2 Nephi 23:11
"And I will punish the world for evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay down the haughtiness of the terrible."
So, today was a very interesting day. I went to bed around when has become my usual bedtime (unfortunately) but was awoken far before my alarm was set to go off by a phone call (3:20am). I looked at the caller ID and it was my best friend, Stephen. So I quickly answered, and after talking to him briefly, could tell he was in a state of shock. Out of his privacy I won't go into details but I will suffice to say that he was in need of a friend, and I agreed to meet him at Waffle House shortly thereafter. I arrived first, and shortly thereafter was met by Stephen, Craig, and JB. So, we all sat at Waffle House, got breakfast.. and kept Stephen's mind off of what had happened. We were there for him, and that's exactly what he needed. I am glad that I have his friendship, he is very dear to me, I couldn't imagine a better friend than him. Stephen, I love you bud.
So, around 5am we figured it was a good time to leave, and we all went our separate ways.. mine led me straight back to my bed. I woke up around 11am (was planning on 10am.. but I was interrupted, so I slept in a little bit) in time to help my mom with some yard work. We worked til about noon raking up leaves and trimming down dead plants, getting ready for what we're expecting to be the winter freeze (maybe we shouldn't hold our breaths until around March eh?) So, I didn't get to go around the community talking to my neighbors, but I figured helping my own mother out around the house was a fine excuse. :)
Afterwards, I finally got done playing phone tag with Rachel, and we had a wonderful conversation, something that I hope we can do more often. She really is a special woman, one that I aspire to emulate (well.. in most ways.. I don't pull off "being a woman" very well so I've been told).
Then it came time to get ready to work, so I hurriedly threw on my uniform and made my 30 minute (without traffice) journey to Lake Worth.
My days seem to be more eventful than they have been in the recent past. Maybe that's because I don't consider "reading and/or playing rock band" to be anything noteworthy, or maybe it's because I am finding more fulfillment in what I spend my time doing nowadays. In trying to become more Christlike I am noticing things about me change for the better, and maybe that's what I am finding to be worthy of noting in my journal (er.. blog).
So, what has been on my mind for the better portion of the day has been a quote that I read on a dear friend of mine's blog (Garrett Roberts). The quote is of W. N. Taylor, and it reads:
"Temptation rarely comes in working hours. It is in their leisure time that men are made or marred."
That really got me thinking. I realized that when my mind is actively pursuing something, anything really, I am very rarely tempted to be doing something I shouldn't be doing. Even my thoughts seem to stay on the straight and narrow path when I am actively engaged in wholesome activities. For that is truly how we combat Satan and his pernicious lies. If we simply don't give him the time of day, he has no chance. If we are constantly engaged in righteous activities, and are honestly enjoying the work we are doing, then we had nowhere to go but down the path of righteousness that leads towards the Celestial Kingdom.
But what about those leisure hours that all men have, no matter how busy they are? Well, as Brother Taylor notes, that is when we are made or marred. It isn't difficult to keep your mind occupied with spiritual thoughts when you are keeping your body occupied with spiritual and uplifting activites. However, it is increasingly more difficult to make sure that your mind is occupied by only righteous thoughts when your leisure time rears its head. Hours spent mindlessly on the computer, infront of the tv, on a computer or video game, fishing, etc. It is during those hours that we come to a knowledge of who we truly are.
This links back to my short blog where I mentioned the need to be inner-driven. When you are inner-driven, you don't need to worry about leisure time because your thoughts will not differ from the times you are staying active. When you are inner-driven (at least inner-driven towards righteousness) your make up truly changed to that of Christ-like attributes. You become patient, long-suffering, charitable, honest, etc. You stand up for what is right because it becomes second nature to you. And (maybe most importatly of all) your thoughts do not stray from that which is good and holy. Your mind is constantly engaged in wholesome thoughts and it ponders on things that help your spirit and your body grow harmoniously.
If you, however, are not inner-driven, your thoughts tend to stray far and wide. You become a creature of your environment. Whatever you allow to cross the path of your neurons has a greater chance to draw your entire attention to it, whether you like it or not. If you lack the inner strength to become who you set out to be, then you will lack the inner strength to control what you let invade your mind and become what you dwell on. At least that has been my experience.
It's interesting to me that we truly can become whomever we truly desire to be. A year ago today, I was such a different person. I wanted to be a "ladies man" per se, I wanted to have wordly possession this and wordly possession that.. I wanted to be everything *I* could become without anyone's help. I didn't need anyone's direction in my life. I was me.
Today, I am a completely different person. I am putting others first, I am putting the Lord first in my life, I am following a routine that builds me both physically and spiritually (as well as mentally I've come to notice) in hopes that it will make me more Christ-like. And ever since I have been on this path, I have received more positive reinforcement and positive reactions to what my life has become than my "former life" ever acquired. I can't imagine my life being much better than it is right now, and I have my "inner-driven-towards-Christ self" to thank for that.
Christ is still working miracles to this day. I am living, breathing, walking proof of that.
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