FREE to be Me ...

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Valiant Faith

I had kind of a crazy weekend. Lots of fun mixed with some new experiences. I went down to Salt Lake to visit a good friend and celebrate her 26th birthday. (Are we really that old? hahaha) I guess I kind of rediscovered what a great friend really is.

During our fabulously anticipated girls-night-out we found ourselves in a place that was altogether new to me. And as much as I had looked forward to the events of the evening, I suddenly felt horribly uncomfortable and out of place. It's a strange thing to be so ill at ease around my closest friends, but I distinctly felt a lack of the spirit. I regret to inform you that I did nothing to remedy the situation. We left a little earlier than planned, for no particular reason, and went on to have an excellent time. I mean, what's better than eating at Dee's with your buddies at 3 o' clock in the morning? :) After this yummy breakfast, some games at someones apartment, and lots of laughs we zonked out around 6 am. I know... we're crazy, but what is life without a little silly adventure now and then?

Waking up a few hours later was all kind of a blur as we packed our stuff and got ready for a new day. Back to the real world! One of us even had to be at work by 6 am and never went to sleep at all. (Hope that went okay for you there buddy - Thanks for your sacrifice and hanging out with us. Wouldn't have been the same without ya.) Anyway, three of us carpooled for the ride home and kept each other awake.

We began to chat, as good friends do on a road trip. About  memories of the past, about our lives at the moment and about nothing at all. (And of course we had 98 degrees, Spice Girls, and Glee music playing in the background for good times sake.hahaha) Like our breakfast at Dee's, this is the kind of time we enjoyed best of all.

Well, time marches on and Sunday morning dawns. I was blessed with a nice long morning to catch up on sleep, then my hubby and I were off to church at 1:00. Made it through sacrament meeting and finally got in tune with what was going on during Sunday School. The Stake Pres. was in attendance at our ward so we had some extra insights and a good meeting. It was in Relief Society that everything kind of came together for me --- a lesson truly learned.

Just being there (and a lot of the points of the lesson) got me thinking about how completely opposite that feeling is from the way I felt the previous night. I was not uncomfortable here, I was not out of place, and I most certainly felt the spirit present. As I made this connection I had a twinge of guilt about acting one way on the weekend and still being abundantly blessed with the spirit at church. I guess I kind of felt like a hypocrite. Not that I had acted negatively or been a different person throughout our activities, because I was the same inside all along - It was that I had not acted positively either. To someone who did not know the person I am inside, it would not have been clear what I believe in. I had left the lines rather grey and smudgy with my lack of doing.

Well, it's a good thing for Sundays because I found the inspiration I needed to set things straight. I was able to write each of my friends a little note. I felt like I had let them down and owed them an apology. It was a little tricky,  but I knew they all felt the same things to some degree, and I wanted them to know what I had learned --- Very humbling experience to try to put all of that into words. I came to find out that true friends will not second guess or criticize, but will support you in things like this.
 
I found a talk by Elder Bruce R. Mconkie called Be Valiant in the Fight of Faith. It expresses a lot of the principles I encountered this weekend. Here are a few of my favorite quotes

As members of the Church, we are engaged in a mighty conflict. We are at war. We have enlisted in the cause of Christ to fight against Lucifer and all that is lustful and carnal and evil in the world. We have sworn to fight alongside our friends and against our enemies, and we must not be confused in distinguishing friends from foes. As another of our ancient fellow apostles wrote: “Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

Now there neither are nor can be any neutrals in this war. Every member of the Church is on one side or the other. In this war all who do not stand forth courageously and valiantly are by that fact alone aiding the cause of the enemy. “They who are not for me are against me, saith our God.”

We are either for the Church or we are against it. We either take its part or we take the consequences. We cannot survive spiritually with one foot in the Church and the other in the world. We must make the choice. It is either the Church or the world. There is no middle ground. And the Lord loves a courageous man who fights openly and boldly in his army.

“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
“So then because thou art lukewarm, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” 
Members of the Church who have testimonies and who live clean and upright lives, but who are not courageous and valiant, do not gain the celestial kingdom. Theirs is a terrestrial inheritance. Of them the revelation says, “These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus; wherefore, they obtain not the crown in the kingdom of God."

I am grateful for the ways in which God gently reminds me of divine truth. I know He lives and is ever present in our lives. And as I promised those who were there that I would be a better friend, I promise my Heavenly Father that I will be more valiant. 

VALIANT FAITH (click here to listen)
To many people are just sliding by
Plugged into the world missing the meaning of life
But I was born to be a warrior of light
With faith to move mountains and the power of god filling my life

Chorus:
I wanna live my life with honor and faith
I wanna return to his arms unashamed
It’s not enough for me to live it halfway
I’ll follow him fearlessly all of my days
I will live with valiant faith

I live for ages
I have prepare for this life
I won’t be confused and cross to the enemy’s side
I am guarded with power and truth
Siding with God he’s pouring out blessings in all that I do

Chorus:
I wanna lve my life with honor and faith
I wanna return to his arms unashamed
It's not enough for me to live it halfway
I'll follow him fearlessly all of my days
I will live with valiant faith.

Valiantly, fearlessly, fighting for the mighty king
posted by Jake and RaNette Free at 7:57 AM

1 Comments:

This is an awesome post Nette. :) It has spoken to me very much. You won't ever know how much it means to me. :) I hope you know that you never have to be afraid to speak up with me. If ever you are uncomfortable at all, I will be more than willing to make sure that you are. :) I love you girl.

March 1, 2011 at 9:30 AM  

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