We had some good friends over for lunch today. It was great for me and Baby B to socialize and have some fun. Darling A had a friend, too.
But, her friend was not sure how she felt about Darling A stealing her binky. I love this pic of my beautiful friend and her sweet sweet baby, though!
I also had a bit of an epiphany this morning. No with a new concept, just a new way of thinking about it. I already tried to write it in my journal, and I wasn't totally happy with how it came out. Those of you who speak another language have probably experienced when a certain word or phrase in one language just can't be completely translated into another and maintain its full meaning. I think it's like that when we are being taught by the Spirit. We're taught in a language more pure than that with which we speak and so when it comes to putting it down into words, something is lost. But, I'll share it to the best of my ability.
I was thinking about the incredible amount of joy Darling A has brought into my life, which led to the thought that we would have missed out on so much joy if we'd never had her (because of the challenges caused by pregnancy)--like something would have been lacking in my life. But, I quickly reminded myself that that didn't feel entirely true. Before Darling A joined our family, I felt complete joy with my first three children. And from there, I jumped to the thought that we truly have an infinite capacity for joy. We can have a moment in life where our joy feels complete, but the truth is--our joy can always be increased.
The purpose of our creation was two-fold--both centered on joy. The first was to bring joy to our Creator, similar to the way our children bring us joy; and the second was so that we could have joy. And since Heavenly Father loves us infinitely, He created us with an infinite capacity to have and experience joy. With that came the infinite capacity for one other interrelated thing--growth.
There is no limit to the amount of joy and growth we are capable of experiencing. We are only held back by our own thoughts and actions, and the consequences thereof.
Life is full of challenges and obstacles that can appear to contradict what I just said, but these things "give us experience" and without them, we cannot grow, or increase our joy.
We do these things step-by-step. As I am shaking off the depression that has "held me back" for so many years, the happiness and joy I feel are so much richer because I know what it means to have sorrow. Hope feels so bright because I know the black darkness that accompanies hopelessness. And I am so grateful that I am not "stuck" here! Or, where I was 6 months ago. But, that I can learn and grow and progress.
1 comment:
You did a beautiful job of explaining this concept. Every time we added a child to our family I was amazed that I loved this new addition as much as the others. And every time one of our children found their eternal companion, I was amazed that I could love them with all my heart. I like thinking of it as an endless capacity to love and to feel JOY; thanks for sharing your epiphany.
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