Today...September 10, 2014

HOPE. Sometimes it is definitely NOT easy to come by; and when I'm feeling hopeless I start to wilt...just like the lettuce waaay in the back of my refrigerator.  But as much as I need it and yearn for it, Hope can be so elusive and difficult to hold on to. Why? BECAUSE, my first-born in the wilderness, THERE MUST NEEDS BE OPPOSITION IN ALL THINGS!

When I taught Seminary many years ago, to help the students understand opposition I would place ONE piece of candy down on a table, call on a student and ask them this simple question. "Which is your favorite?" And I would point at the piece of candy. They would look at me, then look at the candy, then look back at me with kind of a foolish look on their face and say, "Uhm...I don't know...is this a trick question?...uhm I don't know...."  At that point they would usually turn around and start to head back for their seat. I would stop them, tell them to come back, and then I would place a DIFFERENT kind of candy next to the first and ask, "Now tell me which is your favorite?"  No problem! They would grab whichever kind they preferred, quickly unwrap it and pop it into their mouth. Smiling, they'd say, "Thanks!" then happily plop back into their chair.  It seemed they couldn't make a decision about the candy if they had nothing to compare it to; once they had a choice or OPPOSITION, they could make a decision rather easily, and quickly I might add,  that brought happiness and pleasure. DON'T I WISH LIFE WAS AS EASY AS PICKING WHICH PIECE OF CANDY WAS MY FAVORITE!!!

I'll admit it...tonight I'm tired of being achy, tired of being tired, and worried about some problems that are popping around in my life--(or OPPOSITION that's popping around.) I'm not really sure how some of this OPPOSITION is going to work out, nor do I have control, or a CHOICE in how it will. So this is when I know I have to go into my HOPE closet, FIND IT, pull it out, shake the dust off and wrap it around me really, really tightly. I will then take the prescribed amount of sleeping aides I'm allowed, brush my teeth, read my scriptures, say my prayers, then hop into my smooshy, wonderful bed.  I will go to sleep wrapped in HOPE...KNOWING that I am loved, and watched over,  and that all this OPPOSITION really will give me experience--whether I like it or not.

No it's not choosing whether I prefer Godiva Chocolates or a Heath Bar...darn it! But I DO have a choice. I can choose whether or not to sleep soundly with HOPE in my heart; or choose to HOPE-lessly toss and flounce around in bed worrying myself sick. I choose the Heath Bar.