My Testimony

My wife informed me that my posts are too long, and consequently, most people don't read them. On that note, I'll try to keep this as short and sweet as possible.

Usually, when I come home from work, Orion looks up and very excitedly says, "DADDY!!" It's very fun and endearing to have such a perfect little admirer. A couple of weeks ago however, he had just woken up from a nap before I walked in the door. Lately, when he wakes up from his naps, he's quite fussy. So when I came inside, he was sitting on the couch watching Cars, and he was not in the best of moods. I, on the other hand, was. I came in and said excitedly, "Hey buddy! Daddy's home! Come give me a hug!" He just sat there and stared at me like I was crazy for expecting that. I realized right away that he had just woken up and that that's why he was so fussy. So I changed my tactics a little bit and instead of being all excited and fun, I took a more subtle approach. I went and hugged him and just cuddled with him.

It's not that he wasn't happy to see me, I'm his hero afterall. It's just that in his current state of mind, he wasn't capable of having or expressing excitement. And because he's so young and immature, I was the one who had to change my tactics so that he could feel my love and happiness for him. I was the one who had to approach him differently.

My testimony is this. Our Heavenly Father loves us. I believe that he wants us to be happy and excited and jubilant much more than we are, yet because of our state of mind, many times he has to approach us differently. Instead of bursting in our lives and saying excitedly, " Hey buddy! Daddy's home! Come give me a hug!" He come's and cuddles with us. He gives us the comforter, which when we are feling down and depressed, gives us love and lets us know how deeply Heavenly Father cares for us. That's why He's referred to as the comforter. Not only that, but if we're in a mindset to be able to accept more happiness, he will give it to us. He knows us intimately, and he will never try to force happiness or joy on us. Had I tried to get Orion all happy and excited when he was feeling glum, he would have only gotten upset with me. He wouldn't have wanted to play at that time, even though he LOVES to play. It's the same way with us and Heavenly Father. He will always give unto us according to our needs, but also our desires. And if we desire something different than what we need, he'll even give us that. Jacob 4:14, referring to the hard-heartedness of the Jews says,

"Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came from looking beyond

the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them,

and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they

desired it. (Here's the key) And because they desired it God hath done it, that they

may stumble."

He wants a free people. He knows that only if we CHOOSE to follow him, can we receive the blessings. Let us all keep this present in our minds. We have so many distractions these days that would teach us otherwise. I know that Heavenly Father wants us ALL to return to him, but he also knows that if he were to force that desire, NONE of us COULD return. We would all lack the experience and growth that comes from failure and having to pick ourselves up.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I hope you all will have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it!