A Diamond in the Rough





I have learned so much in the four months that I have been out serving a mission. But the thing that I have gained the biggest testimony of is that life is a process of becoming. That is the whole reason for this life. We were sent here to have experiences, to go through trials, to learn; all so that we could become like our Father in Heaven.

Now He didn't just leave us here to figure it out on our own. He created a plan and sent His son to show us the way, because He loves us. He wants us to make it back and to become like Him. In fact it is His whole "work and glory" (Moses 1:39)

In order for Him to mold us into the masterpiece He knows we can become, we have to let Him. We have to give up our thoughts, plans, and desires. We have to give our ALL.

"Give me ALL. I don't want SO much of your time, SO much of your talents and money, and SO much of your work: I want YOU. ALL of you. I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man, but to kill it. No half-measures will do. I don't want to only prune a branch here and another there; rather, I want the whole tree out. Hand it ALL over to me, the whole outfit, ALL of your desires, ALL of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them ALL over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart." -C.S. Lewis

I know that is true. I am just a diamond in the rough but through diligence, obedience, faith, patience, and lots of hard work. I can be who He wants me to be. And who I want to become.



A Better Plan

I am excited for the new year. I have recently been reflecting on how much can change in just a year and how much I have changed in this past year. It has been full of ups and downs but it has taught me what is important and what I want to do with my life.

One year ago, I was a senior in high school, focused on nothing else but myself and the future I thought was what I wanted. I was caught up in A.P. classes and college courses. I still didn't even know where I was going to go to college yet, just that it was important and I had to start making decisions. We had a college day at school and I remember praying so hard all day for help in knowing where I should apply and what I should do. After going to several different presentations about colleges, I felt that I finally figured out my life. I was going to go to Utah State and it was going to be perfect. Everything then became centered around the next scholarship application that was due that week. I felt like my prayers were answered and it was all set and ready to go.

Little did I know that Heavenly Father had a bigger and better plan for me. The day after I had my huge breakthrough on my "brilliant" life plans, was the October General Conference. In which the age for missionaries was lowered. Which meant for me that I could go on a mission right after the summer I graduated high school. I wish I could say my first thought was ok never mind, let's drop everything a mission is more important and that is what I will do. But it wasn't.

I was so confused. I thought I had the "perfect" life planned out and I had felt so good about it. That was my answer, that was what I was going to do! I always thought growing up that I would be this amazing person that would always put God first and that I'd have no problem, it would be easy. But now that I was faced with the choice, could I really throw it all on the back burner? Did I love Him enough to leave all I knew behind to serve a bunch of people that I didn't even know?

I did know things happened for a reason, of that I had a strong testimony of, so why would it be different now? I decided that it wasn't, Heavenly Father's timing is always best. Even though I couldn't see the bigger picture I knew that He could. So I prayed for help and I knew that a misson was the true answer to my prayers.

Now a year later I am so glad for my decision to serve a mission. It has made me so much more than I would have been had I stuck to my plan instead of His. I know that Heavenly Father is in control and that He knows what He is doing. I am excited for this year because it will be an entire year that I can focus on Christ. A year away from the world. A year to lose myself in the work so that I can find the Me He wants me to be.