Faith is for the Future

The path of faith is directed towards the future. Life is to be lived today, in this moment, and into the future. Living in the past is simply physically impossible; at least until someone invents a time machine. Our bodies demand that we keep stepping into the future, that we keep going forward. The trick is to make sure that the mind is traveling forward too. 

It is true that there is great wisdom to be gleaned, and lessons to be learned, by looking back into the past. It is foolish not to learn from those who have gone before us, and to understand history and appreciate what has lead us to be where we are now. It would be unwise not to learn from our mistakes, and the experiences we have had that might not be so pleasant, so we can gain perspective, empathy, and wisdom. It is good to learn from the past, to remember it, to cherish it, and sometimes reflect on the past. But it is not good to live there. 

Moving forward is the way to find joy. It requires a tremendous amount of faith and perseverance to let go of the past -- the bad, and even the good -- and be willing to sculpt out a new and hopeful future by the choices that are made today. It is up to us to seek after joy, or find ourselves on another less pleasant path. It can be hard to shake off the things that have lead up to now, but it is not impossible. To let go of the past is to feel freedom in the future. 

I loved what President Uchtdorf said: 

We shouldn’t wait to be happy until we reach some future point, only to discover that happiness was already available—all the time! Life is not meant to be appreciated only in retrospect. “This is the day which the Lord hath made … ,” the Psalmist wrote. “Rejoice and be glad in it.”⁶

Brothers and sisters, no matter our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trials, there is something in each day to embrace and cherish. There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it.

Perhaps we should be looking less with our eyes and more with our hearts. I love the quote: “One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.”⁷

I just loved that. I love President Uchtdorf, he really knows how to get to the heart. 

So, how can we see clearly with our hearts, and not just with our eyes? How can we "rejoice and be glad" in the day? I had a very simple experience with this just yesterday. 

It was a kind of gloomy January day, and it was quiet on the home front. I was feeling a little tired, and I was sitting on the couch with Henry watching a show. I rarely just sit and watch a show with him in the beginning of the day, but that is what I did. I can get kind of antsy sometimes, I am always thinking of the next thing I should do, or what I could write, or create, or what to make for dinner, or whatever. But in that moment, I just stopped and was there. I was there with Henry watching a really silly kids show on TV. I let myself really watch it, and get into it, and I was cracking up -- it was hilarious and so creative. It felt so good to laugh, and laughing with Henry was even better. I just lived in the moment -- not in the next moment, or dreaming of dinnertime at breakfast hour -- I was just being fully there, and it was nice. It was really nice. It was not a huge earthshaking experience, but I did rejoice in the simplicity of laughter, and my Henry. My heart felt peace, and not anxious. 

Sometimes you have to let go, to live now. Tell your brain to calm down, so you can really see clearly the world around you, and enjoy it. 

Each day we wake-up and a fresh canvas is there for us to create our lives on. We have choices to make. Our choices will determine our destiny and our future. One of the most amazing things about life is that anything is possible. We do not have to limit ourselves. Even if we have limits, we can take them, and often break them. Sometimes our minds get in the way of our divine and ultimate potential. But we are meant to be glorious, we are meant to be great. Allow yourself to feel your own greatness -- not in an egotistical way, but in a divine and Heavenly way. 

I find it really healthy to take life one day at a time, but with a future goal in mind too. Live in the moment, embrace the day, but also work for something, strive for something, make yourself more than you were yesterday. Have faith in who you can become, have faith in your potential, and your ability to conquer and overcome the things that have held you back in the past. The roadblocks of the past, do not have to define the potential of your future. 

President Uchtdorf stated: 

Let us resolve to follow the Savior and work with diligence to become the person we were designed to become. Let us listen to and obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. As we do so, Heavenly Father will reveal to us things we never knew about ourselves. He will illuminate the path ahead and open our eyes to see our unknown and perhaps unimagined talents.

Enjoy the day. Let go of the past; it is gone, it is finished. Do something that will help you to feel joy. Joy takes action, so take action. Maybe today is the day that you ask Heavenly Father to light your path, so you can discover what unimagined talents are lying dormant within you. You just never know what you are capable of. Do not be afraid to find out! Whether you make the most of your day and your life, or not, the time will pass anyway. 

Do not be afraid to be as great as Heavenly Father knows you are. 

Have faith in YOUR future!