I hope everyone had a Wonderful and Merry Christmas! I have been thinking a lot about Christmas and New Years in general. The more I have been thinking, I have tried to really put my thoughts and feelings into words. Super hard in English...so in Deutsch it is even more fun. To start off with, the weekend before Christmas, we were in a bus heading to an appointment. This cutie little 12 year old boy was just sitting there. I could tell he had maybe a tough life. He had these cool nikes on so i told him i thought they were cool. He was super happy. haha I then asked him what he wanted for Christmas. He answer was simply perfect. He said he just wanted his family to be together and spend time together. I told him, I wanted the same thing. I asked him if he liked to read. He replied yes. I then told him of the Book of Mormon, he was so excited. His stop was next, he left the bus happy and holding a Book that would change his life. How would the Book of Mormon change his life? Good question.
In Isaiah 9 is one of my favorite verses for Christmas... 6 For unto us a achild is bborn, unto us a cson is given: and thedgovernment shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, eCounsellor, The fmighty gGod, The heverlastingFather, The Prince of iPeace. In German, the part of a son being given uses a word that means the giving of a present. Which is pretty. What exactly does that mean? What Gift was given? Change. The opportunity to be better, repent, and be happy! Through Jesus Christ and His Atonement we are able to change. What a divine gift! At the beginning of my mission I was always hesitant or just not sure how I should invite others to repent. Looking back it is so sad. Repentance is everything. It is how we learn, grow, and become better. The Gift of Repentance has already been purchased by our Savior, it is up to us to unwrap it, or dust it off, and just use it. I am not talking about the six steps of repentance that we learned in primary or meeting with bishop next Sunday, although those are sometimes necessary or required. I am talking about coming closer to our Savior today. Repentance does not always mean making big changes. Often it simply requires an increased commitment to live according to God's will. This simple concept in words is why we are all here! Guten Morgennnnnn! How great. I remember hearing the Apostles or President Hinckley i think, saying that they repent daily. This understanding of repentance and the Atonement helps me understand what they meant.
Now this change is not an over-night process. It is just that a process, which requires time and patience. "Real repentance, real change may require repeated attempts, but there is something refining and holy in such striving..." It is the key to our happiness in this life, and our happiness in the life to come. Thinking of the Savior and how He taught us to change and become better, I am reminded of the scene in Luke 23: 38-43. As Christ was crucified between two criminals, the discussion between them teaches us a lot...
38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE AKING OF THEBJEWS. 39 ¶And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Here the one man has faith on Jesus Christ and asked for Christ to simply remember him. He had the desire to be better, to change, to come closer to the Savior. Christ could have said, no too late, tough luck. You did not do the necessary six steps of repentance, too bad. On the contrary He knew His brother. He knew the change this man wanted to make hanging there on his own cross. The result, the Savior told him he would be with him in paradise. What a beautiful story. Now I am not saying that we should wait until it is almost too late to repent. I am saying that it is never too late. I am saying that Christ is waiting for us to come closer to Him. I am saying that we need not wait until the next life to have peace. We can have it today. The gift of change is just sitting there waiting for us to pick it up and enjoy its many blessings.
Now is Sister Jaynes going crazy? Maybe. But I truly have not been happier! Not because I live in a perfect world, with perfect people, waking up in the castle pictured below. I am happy because the Gift of Repentance, the Gift of Change. With the New Year of 2014 comes new goals. What if we all included a goal to come closer to the Savior this year? That is going to be one of mine. God is a loving God. He is our Father in heaven. He knows you. He has a plan for you. Not just any plan, but a Plan of Happiness. This plan does require change. It requires trials. It requires strength. It requires all of us. But this plan lives up to its name...Happiness. I testify of His Happiness that only comes through coming closer to Him! So just go for it! Dont look back (click to watch the video), make 2014 the best yet. Forget about the past and choose to be happier!
Ich habe euch ECHT Lieb!!!!
Guten Rutsch!!!!
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Schwester Jaynes
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