Kenz in Knox: Dropping Burdens

Once upon a time last week I mentioned that we traveled to Bristol Virginia for a meeting with our Stake President. I shared a couple of experiences about that meeting but I didn't share about an adventure we had on the way up there. For months Sister See and I had wanted to take a picture by the "Welcome to Virginia" sign when we went there for meetings. But we always, without fail missed the exit. However this time, this time... we were going to make it. We watched for it the entire time, were in the right lane and successfully made the exit and parked at the rest stop. We were able to take a picture for a family in front of a sign that spelled out L-O-V-E, because apparently Virginia "is for lovers" whatever that means... Anyway then we walked along this muddy field to get to the "Welcome to Virginia" sign. As we did so a man jumped out of his van with his family and volunteered to take our picture if we took one of him. He was traveling to New York to be with extended family for Christmas. He and his family live in Dallas but originate from somewhere in Asia, I'm not sure where. He was so friendly though, and wanted to take a picture with us, so we agreed. Always great when you can pretend to be a celebrity. Anyway we took pictures with him and he was just the funniest guy, had a Christian background and accepted a light the world card from us. Which had our number on it, but we didn't think that would matter because no one actually ever calls us.

Fast forward to this past Sunday a week later. Sister Beare, my new companion (more to come on her later) and I are traveling back from trying to find a new move in that Bishop asked us to find. Side note, recent move in my foot, the grumpy old guy that answered the door said that he has lived there for 35 years, knows no one with that name, but that people from our church have been coming by randomly for a couple years looking for that family and that we need to get a new approach and he isn't interested in oír religion. Whoa... note taken... sorry to bother you Sir. Maybe in the next life you'll know who we are talking about and we can all sit down together and have a discussion about the gospel. But back to the story at hand... Sister Beare and I are just about to get out of the car, when the phone rings. We answer it on speaker phone and not going to lie I thought it was a brother in the ward who is from Mexico, he has a thick accent and was asking if he was talking to Hermana See or Hermana Hall. I said it was Hermana Hall and after about a minute and a half of talking to him and asking about his vacation (because the ward member was traveling back from vacation that day) it finally occurs to me this isn't who I think it is and I ask who it is we are talking to. I was floored when he said his name and says "we met at the rest stop in Virginia and you gave me your card, I wanted to call and wish you and Hermana See a Happy New Year!" HAHAHAHAHAHA! Someone actually called our number YAYYYYY!!!! As funny and shocking as it was he said a few things that I found profound and I want to share.

After realizing who we were now talking to I remembered that he had been on his way to NY so I asked him how it was and asked if he was going to see the ball drop in Times Square. He said yes he and his family were planning on it and that he was pondering on the concept of the ball dropping and came up with a spiritual application. He said that "I was thinking about a good symbolism about the dropping of the ball, I thought about how the ball is slowly dropping, not going up, but down, and it signals the end of 2017, and the beginning of 2018 and for me that means that we have to drop, applying it to our lives, we have to drop our baggages, the loads, the heavy burdens that we had in 2017 so when we move on to a new year we will be lighter. And it reminded me of the biblical passage, "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11: 28"

Don't you just LOVE that?! Isn't that what a new year is all about? A fresh start. And opportunity to drop baggage and move forward with faith. As I've contemplated my previous year and all that lies ahead I am excited for what the future holds and the hope that awaits each one of us. Too often we tend to get caught up in the past. Whether it be past mistakes, past memories, or past regrets. It is easy to look back with longing or remorse when really we should be looking forward to the future, knowing that it really is "as bright as our faith" (Thomas S. Monson).

Because of our Savior Jesus Christ we have a future of new beginnings and possibilities, we have the ability to repent, to change.

I think I can safely say that in the year 2017 I have done more repenting and changing than any other year before, and it is all because I am drawing closer to our Savior Jesus Christ and helping others to do the same. That is where true joy comes from, and there's a whole lot more of it to be had, in the FUTURE! There are opportunites all around us in right now, and tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, and the next day. FOREVER, so just like my Virginia buddy said, we need to drop our baggages, drop our regrets and just move forward. Don't look back. A favorite Mormon Message of mine uses the experience of Lot's Wife to illustrate this point. Imagine this woman, they lived in Sodom and Gomorrah, a wicked place, they were surrounded by temptations and lusts of the world and they were commanded to leave. They probably left a lot of baggage there, they left their home, their lifestyle, their friends, their social life, their extended family, their habits, their routines, their normal. And they followed the Lord. Trusting that His will for them was to leave and to journey to a new land, a protected land, a holy land, a holy and protected life. And He asked them to not look back at what they had left. And for the most part they didn't.

All except, Lot's wife. Now we don't know in full what the situation was, what she was like. She could have been longing for home for family and for her normal, we have all felt that way before. But when following the Lord we need to trust Him and to look to Him and none else. And that is exactly what she didn't do, she looked back. And it halted her progression, it turned her into something different, salt. If only she hadn't looked back she could have kept moving forward with her family and been able to receive all that the Lord had in store for her.

So how does that apply to us? I'll apply it to myself and then let each of you apply it to yourselves. The Lord asked me to leave, to leave my life, my home, my lifestyle, my friends, my social life, my extended family, my habits, my routines, and my normal. And to follow Him. Trusting in His will for me was to leave and journey to a new land and receive protection and become more holy. And He has asked me to not look back. For the most part I don't. But sometimes I do, sometimes I worry, sometimes I wonder, sometimes I miss my past memories, sometimes I worry about past mistakes, or missed opportunities. And each time I get caught up in looking back... I, like Lot's wife am stunted in my growth and my perspective. I become something that I'm not intended to be. I become sad, worried, and lack confidence. None of those things are what Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want me to be and feel. That's what Satan wants me to be.
That's how he wants me to feel. And that isn't ok.

So guess what the beautiful part of this is? Is every 24 hours we get a new chance to have a new day and be better. A woman in that video I mentioned says it best, "Each day is the beginning of a new year, and it's the first day, literally the first day of the rest of your life." A man concludes the video by saying, "Just live for it. Live for the future."

I can testify that living for the future, looking ahead is so much better than looking behind. Sure it is scary, trust me when I can say I relate to having a fear of the unknown. But that has changed a lot in the past year as I have been on my mission. I was talking to Sister Beare about this, which by the way I remember I said I would tell y'all more about her so let me take a sec and do that right now... She is from Sacramento California, she has been on her mission for 16 months, she is an incredible missionary, we get along great, I have been so blessed by amazing companions who have all taught me so much and influenced my life for the better. Ok but I was talking with her about this, about how so many things that we encounter on a daily basis would have stressed me right out, back at home. Miscommunications, ridicule, failure to plan, failed plans, etc. Those things would have weighed me down back home, back in 2016... but in 2017 I got over that. I learned how to trust the Lord. I learned how to find His will. I learned how to pray like I hav never prayed, to trust like I have never trusted, and to live like I have never lived before. And you know what? I am excited for the future. It is full of possibilites both for me, for the people I meet on a daily basis, and for each of you.

So let's all live for it. Let's ring in this New Year with hope!

Oh and one more thing, before I left on my mission my sweet sweet younger brother brought to my attention: "You won't ever set foot in our house in the year 2017." Ouch. Well that may have been true but we can't say that about 2018!!!! Woooooo!!!!

BUT. There's more to do before then, so much to look forward to.

I am so grateful!

Love y'all, Happy and Blessed New Year!
Love, Hermana Hall