Mercy

I was reminded this week about mercy from a blog that I follow, Nie Nie.  She had a link to this talk from the recent general conference by Pres. Uchtdorf.
I have been struggling lately with being busy.  Well Scott and I both have had so much going on that it doesn't seem like we have had a moment to sit and relax.
And it seemed like recently there were many times were I thought "Don't they realize that I have a life going on and it is busy (yes, even without kids) that I have this and that and this to get done and I can't do ____ for them."  (If you think this is about you, it probably isn't- don't worry) I was thinking about how others that I knew just didn't see past themselves and recognize that I couldn't be everything for everyone (When probably none of them knew at the time what I was going through in my schedule).  And then I read this talk...
Wow, I didn't even think of it as judging, I thought that others weren't paying attention.  But just by putting that idea on them, I was judging... That they were not observant or didn't care or a ton of other things.
It made me realize that I may judge more than I thought.  Yes, I knew I judged people when I thought how I would do something different than this person or that person and why are they doing it that way because I could do it better.  And I really do try and curb those thoughts.

Pres.Uchtdorf spoke of forgiving: "Our Savior has spoken so clearly on this subject that there is little room for private interpretation. “I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive,” but then He said, “… of you it is required to forgive all men.”"
This is what I needed to hear today.  It doesn't matter what people did or WHY they did it, I needed to be able to forgive what I thought were wrongs against myself.  Others around me probably didn't even realize that I had felt "wronged" but I was the one suffering from my negative thoughts.  "Though we cannot look into another’s heart, we assume that we know a bad motive or even a bad person when we see one."  This fit with me to a T, I didn't see a "bad person" and I wouldn't say I saw "bad" motives but I certainly didn't see good motives.
And as Pres. Uchkdorf said that is when we need to "Stop It!" and "Replace judgmental thoughts and feelings with a heart full of love for God and His children...We must recognize that we are all imperfect—that we are beggars before God...Forgiving ourselves and others is not easy. In fact, for most of us it requires a major change in our attitude and way of thinking—even a change of heart."

 He then said that as we fill our hearts with the Pure Love of God "something good and pure happens to us...The more we allow the love of God to govern our minds and emotions—the more we allow our love for our Heavenly Father to swell within our hearts—the easier it is to love others with the pure love of Christ. As we open our hearts to the glowing dawn of the love of God, the darkness and cold of animosity and envy will eventually fade."


I love this piece and think this is something that I truely needed to hear today.  I'll give you one last quote but you can read the article yourself if you want.

"The pure love of Christ can remove the scales of resentment and wrath from our eyes, allowing us to see others the way our Heavenly Father sees us: as flawed and imperfect mortals who have potential and worth far beyond our capacity to imagine."

It's good to remember that other's aren't perfect, they do hurt us and make mistakes and struggle, just as I do, but I need to remember to forgive other's their struggles and mistakes... And forgive myself for my own faults.
I love that the Lord works through such amazing means, and I can gain some insight that I need from a blog or a facebook post or a bumper sticker.  <3