Hey everyone.
So it has been awhile. And I've learned a lot of things in the 9 months I've been on my mission. Lately the theme has been faith, not fear.
So many things I do as a missionary are out of my comfort zone, not the least of which is talking to strangers which may or may not be rude or uninterested. It has been quite the character-building experience, to be sure. And my friends, there comes a time where you just have to do it. You just have to DO the thing that scares you, regardless of the outcome. There is only so much praying, thinking, meditating, ruminating that you can do before you just have to push all the negative thoughts away, take a deep breath, and just jump. Yes, it might be awkward or weird. Yes, you might make a mistake. But even if it doesn't turn out the way you'd hoped, you can have peace and self-confidence knowing you did something that scared you and lived to tell the tale.
Fear comes when we think about ourselves. Faith comes when we think about others and when we remember He who has overcome all things, who is Christ, the Son of God.
So. 20 seconds of insane courage. 20 seconds of exercising a particle of faith. 20 seconds at a time. I have come to the conclusion that some things (talking to people) will never be entirely comfortable, but I'll just have to get more comfortable with being uncomfortable. And I know that as I develop a habit of exercising a particle of faith, of moving forward despite fear or doubts or inadequacies, not knowing for sure, but hoping that something will prove to be true, that the clouds will part and miracles will happen.
Miracles happen, there is a God in heaven, and he has restored His truth through a prophet in these latter days. Shall we not go on in so great a cause?
