Reasons To SMILE!: The Past -- To Be Learned From, Not Lived In.

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

The Past -- To Be Learned From, Not Lived In.

Miniver Cheevy, child of scorn,

Grew lean while he assailed the seasons;

He wept that he was ever born,

And he had reasons.

Miniver loved the days of old

When swords were bright and steeds were prancing;

The vision of a warrior bold

Would set him dancing.

Miniver sighed for what was not,

And dreamed, and rested from his labors;

He dreamed of Thebes and Camelot,

And Priam’s neighbors. . . .

Miniver cursed the commonplace

And eyed a khaki suit with loathing;

He missed the medieval grace

Of iron clothing. . . .

Miniver Cheevy, born too late,

Scratched his head and kept on thinking;

Miniver coughed, and called it fate,

And kept on drinking.

[Miniver Cheevy (1910), stanzas 1–3, 6, 8]

"To yearn to go back to a world that cannot be lived in now; to be perennially dissatisfied with present circumstances and have only dismal views of the future; to miss the here-and-now-and-tomorrow because we are so trapped in the there-and-then-and-yesterday..." Elder Holland : Remember Lot's Wife

This BYU speech struck me so hard lately; just spoke to my heart. Growing up I was that girl who was stuck in a different era, throughout my life I find that sometimes I also get stuck in the past. Right now is one of those struggling moments and it is hard because I know that I should not be looking behind me, I should not still be having longing memorie of the past years which are gone now... which should be just a fond memory. The Past is to be learned from, not lived in! One of the challenges is Family Home Evening, I have always wanted to have weekly FHE with my future family and now that family is not the future, but the here and NOW! This morning I was inspired to not try and do activities that I have always wanted to do, but I have to learn how to teach MY family. Not someone elses, but mine...the child that I have and the age that she is too. Doing fun, uplifting things is great, but being able to do things that my daughter enjoys, my husband enjoys... things like family tummy time, family book reading, fun bouncing parties with our 9-month old. I'm not the mom of a make-believe family, not a mom of an eternal family-to-be, but I AM a mom of a growing 9-month old and a wife of a wonderful, Christ-like, and selfless man; my sweetheart! I cannot afford to look back any more, I cannot spend my days dreaming of what has been or wait for the future to act. I have to rely on my Savior to teach me how to be in the moment, making memories with my family, giving of my time to the people that I have chosen to have in my life, and with my husband relentlessly sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with our children.

Grow old along with me!

The best is yet to be,

The last of life, for which the first was made:

Our times are in His hand

Who saith, “A whole I planned,

Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!”

[Rabbi Ben Ezra (1864), stanza 1]

I am going to CHOOSE to SEE the beautiful light, the sun, the flowers that many times et mistaken for weeds. I will be the one to notice MY blessings, and take advantage of the opportunities that I have to serve with ALL my heart, mind, might, and strength.

God IS good. There IS light, there IS truth, there IS hope, through Christ our Savior.

Here's a precious moment I captured yesterday, Happily Ever After is such a Beautiful phrase... but Happily after what? My sweet husband always has such deep, profound thoughts and his take on this was amazing! It's Happily Ever After every single moment.... and if we SEE the hand of God ... the moments...we have the ability to be happily ever after!