Let Your Light So Shine

Oh my gaaash- I just read the most amazing talk today! I will do my best to convey what I learned from these inspired words. If you want to check out the full talk, here's a link:
http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=2224

So the main question I had before reading this talk was, as a disciple of Christ, how much of the lifting should I be doing, and how much should I turn over to God? Immediately my mind turned to the scripture you shared from Moses's father in law, and the good old Mosiah "don't run faster than you can walk" scriptures. But what I wanted to better understand my role as a disciple of Christ and what I can do differently in my own life to become more like him and less like my human tendencies (withdraw because of too much time spent helping others, exhaustion, frustration at never knowing whether it's enough or too much, etc.)  And bam- "Holy Places" by Kevin J. Worthen, addresses the importance of constantly striving to transform our experiences on earth into opportunities to draw nearer to God, and through doing so, become a source of light and direction to those around us.
When we are better aligned with our Father in Heaven, we naturally want to help others come to the light we have found. In this talk, Worthen compares our Heavenly Father to a lighthouse, an us to the lower lights along the shore to prevent sailors from crashing into reefs and what not. Much like how a light house works together with the lower lights on the shore to create a safe path for the boats to reach the harbor safely, we too can work hand in hand with Heavenly Father to share his light with those around us. The goal isn't to draw others to ourselves, but to point them in the right direction so that they are able to make it to the Father themselves. We are just assisting the Father in his work.

Here's a few ideas that stuck out to me

•  Strive to make our "haunted places" (dark moments) holy places
• Create holy places/moments through daily scripture study and prayer
•  Align with God through commandments 
• Bind with God through making and keeping covenants
• Once aligned and bound to God, we are able assist others to come into His light
• Others see the lighthouse, but don't know how to get there safely- that's where we come in as the lower lights. Once the light house and lower lights are aligned, the boat knows it is safe to proceed in the storm. People may know where the church is, or that they want to draw closer to God, but they may need extra help understanding what they need to do to get there.

The line that I loved most in this talk was by a minister, Dwight L. Moody. He said:

"The Master will take care of the great lighthouse; let us keep the lower lights burning." 

This line soon after inspired one of my favorite hymns, "Brightly Beams our Father's Mercy."

I absolutely love the lyrics to that song. Mercy is such a light in the darkness that comes in the storms of this light. I feel that when I'm being too hard on myself, or on other people, everything starts feeling really dark, hopeless, and impossible to change. I know where I want to go, or what I want to become, but it seems impossible to get there. But when I catch a glimmer of God's mercy, it gives me the hope and light I need to continue forward. Sometimes it's through the actions of others that the light of God is amplified and I am able to better understand how I can draw nearer to Him and navigate my own personal storm.

And I love that once we are able to make it to the light house, or make it to God, He allows us to help Him in rescuing others from their storm. 

So back to my question earlier: How much lifting should I be doing as a disciple of Christ and how much should I give to God?

I just have to remember: It is never about drawing people closer to me. My role is to draw nearer to God. And once I have done that in my own life, through scripture study, prayer, and living a covenant keeping life, He will help me shine in a way that will draw others to Him. I don't have to do the lifting on my own. I just have to be willing to let myself shine and He will provide the rest. Definitely easier said that done, but I feeling like this talk is bringing me one step closer to giving it all to God and allowing Him to work through me.

"Let your light so shine, 

that ye may glorify your Father, which is in Heaven"

I know I tend to feel easily overwhelmed by all the people I want to help in my life- school, work, calling, etc. on top of everything else, but I know that with God, nothing is impossible. I know that He cares for each of us individually. I know that He knows our strengths. Our weaknesses, our imperfections, and our desires. I know that we each have the potential to become like him and shine so that others can be rescued from the storm. I know that I tend to be afraid to shine. But that's something I want to change. I know that you've already helped me tons- thank you so much for all you do! Keep up the great work!

I love you!

Emily