The Substance of Things Hoped For

I am a list-maker. I like to plan ahead to be sure that I am well-prepared for whatever comes my way...or at least what I know is coming. Unfortunately, I can get a little OCD about it. I can get a little perfectionist about it and start planning my life so that it is filled to the maximum and over-flowing with things “To Do.” This results in my feeling way too overwhelmed with life and because I feel so overwhelmed, I usually become paralyzed and make little or no progress at all. Meanwhile, my relationships weaken, both with immediate and extended family, and with friends. I miss opportunities to be an instrument in the Lord's hands to uplift and strengthen others.

Lately, I've been trying to overcome this obsession with lists. This year, I've been trying to pray to become more in tune with the Holy Ghost. This way, I know that if I am praying, studying, and listening for the Lord, he will prompt me to know what the most important things are. He will help me to have patience to wait on the things I cannot now achieve, and He will tell me what things I may not need to do at all.

One of the characters in my novel desires to have the power to foresee the future, thinking that if she can have this gift, it would be a close guarantee of success during her mortal journey. I was listening to a book on CD by Sheri Dew, entitled, “If Life Were Easy, It Wouldn't Be Hard.” The last chapter is “You Might Be Making Life Harder Than It Needs To Be.” As I listened to her talk about how we can call on the powers of heaven to help us daily in any matter that we feel we need the Lord's help in, I realized that I have not always had enough faith to ask for his help. We are told in the scriptures, “Ask, and ye shall receive.” Do we really believe that?

With all my list-making and planning tasks into my life, I was trying desperately on my own to see my future. I wanted to plan it and have it in my mind before it happened. (I don't do well with sudden change). However, as I have tried to invite the Spirit into my life more often, I have witnessed that He can guide me and give me peace on a daily basis. Some planning needs to happen, but I am not obsessively worried about my long To Do list anymore.

All this time, what I sought after on my own was mine to choose. I wanted assurance that the future would bring success and accomplishment, happiness and progress. Now I know that I must have FAITH, for “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) When I live with faith each day that the Lord will help me, I can have peace. I can live in a more relaxed state of mind and heart, taking the time to pray, to ponder the scriptures, to spend time meeting my family's needs and loving them, to exercise, to focus some of my energy on eating healthier. I can be reassured.

As I am beginning to exercise my faith in this way, I am also realizing, with the help of Sheri Dew, that I must pray to be transformed into someone who possesses true charity, the pure love of Christ. As I am filled with the Lord's love for all, I will be strengthened to overcome my weaknesses, not through my own power or planning, but through the Lord's tender, merciful answers to my prayers. Prayers that include my To Do List, for sure, but are more focused on changing my heart. Now that I have more faith, I have more hope for the future, too. Not only hope, but a blessed assurance “of things hoped for.” And, with that hope in my heart, I can stop being so frenzied about my To Do List and start seeing the people around me as people who need that pure love of Christ. Hopefully, the Lord will see fit to show it to them through me sometimes.

I'm so thankful for the scriptures and the words of other followers of Christ. I'm so thankful for the Holy Ghost, through whom the Lord helps me each day. I'm thankful for the power of prayer and the knowledge that my Savior can transform me like I never could.