There is a question in this week’s Come Follow Me study that asks, “When have you felt the Lord soften your heart so you could more willingly accept His direction and counsel?”
Right away I thought of a recent situation where I was feeling wronged by two different people. Two completely different situations, but wronged in similar ways. My heart felt cold and hard, and I was hurting. I hate this feeling! It spills over into all of my life. It makes me less of a better mother, less of a good friend, less of a productive employee. It just makes me less when I want to be more.
So I began pondering it, trying to figure out how to get over it or solve it. I kept trying to figure out how I could make it right and get rid of those awful feelings in my heart. Eventually (as is always the case), all of my trying to figure things out lead to me asking my Heavenly Father for help in prayer.
I prayed and asked for forgiveness of my pain and selfishness and then began to plead for help. I am always amazed at how merciful our Lord is when I simply explain to Him that I want to have a kind and gentle heart, one where love can abide. Then I asked Him what I needed to do to get it.
His response was simple. It was that I needed to love them both more, love them the way that He loves them, see them as He sees them, have more charity and understanding for them. This was hard for me to hear. I felt that both of them had hurt me in very painful ways when I had only been kind and loving toward them – how was I supposed to love them more?
I didn’t actually ask the Lord how I was supposed to do it. I just cried and said ‘okay’ and moved forward believing that if He wanted me to do this, then He would help me be able to do it. And He did; my heart went soft.
He continues to help me with this. It’s not perfect. I’m not perfect. But when I find my heart trying to grow cold on me towards either of them, I remember this incident and His counsel.
I am so grateful for my Savior’s kindness and willingness to help me, for His guidance and direction in my life.
Forever grateful!
