lessons learned.

A couple of weeks ago we hiked Table Rock for our Wednesday night Young Women's activity.  The plan was for me to get out of work on time and meet the other leaders and the girls there.  Well, I got out of work about 30 minutes later than I wanted so I obviously didn't get there in time.  I sent the Young Women's President a text as soon as I dropped into the valley and had cell phone service, telling her to just start without me and I'd catch up.

"I'm in pretty good shape," I thought.  "I've climbed this mountain hundreds of times, I can catch these girls before they get to the top.  I'm sure the girls will take a lot of breaks on their way up the mountain.  I can surely catch them!"

Well, the catch up wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. 

 About 15 minutes into the climb, I still couldn't see the girls.  I sent Piper (YW President) a text, telling her I was hurrying as fast as I could.  She sent an encouraging text back, with a few directions and turns to take so I was sure to take the exact same route.  

About 5 minutes later, with still no sign of the girls, I sent Piper another text that said, "I must be in worse shape than I thought!"  And another encouraging text came back to me, telling me to keep trucking.  I'll get to them.

Then, about 30 minutes into my climb with no water, no break taken, more encouraging texts from Piper and absolutely no sign of the girls I gave up on catching them before they reached the top.  I sent Piper another text that said, "This trying to play catch up has reminded me of a really great gospel analogy my Dad taught me when we climbed Mt. St. Helen's together when I was 16.  Maybe one day I'll share it with the girls.  But for now, I am at the final steep climb."  Her text back said, "We just reached the top and we see you!  The girls are excited to have you with us.  Keep going!  You are doing awesome!"

I made what I thought would be the last climb, when I decided to take what I thought would be a shortcut to the top.  Ha!  The 'shortcut' was so steep, so uneven, and so slippery it about killed me.  Not to mention the hundreds of grasshoppers that were jumping all over the place.  And in case you didn't know, I. HATE. GRASSHOPPERS.

Well, I finally made it to the top.  And this is what I greeted with . . .

 Four sweet teenage girls came running to me with huge hugs the second they saw me reach the top.  "Sister Cindy!  You've made!  We are so glad you are here!  We love Sister Cindy!  You don't have water?  Oh my gosh, get this lady water right now!  Good job, Sister Cindy.  You are awesome!"

Seeing these adorable, sweet girls and reuniting with them at the top was the cherry on top of my analogy.  It was perfect.

Here were the lessons {re}learned that night in terms of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the decisions we make . . .

1.  When we make unwise or bad choices that set us back, it's really hard to play catch up.  Especially when it is a steep, uneven, slippery climb . . . as life always seems to be!

2.  Shortcuts are always steeper and more difficult than they look and are usually filled with obstacles (or grasshoppers!).  You have to be ready to handle the consequences of shortcuts.  Slow and steady almost always wins the race.

3.  You have to keep moving forward.  When you rest or to decide to take a break, you only get further and further behind.

4.  Family and good friends always make the climb easier.  If we don't detach ourselves from them, they will always be there to encourage, help, and lend you their own strength (or at least send texts and messages of encouragement!)

5. The climb isn't as fun or easy by yourself.  Let Jesus Christ be your walking/climbing buddy.  The second we let him in, the climb will always be smoother and easier.

6.  Even though the climb is hard and the catch up no fun, it is and will always be worth it.  The reward at the top of the climb will always be great!

 

 Tauscha, Anna, Hannah, and Sarah.  These girls always keep me laughing!

 Me and Miss Sarah.  These girls can't get enough FIREPOWER! (A chant they learned at EFY this year).

 I was talking on the phone with Trav here.  He called to make sure I made it and caught up and to also let me know he had just dropped off fruit and drinks in my car for all of us.  The climb has definitely been more fun with a wonderful husband by my side, who is always cheering me on.

Later that night, I thought about a lesson I once heard Elder David A. Bednar teach about being Steadfast and Immovable.  He said:

In order to better understand this principle (of being steadfast and immovable), please consider Aesop’s fable “The Hare and the Tortoise.” After being taunted repeatedly for being slow, the Tortoise challenged the Hare to a race. As the race began, the two started off together. However, the Hare ran rapidly towards the goal and, seeing that he could easily win, lay down and fell asleep a short distance in front of the finish line. The Tortoise maintained a slow but steady and consistent pace toward the finish line. When the Hare awoke from his nap, he started running as fast as he could, only to find that the Tortoise had won the race. The Tortoise is a classic illustration of steadiness and persistence. The Hare, on the other hand, is an example of a “spurter”—one who is given to short bursts of spectacular effort followed by frequent and lengthy periods of rest.

A spurt may appear to be impressive in the short run, but steadiness over time is far more effective, far less dangerous, and produces far better results. Consecutive days of fasting, ultimately, may not be as spiritually edifying as successive months of appropriate fasting and worship on the designated fast Sunday. An attempt to pray one time for several hours likely will not produce the same spiritual results as meaningful morning and evening prayer offered consistently over several weeks. And a single scripture-reading marathon cannot produce the spiritual growth of steady scripture study across many months.

The importance of steadiness and consistency in our spiritual development and progress is beautifully illustrated in the parable of the ten virgins (see Matthew 25:1–13). Ten virgins took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. Five of the virgins were wise and took oil in their vessels with their lamps. They were prepared to welcome the bridegroom. The five foolish virgins took their lamps but took no oil with them. The foolish virgins knew they should have oil but procrastinated, were unprepared, and were shut out from the wedding feast.

The oil of preparedness and steadiness is accumulated each day through consistent, wise choices. President Spencer W. Kimball described it this way: “Attendance at sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps, drop by drop over the years. Fasting, family prayer, home teaching, control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures—each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions, marriage in the covenant for eternity—these, too, contribute importantly to the oil with which we can at midnight refuel our exhausted lamps” (Faith Precedes the Miracle [1972], 255–56).

The key lesson for us to learn from this statement by President Kimball is that deliberate, consistent, and reliable preparation and performance provide essential oil for our lamps. Furthermore, steadfastness is a prime indicator of spiritual maturity.