There come times when the normal repetition of life suddenly changes. Maybe you lose a job, or you have a shiny new offer letter. Maybe a family member gets sick, or a family member gets better. Maybe you can't handle one more sun-blasted summer or your spouse can't handle one more long winter. Maybe you are tired of your community's culture or just feel in your bones that you need to move and you have no idea why.
Suddenly, the hum-drum rhythm of life has become a cacophony of seemingly endless to-do lists and attempts to rack my brain for anything I'm forgetting. We are selling off unnecessary items so we don't have to move them, working on insurance changes, figuring out our new living accommodations, etc. Essentially, we are running around helter-skelter realizing we have way less time to do everything that we expected.
I've realized that an important aspect of this change is my attitude toward the change itself. Though I have no love for packing (hence why I'm not an avid camper despite loving the outdoors), I believe I'm mostly taking things in stride so far. Yet I can't stop thinking about a few verses of scripture in our current situation.
First, the example of Nephi from 1 Nephi 17:7-9
"And it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had been in the land of Bountiful for the space of many days, the voice of the Lord came unto me, saying: Arise, and get thee into the mountain. And it came to pass that I arose and went up into the mountain, and cried unto the Lord.
"And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters.
"And I said: Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore?"Nephi heard the Lord and acted on what he was specifically instructed to do. Then he heard the Lord again, and asked how he was to accomplish what God was asking him to do.
Alternatively, Laman and Lemuel did not handle the situation the same way, as seen in 1 Nephi 17:17 & 15:9
"And when my brethren saw that I was about to build a ship, they began to murmur against me, saying: Our brother is a fool, for he thinketh that he can build a ship; yea, and he also thinketh that he can cross these great waters."
"We have not [inquired of the Lord], for the Lord maketh no such thing known to us."Nephi, Laman, and Lemuel eventually all left Bountiful to journey across the ocean to their promised land, and they all went in the same ship. However, they went with their hearts in very different places.
I'm finding that I have the same choice. It is time for our family to prepare to relocate, and I determine my own attitude. I can look forward with optimism and faith, or with dissatisfaction, anger, and sloth. To me, the key to keeping the right perspective is trying to stay close to God. To do so, I'm studying the scriptures, praying, and going to the temple often.
And I believe God will take care of me, just as He always has.
