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High
Expectations
As a parent of seven children, we have
spent a considerable amount of time in disciplining our children. When they were really young, it was mostly
safety concerns. As they became older,
our time was spent teaching them what they could not do, especially to each
other. When they became teens, most of
our effort was put into encouraging them to do what was right. It was never easy to correct them, but it was
necessary. Now they are grown, it is
even harder to correct them and so we resort to encouraging them only when the
timing is right.
Because our
Heavenly Father has such high expectations for us (be ye therefore perfect) he
too spends whatever time is necessary to correct us, disciplining us to keep us safe, teach us what we cannot do
and encourage us to do what is right.
Sometimes we listen and obey like small children, other times, we
don’t listen to him like teenagers who
think they know everything, he simply wanted to tell us and warn us of dangers
up ahead. Now that I am older, I see how
he has guided me throughout the years, yet at the time I sometimes resented the
very things that helped me the most.
Being chastised! It hurts, the
Holy Ghost knows how to make me feel awful inside. I wish I knew and understood the role of the
Holy Ghost better years ago. Oh what a blessing it has been to be chastised
over the years, to be warned and counseled.
Sometimes I
have felt like I have had difficult times even when I didn’t deserve them. I learned that I was being tried to see if I
would be patient and have faith. He
wanted to see if I would trust in him no matter what.
Being chewed
out by the Lord actually has great benefits.
Number one, it has persuaded me to repent. Number two, it has refined and sanctified me
and number three, it has redirected my course in life. After all, how to I know what is best for
me? My Heavenly Father knows all things,
and wants to keep me on that straight and narrow path.
Correction
can also come through others, especially those who are God inspired. Apostles,
prophets, patriarchs, bishops as well as parents can and must help correct
those they have stewardship over. Even a
spouse can and should gently correct when necessary. By chastening me he is actually steering my
future in the direction it needs to go, which I could not envision at the
time. As each trial passes and my faith
grows stronger I enjoy a special bond with the Lord. So now I can look back and see the course my
life has taken and it was for the good and I wish I had not resisted correction
along the path.
I will never
forget the day our first son was born and died.
Not only was it devastating, but I couldn’t see the future and thought I
would morn that baby all the days of my life.
John was no longer able to be deferred in the army because we did not
have children. He joined the Coast Guard
because the draft could have come any day and he would have had to fight in the
army during the Vietnam War. I thought
this was a terrible burden put upon us; he went to boot-camp then to some
special training on an island in New York.
I joined him there and had many testimony building experiences living
away from home. I lived alone 5 days out
of the week because he was only allowed to leave the base on weekends. It was a big growth experience in all areas of
my life. Now I can look back and see the
Lord’s hand in shaping me and teaching me to rely upon HIM.
The Lord
taught me something a few years ago that has helped me immensely, “stop
worrying about not being perfect and worry only about being perfectly
obedient.” That was profound to me
because I did worry all the time about not being perfect. I felt there was so much asked of me and I
just couldn’t do it all. This profound insight helped me get a grip on perfection
and it seems more attainable. This I
could do!
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