Common Topics

The subject of both growth and mercy seems to be big topics in not only my blog, but also the blog of a dear friend of mine. I get to thinking about these topics and think about all the wonderful opportunities we have to grow from the struggles of day to day life. Even upon the most dreadful things that we are forced to over come and learn from , with each struggle comes those two same things , growth and mercy.

Our Father in heaven , and His son Jesus Christ are always there for us, one pleading the cause the other helping us along, both with the same out come in mind, They sit upon there holy thrones and hope that we as children of God will make the correct choice to help someone, or show compassion on another, or follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit, hopefully strive to follow the commandments to the tee. I can't say for sure, because I haven't yet sat and talked to God the Father, but I am pretty sure that when we don't do the things that we should be doing, it hurts Him. In Genesis 6:6 it states " And it repented the Lord that He had made man on Earth, and it grieved Him at His heart " And this was at the time of Noah, can you imagine. He already knows what the future looks like and here we are in the infancy stage of humanity and already He is suffering from our iniquities!

As I thought about that point of view, and it made my struggles seem a little less huge! I want to understand my Father in Heaven enough to know before I do something that might grieve Him to His heart, that I choose not too. That, for some, can mean a little changing to be better, for other, a large need of improvement. Either way we all need to aspire to be Christ like and that's why we have things like growth and mercy, and honestly we can't make it without them.

The growth aspect for me is evident in ever choice I make and this applies to all. We all choose to look at things any way we see fit, our agency was a gift for just this purpose. I try my best , and not always do, but I try to look at challenges as a spiritual stepping stone, for every step that requires a struggle, is just one more step towards righteousness. And without His tender mercy we would never make it out of bed in the morning. I can't even tell you how many times I have fallen short, and although I struggle, His tender mercy allows me to grow from those struggles and pick my self back up, the Savior stretching out His hand and offering the mercy of forgiveness, and no matter how great or small, repentance is always there for us. Something that is definitely a mercy from God himself and not to be procrastinated, "do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the the end" Alma 34:33.

Both of these gift are wonderful to have in our lives! We are all so fortunate to have a Father in Heaven that can look down upon us with love and knowing all that has transpired in our lives from day to day, even those things that grieve Him to his heart, can show us how to grow and share His infinite mercy. When I can read a passage out of the scriptures that tells me that God's feelings were hurt or that He wept, it truly makes it all the more possible to view him as He was intended to be seen ...............as a Father.