Defined by Christ

So I thought I would get the ball rolling and write some of my thoughts on the book thus far... I thought I might be as candid as possible to hopefully create an environment where everyone feels comfortable writing.

First, there are too many good points to just sit down and read the whole thing. It's like I read something and then I'm like yeah that applies to me, or I'm going to try that. Hence I am only about half way done with the book.

Second, I love how it can apply to anyone, even if they are not going through the same thing as the woman in the book.

My favorite part so far has been the idea of God's love. I think to often we define love as something that we can handle with our five senses. We can feel love by a touch or a kiss, we hear love words, we see love by the actions of others, we smell love by flowers, we taste love through chocolate. But God's love is so much more than that, it is physical, but it is mostly spiritual, and therefore can not been seen without using spiritual eyes. I really don't think we can fully understand God's love without partaking of the atonement. It is the way God shows love for us, he loves us so much he provided a way that all of us can get back to him and receive the most wonderful gift of all...to be like him. In Acts chapter 10:34 it says that "God is no respecter of persons", which means he loves us all equally. Therefore, if God shows us his love through the atonement and loves us all, just by deduction we can conclude that the atonement is available for us all. Now we all know this, and have been taught this basic doctrine, but how many of us doubt it for some reason or another. Like the author said, she felt that others could partake of the atonement, partake of Gods love, but not her. Why is that so? She gives another example of an Old Man at the airport not thinking that God loved him. I cannot speak for everyone but I know I have felt this way many times. Why? I think for me the answer comes in a couple of sentences that she gives. She says, "I realized I'd never had confidence- not real, lasting confidence- because I had never put my confidence in the Worthy One. That began to change as I began to trust in Christ and in His love and the redeeming, restoring power of His Atonement."(48) By not having confidence in ourselves we hinder our ability to come to the Lord. Isn't that funny, the Lord has giving us the most wonderful gift and we have decided to not accept it because our imperfections. Yet we do it, I do it. I have never had confidence in myself before (not the kind of confidence that is lasting), and I don't think I ever will with out Christ. Realizing this, and letting the power of the atonement grow within me (as it says in Alma 32) has made me understand his love for me. Not only that, it has also made me realize that just like she said in the book, we can be bold. WE can speak with power, we can ask God for things. I have always wondered how missionaries or apostles are able to speak with such boldness, and now I completely understand. They understand the Love of Christ. It has been interesting as I have read this book, studied my scriptures, attended institute and prayed for an understand of God's love, it has come. I know that I have been prepared for this very moment with challenges in my life that have truly humbled me. It's like everything in my life has prepared me to receive insight. I have learned to recognize God's hand in all things, because I feel like everything in my life right now is trying to explain the same message from the book we have chosen, the same message that is portrayed through out the all of the scriptures and ensign articles. I can't believe I have not noticed it before! I love in the book when it talks about her interviewing people who she felt were Christlike. She then references a quote by Elder Maxwell, "if our souls were marked by rings, are are trees, the years of greatest personal growth would likely be those characterized by the greatest moisture- not as the result of rainfall, but of tears."(44) I like I am at that point of greatest moisture right now. As Oprah would say, has been an "aha!" moment for me. I feel like every trial that has come into my life (excluding those for my sins) has happened for a reason and I know that I lost this baby because I needed to know that God loves me. I needed to know what it feels like to partake of the healing given by the atonement, I need to be defined by Christ.

One other feeling I had during the book, she talks a lot about how people made her feel bad, the world made her feel bad, like she was not of great work. It has made me question my own life. Am I saying things that would make someone feel like they are unworthy of God's love? I know I do, intentionally and unintentionally. We were reading in Acts today for institute. In chapter 16 it talks about Paul and how they were imprisoned. During the night all of their shackles had been loosed so they could break free, but instead of leaving, they stayed so that the jailor would not loose his own life. It showed great love by Paul. It made me think of how often I think of myself and how selfish I am. I need to do a better job of loving those that are around me.


Well, thats what I thought...What did you think?

Lizzie