Rewards from Waiting

Day 255

There were some wonderful things about the day. A dinner with friends. I miss Sunday dinners with friends. And it's nice to not have to do any cooking once in a while. To just relax in company I enjoy and truly feel like I'm rejuvenating instead of stressing.

But even bigger than that--I was happy and contented all. day. long. No roller coaster of ups and downs. No beating myself relentlessly for not being and doing better. No headaches (major anyhow) to keep me from being open and social. Happiness throughout. It's been a long time since I've had that on the Sabbath, and I loved having it again. I'm not sure if I can say that this is the cause or the effect (perhaps it's both) of the new goal I have set for myself for the rest of the year:

I am going to couple the love that I already have for the branch members with actually enjoying being around them (as I tend to have an occasional Mr. Darcy-annoyed-with-practically-everyone personality trait).

Whatever the case, I'm glad that I enjoyed who I was around at least today. One day at a time, right?

Well, there were also two especially great things today which are more special because they came after yesterday's enlightening lessons and revelations.

First, I decided to stand up and fight back, in the non-revenge sense. This was something I thought before Church, and then the included scripture was shared in a talk in Sacrament meeting. I thought that was neat and not coincidental, so I'm sharing:

I refuse to be a dartboard any longer.

"And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction." -1 Nephi 15:24

And then later there was the CES Fireside with Elder Scott speaking. I love our Apostles. And I feel a special connection to Elder Scott ever since he came and spoke to my stake a year and a half ago. (He told me I had a beautiful smile, and that still means so much to me.) The Fireside and the message he had to share came at such a perfect time for me. I was ready to receive it with the proper attitude, open heart, and ability to smile at it instead of getting depressed about it. (The topic was, as they usually are for ~every 1 in 3 CES Firesides, marriage--and family.) Plus, it was delivered as only Elder Scott can deliver. And I loved every bit of it. It was wonderful and timely and something that me happy and and hopeful. Which I think I've needed of late.

I've needed all of this of late, and I'm grateful I was blessed with it.