This little lady is so sweet....
This quote is from the book "The Weight of Glory" by C.S. Lewis. It's thought provoking I couldn't help but want to share (you may want to read slowly...):
"It may be possible for each to think too much of his own potential glory hereafter: it is hardly possible for him to think too often or too deeply about that of his neighbor. The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbor's glory should be laid on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken...All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or another of these destinations (heaven or hell)...it is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal."
Now looking at Tae's photo up above I am again reminded how true C.S. Lewis' words are; There are no ordinary people. None of us are mere mortals.
Who were you before you came to earth? Are the person now you were then?
If you could see what you were then, would it strengthen your self esteem now?
If you could see your neighbors the way God does, would it change the way you interacted with them?
OK, I have to stop here...I'm thinking too much. Thoughts???
Posts
13 comments:
Oh my gosh...she is such a little girl! SO cute!
You ask such heavy questions...and I'm still waking up. Maybe I'll comment on those later! :)
Oh, and I'm so jealous that you always get so many comments. I'm excited if I get more than 5. :)
HI Jen, This is a lot to think about for a Monday Morning. I usually just try to figure out... eggs or pancakes.
But I truly in my heart believe that we are of great worth. If I may quote a scripture: "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God." (D & C 18:10) I believe we all are of infinite worth to our Heavenly Father and many others. Yes, even that annoying person in front of you in the grocery store line. Each one of us have a divine mission that only we can fulfill. This mission is most likely not to annoying people in the grocery line, but something of grand magnitude.
If we saw each other as Christ sees us, I believe we would treat each other in a completely different manner then we sometime act towards each other. After all we have all inherited divine qualities and we could develop and use some of those to show compassion towards others while they struggle.
Now I must get back to the question...eggs or pancakes.
I love your deepness! But, before I get to that, how sweet is your little girl!?! It must be these pictures, but she seriously looks like she's aged since I saw her at church yesterday. That second pic - with her deep, dark eyes and her very pronounced facial shape - she is just gorgeous!
I love that quote! It is incredibly deep, but so true. My mom was telling me about a new Young Women's leader in her ward who has just returned from a mission. She is so cute, but really believes that if you just follow the commandments exactly then certain blessings will always be yours. But, the truth is that it is much more complicated than that. We really don't know the WHOLE truth about anybody else's lives. I constantly look at my kids and wonder about their mission in life. I am constantly evaluating whether I am helping or hurting. Most of the trials in my life I never would have even considered 15 or 20 years ago. What do their lives hold?
A girl that I grew up with (she was actually a few years older than me) was in my ward as a youth and got married the same summer as Greg and I. She now has six kids. She just gave birth a couple of weeks ago to identical twin girls. Both girls were born with Downs Syndrome. They did not detect it before the girls were born. I guess she received a very touching blessing indicating that they all knew each other before this life, and that this was the Plan. They all agreed to it, and here they are. Now, she has 6 kids under the age of 7 and dealing with this new "twist."
We just never know! It really is so complicated. I love the reminder that we all need to treat everyone we come in contact with with the greatest respect and ALWAYS give them the benefit of the doubt. I read once that respect is not something that people earn; respect is something we "gift" not because the other person is good but because we are good. Thanks for the deepness and reminder!
Thanks for the wonderful thoughts. There are no ordinary people and trying to see others the way God does...These are thoughts I will keep close to my heart. This reminds me, in a way, of some things I learned when I read "The Peacegiver". If I forget for a moment and I do get annoyed, I try to remember that Christ atoned for EVERYONES sins and loves them too, no matter what. His forgivness is always there! I shouldn't do any less.
I hope that make sense. Thanks again for the thoughts.
That quote (and others by CS Lewis) was actually quoted by Neal Maxwell in a talk called The Pathway of Discipleship. It came out in 1998 and is excellent. One of the best things we can do for our kids is remember who they are. They are spiritual beings having a mortal experience. Noone is a mere mortal.
I love the thoughts, and I love Emily's comment about gifting respect instead of earning it. So profound! Of course I would treat people differently if I saw them the way Christ does. That raises the question, why don't I just treat everyone the way Jesus would? I think I just get so caught up in my own opinions, my own children, my own problems, my own LIFE, that I forgot that everyone else is going through something, too. I shouldn't expect to be given special treatment because I've had a bad day or experience, without offering everyone else I come in contact with the same consideration. It's true that we never know what someone has experienced to make them the way they are. Enough nonsensical ramblings from me. Good thoughts, Jen!
WOW! Deep. Thanks.
You're forcing me to stop and think for a moment in my day on things that are SO more important than what's for dinner, have I switched the laundry yet, I hope the baby's nap is long this afternoon, I hope my boy cleans up all they playdo he is currently making a mess with in the kitchen, etc. This is why I love your blog - it forces me to think and ponder sometimes - which is always a good thing. I often look at my children and just literally stand in awe of how great of spirits they are and wonder why I was honored to get them. I feel like a previous commenter though - am I hurting or helping them achieve their potential. Most of the time I honestly think I'm hurting them and holding them back. I guess that's why I am always in awe of their greatness - in spite of me being their mother. Anyways, most of the time, I am so wrapped up in myself and how I feel that I don't always treat people like Jesus would. But every once in awhile a certain mood comes over me and I actually do think about how He would treat the annoying neighbor, or the guy who just cut him off in traffic, etc and when I'm in those moods, it's SUCH a better feeling than when I'm just mad and annoyed. I wish I knew how to feel like that more often. I guess it's just something I'll always have to struggle with and work towards.
PS - love the pics of Tae too - you're so good at capturing such emotion/thought.
PPS - Seriously - am I supposed to only pick one "I wish" option?? Almost all of them fit me!
Love the quote. No one is just an ordinary person, so true. We are all intricately linked. Remember when we were kids and we'd say, "You're my sister in God's way" (or something like that) to our friends. That was so common then. I doubt the kids say that anymore, sadly. But, it's so true.
PS Don't worry about getting off the phone so quickly. You were at work. No prob! It was fun to chat. Thanks for tracking me down! :) Did you have fun?
Love the quote. No one is just an ordinary person, so true. We are all intricately linked. Remember when we were kids and we'd say, "You're my sister in God's way" (or something like that) to our friends. That was so common then. I doubt the kids say that anymore, sadly. But, it's so true.
PS Don't worry about getting off the phone so quickly. You were at work. No prob! It was fun to chat. Thanks for tracking me down! :) Did you have fun?
WOW great quote.. I think that if we could see who we were or see our neighbors the way God does it would change his plan. I think all of us would treat people different if we saw them that way...in a way changing Gods plan for us to be accountable for our own actions our own thoughts. He wants us to treat people better because thats the way we see them. Something I'm sure everyone needs to work on.
Hey Jen!
I jumped onto your blog from Christine's. Your kids are so darling! And I love your photos - their amazing.
:)Tanya (Spurgiesz) Johnston
Well done, girl! The other day in Relief Society (which I finally get to attend now!!) we were talking about how we could raise the happiness of those around us. And I told everyone that if we, as sisters, would just let each other into our lives a little bit more, what seems pretty good right now, would be exponentially better. Being deep is great - it means you've got a good head on your shoulders. Of course, I always knew that about you Jen!
Post a Comment