He wants all to be comforted and happy through His grace and love.

Gaining charity, this enduring love of Christ, could possibly take me a lifetime to fully grasp, but I want to move a step closer every day that I can. It is only when I work towards this that I truly feel happy. Living the commandments of God is an enduring happiness and I am so grateful for this blessing in my life.