Over the course of my recovery, one of the greatest lessons I have had to learn time and time again, is that one of the keys to recovery is understanding who I am. Divine nature, the knowledge that I truly am a spiritual child of a loving God, is so important to overcoming trials in life. It is a lesson that I have had to learn and re-learn and remember often. Recently while looking for a spiritual lift at work, I ran across a short video on the Mormon Channel that perfectly expounds on this topic and I wanted to share it here.
The excerpt is from a talk by Elder Nelson given at General Conference in April 2012, titled; Thanks Be To God
I know that I am a child of God. I know that as I come closer to him, he will give me greater strength to overcome my trials and move forward. This is true for each and every one of us. He loves us and wants to be in our lives, we just have to invite him in.
~~~ Tim
I loved this video. I watched it the other day. Thank you for reminding me. Our bodies truly are amazing gifts from God and proof that He loves us.
ReplyDeleteHey man - what do you do to help you remember these things, and what things have helped these truths sink deeper inside? This is just an area that I've never really felt strongly about...
ReplyDeleteIt is hard, Nate. I still struggle with understanding and truly believing this all the time. In fact part of the reason this video touched me was that it helped me remember, at least for a little while.
DeleteHere are a few things I have done to help have a greater testimony of this concept.
1. Read my Patriarchal Blessing often. In the LDSARP manual, one of the action steps specifically mentions to read and study your patriarchal blessing often to see the many blessings that Lord has given. It has helped me a ton. I put a copy of mine in the bag I take to church and try to read it at least once a month, usually on fast Sunday.
2. I asked my Bishop for a Priesthood blessing specifically to better help me understand and have a greater testimony of who I am and of my worth. In the blessing he said something I will never forget. He said my link to my Heavenly Father is not like a pedigree chart with lines and columns showing generations of ancestry but rather it is a single line from me to him for he truly is my Father. As he spoke the words an image popped into my head illustrating this concept. It was a great experience and one I remind myself of often.
3. I asked my Bishop and many other friends, recovery buddies for books and talks that help them understand their worth.
Its still a struggle at times and I have days I don't believe I have value, but I feel my testimony has grown a lot by actively working at it.
Thanks buddy - I appreciate the advice... sounds like you've had some good experiences. Best of luck to us both.
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