Joy in the Journey

I attended the 2008 BYU Womens Conference and heard President Thomas S. Monson give this talk, "Joy in the Journey."  Last night I read it from the 2008 WC book I purchased in April while at the 2009 WC.  I had forgotten how amazing his talk was, and I was doubly amazed at how much it pertained to all the things the Lord has taught me this year.  It's not a long talk, well worth taking some time to read it.  If you are feeling overwhelmed, you can get comfort and counsel from our loving prophet.

Here are some of the things that really stood out for me.  First of all he praises us for all that we do.  "You are sensitive and selfless.  You are nurturers; you are compassionate.  You genuinely care about others, and you form strong relationships.  You love and forgive.  With good hearts and willing hands,you make a real difference in the lives of others."

He said each of us is living a life filled with much to do.  "I plead with you not to let the important things in life pass you by, planning instead for that illusive and non-existent future day when you'll have time to do all that you want to do.  Instead find joy in the journey--now."

He talked about a man who's wife had just passed away who was talking to a friend and said he had found an article of clothing she'd purchased on a trip that sat in her drawer for nine years waiting for that special occasion to wear it.  Now that occasion would never come.  The friend said that had a huge impact on her life.  She started using crystal glasses every day and wore new clothes to the supermarket if she wanted to, she spent more time with family and friends.  She said she would wake up every day and say "this could be a special day.  Each day, each hour, each minute, is special."

President Monson says, "If you do something that turns out not quite as you had planned, you can almost always put it right, get over it, learn from it.  But once you've missed out on something, it's gone."

"...the class you never took, the relative with whom you never became close, the friend you didn't call, the thanks you didn't express, the dress you didn't buy, the soccer game you missed."  He said,  "Try and keep the list as short as possible."

"Send that note...give your child a compliment and a hug; say, 'I love you' more; always express your thanks.  Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved...it's so easy to take others for granted, until that day when they're gone from our lives and we are left with feelings of 'what if' and 'if only.'"

He tells some good stories in this talk, and he does not leave out the fact that, "our mortal life...was never meant to be easy or consistently pleasant.  Our Heavenly Father, who gives us so much to delight in, also knows that we learn and grow and become refined through hard challenges, heartbreaking sorrows, and difficult choices....no matter how carefully we plan our lives, we cannot avoid all the storms that come our way...Only the Master knows the depth of our trials, our pain and our suffering.  He alone offers us eternal peace in times of adversity..."

He said we sisters often feel inadequate and ineffective because we can't do all that we feel we should.  "Rather than continually dwelling on what still needs to be done, pause occasionally and reflect on all that you do and have done.  It is most significant.  The good you have done, the kind words you have spoken, the love you have shown to others, can never be fully measured."

One of my dear friends gave me a mug last year for Christmas.  I got it out Saturday to drink some herbal tea for a sore throat.  It's a clear mug on which she painted little flowers and a saying that says,

"Life isn't just about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself!"

Even in spite of challenges, trials, heartaches, sorrows and suffering...we can create a joyful life for our self and others in the small moments, creating special occasions everyday in every way that we can.  We just need to slow down a bit, so we can actually see the scenery as it goes by!

And remember to actually do it.