As much as I complain about my Priesthood Quorum and the associations with the "nearly dead", occasionally there are gems of truth that jump out at me, slap me up the side of the head, and just prick my soul in a unique way.
Here's yesterday's:
"... you don't have to be good, you just have to be available..."
In the context given I interpreted that as meaning:
"... we don't have to be the best, we don't have to be perfect in all that we do, we must instead by open to the spirit and be willing to do the Lord's will and serve in ways that he would have us do - being available to him - and who knows the potential of what can happen from there, helping us to be more fully developed..."
I like that. Maybe these old buggers know more than I think they do.
Or, in the context of this blog...
"... we don't have to be perfect in managing and dealing with our temptations of gayness, we just have to be available to allow the spirit to work within us..."
I like the way I've marked the famously quoted verse the Lord says at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:48), where I superimpose the words of the footnote in for the word "perfect" to read:
"Ye are therefore commanded to be complete, finished, and fully developed, even as your Father which is in heaven is complete, finished and fully developed."
Now, it's one thing to be pricked by the spirit and slapped in the head. It's another thing to DO something about it... :)
3 comments:
I suggest that it means: "perfecting" or "completing, finishing, developing." One day at a time. Matt 7:33-34: "Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on his righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Jerusalem Bible Translation) We don't have to be perfect NOW. Its not where you are that counts, but where you are headed. Better to be one foot from Hell headed towards Heaven than one foot from Heaven headed towards Hell.
The other part of being available has to do with giving time and being available for assignments. I didn't use to struggle with this, but with each passing year, my time has become more precious. I've also been having a problem with the church requiring a social aspect of my life. I am a quiet, reserved person and it requires great energy to talk in church, go home teaching, attend the temple, participate in EQ. I don't want to be sociable any more - and all these activities require it.
I left EQ last Sunday really feeling down, as I do most of the time now. I feel guilty, not from not being able to be perfect, but instead, not being able to be a socialite. The church seems to discriminate against those of us who are introverts.
Gentlefriend: I think we are concurring here that we all are a work in progress!
Forester: I so totally can relate with you. I can be sociable when I have to be, but it is a forced response, not a natural one. But, I agree that the meaning of "available" in a real sense is being there to do what the Lord would have us do so that we can help others in assignments, home teaching, even ward and quorum socials (heaven forbid)!
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