I chuckled after Aaron had gone to bed. I was reminded today (day 275) of how different our three children are....... that they are each unique individuals made exactly the way God wanted them to be. Aaron is definitely the showman. Of our three children he is the one who just wants to be famous.
It is just a pleasure to see them all growing every day, right before our eyes.
I love today's reading
Be Happy for Others
| 'Rejoice with those who rejoice.' Romans 12:15 | |||
| William Barclay said: 'It's more difficult to
congratulate another on his success if it involves disappointment to us, than to sympathise with his sorrow...Only when self is dead can we take as much joy in the success of others as in our own.' Karen Ehman's home had been for sale twenty months when a friend called to say hers sold in twenty days. Ehman says: 'Although I was thrilled...I was a tad jealous...that poor me mentality when God answers someone else's prayer and my answer seems to be no, or not right now. As a child I envied kids from two-parent homes...in high school it was other girls' looks and cute clothes...I was average looking, and although I was every guy's pal, I was nobody's gal. In college I envied girls whose prayers for a knight in shining armour were answered...Once married, I struggled with miscarriage and dashed dreams of motherhood...I slapped a smile on my face and attended yet another baby shower. The cure for envy isn't easy...But when you call on God He will tell you...things...you could [never figure out on your own] (Jeremiah 33:3 NIV). Instead of begging Him to sell my house, take away my pain, and fix my kids, I need to ask what He's trying to teach me that I won't learn if He rescues me; and what qualities He's trying to grow in me. God's willing and able to answer our prayers as He sees fit...[His goal is] growing us to be more like His Son.' Paul writes, 'Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.' To be Christlike, you gotta be able to do both. |
I apologize in advance for posting such lengthy comments, but so many of your posts resonate with me! This one reminds me of something said by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland:
ReplyDelete"Brothers and sisters, there are going to be times in our lives when someone else gets an unexpected blessing or receives some special recognition. May I plead with us not to be hurt—and certainly not to feel envious—when good fortune comes to another person? We are not diminished when someone else is added upon. We are not in a race against each other to see who is the wealthiest or the most talented or the most beautiful or even the most blessed. The race we are really in is the race against sin, and surely envy is one of the most universal of those.
Furthermore, envy is a mistake that just keeps on giving. Obviously we suffer a little when some misfortune befalls us, but envy requires us to suffer all good fortune that befalls everyone we know! What a bright prospect that is—downing another quart of pickle juice every time anyone around you has a happy moment! To say nothing of the chagrin in the end, when we find that God really is both just and merciful, giving to all who stand with Him “all that he hath,”2 as the scripture says. So lesson number one from the Lord’s vineyard: coveting, pouting, or tearing others down does not elevate your standing, nor does demeaning someone else improve your self-image. So be kind, and be grateful that God is kind. It is a happy way to live.