trying to be like Jesus.

today i went to the temple.
usually the large group of people waiting patiently inside seems like a hastle.
one of those, "maybe i'll just stay for a little and leave early..."
but today was different.
i was willing to sit there, as long as need be.
and i did.
and i felt Heavenly Father's love.
and i read some amazing things.

quotes like this:

"Each of us must grow up and leave the security of home and the protective

care of parents to enter a world full of problems and challenges

that reach far beyond our experience. As we venture out,

we would like a ready source to tell us how to handle every difficult situation.

But that is not the Lord’s system.

It is not the design of heaven that we be rescued from all difficult situations.

Rather, it is the Lord’s will that we learn to handle them.

The sense of being overwhelmed is very much a part of the journey.

The power with which God clothes us in His holy temples

does not imply that our journey will be an easy one.

As we accept our lot and move forward with what the Lord has asked of us,

we discover that we enjoy the company of the Holy Ghost,

angels feel constrained to join us,

and the heavens open to our vision."

-Joseph Fielding McConkie

and this...

"Opposition turns up almost any place something good has happened.
It can happen when you are trying to get an education.
It can hit you after your first month in your new mission field.
It certainly happens in matters of love and marriage. . . .
There are cautions and considerations to make,
but once there has been genuine illumination,
beware the temptation to retreat from a good thing.
If it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it,
it is right now.
Don’t give up when the pressure mounts. . . .
Face your doubts.
Master your fears.
‘Cast not away therefore your confidence.’
Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you.”
-Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

and this...
"What may appear initially to be a daunting task will be much easier to manage over time as you consistently strive to recognize and follow feelings prompted by the Spirit. Your confidence in the direction you receive from the Holy Ghost will also become stronger,” and “your confidence in the impressions you feel can become more certain than your dependence on what you see or hear.”
-Elder Richard G. Scott
[found in this month's Ensign.]
 
as i was leaving i saw two girls walking home and offered them a ride.
we were making small talk and then one said, "you look so familiar."
finally we determined we had taken humanities together last semester.
you may remember it as the class i despised.
the class i sometimes often skipped.
the class i made little effort to partcipate in, let alone be noticed.
how this girl recognized me is beyond me.
but it made me think, if people are recognizing me, noticing me,
what do i want to be known as?
not the unfortunate girl in the humanities class,
but rather the girl who offers a ride home.
 
it was a good day to learn these simple things.
patience, understanding, and kindness.