thank you SassyScoops for the image.at the beginning of the month, my young women and i entered
the peacemaker challenge.
basically, we said that being a peacemaker is trying our hardest to bring a spirit of peace with us wherever we went--especially at home and at the end of the month we would head to
the sweet tooth fairy for one of their incredible cupcakes. (i need culinary motivation for just about everything i do. it's healthy. trust me.) i was up for the challenge and didn't think it would be
that hard for me. after all, i really do hate contention. really. i do.
my, how the Lord tests us.one thing after another has set me off this month, if we are really being honest. i have tried to be a peacemaker, but i have often fallen short. curses! i have seen though that being a peacemaker is
not being weak. it takes a lot of courage to
not get in the last word. it takes a lot of strength to hold your tongue--or your fingers. i have come to learn that Christ was most powerful when he was peaceful. an interesting discovery.
i have tried to bite my lip as much as i could. i have tried to listen to the Spirit let me know when something really does need to be said or taught or corrected. i have tried to apologize and repent quickly. i have tried to diffuse possibly contentious situations. i have focused on the peanut butter cupcake i am going to have at the end of the month instead of focusing on snide comebacks--no matter how witty and genius. i have erased a lot of harsh words i have written and tried a softer approach if i approach it at all--not everything needs commentary. i have taken cutting words with a grain of salt and discovered that most of the time i deserved them--i often say things without thinking ...or worse, say things that i totally calculate to be offensive. is that too honest? it's true though! what the heck is wrong with me??? it's something i noticed this month while i was focusing on being a peacemaker. what a horrible thing to do! i can admit that. it's not something i am particularly proud of and it is something that i am trying to erase. it is mostdef not something Jesus would do.
it has
not been easy.
this peacemaker challenge is really a challenge!i had a quiet moment last night where instead of watching
american idol live, i decided to do a little research on what a peacemaker is and what a peacemaker is not.
i read
a talk given by Elder Franklin D. Richards in 1974 and it struck a chord with me--a disharmonious chord of seeing things i can be better at. i hate those kinds of chords sometimes.
let me share with you some of the things i learned.Have you ever wondered how you can be a peacemaker? Really, our opportunities are unlimited.
Certainly in our homes we can all be peacemakers by exhibiting love and goodwill, thus offsetting the evil of contention, envy, and jealousy. Where misunderstandings exist between children and parents, we can encourage adjustments on the part of both. We can pray together for the spirit of peace.
We can be a peacemaker by avoiding criticism. Remember that Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount said, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged.” (Matt. 7:1–2.) Did you ever stop to think that every time you criticize you are judging?
We can be a peacemaker by practicing and teaching forgiveness. Jesus was asked how many times one should be forgiven, and he replied that we should forgive without limit. Forgive him “seventy times seven.” (Matt. 18:22.) An important part of forgiving is forgetting. In some ways, being able to forget is almost as valuable as being able to remember.
In dedicating the Hyde Park chapel in London, among other things, President David O. McKay said, “If you want peace, yours is the responsibility to obtain it. The Restored Gospel teaches that our homes should become warm nests where children may be protected and grow into noble men and women; where … old age [may find] repose; where prayer will find an altar.” (Church News, 11 Mar. 1961, p. 15.)
Yes, homes can be disrupted because of family strife. Husbands and wives in an atmosphere of contention destroy their own happiness as well as that of their children.
Are you shutting out of your life the peace and security you so much desire? Thousands of people are doing so because they are so filled with worries, doubts, and concerns. Many people are filled with fears about what will become of them as they grow older. I met a lovely lady in her 80s working in the temple. The spirit of peace and tranquility radiated from her. She was so busy helping others that she had little concern for herself. Her needs were not great, and as she said, “The Lord is taking care of my needs.”
The Lord tells us, “But learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.” (D&C 59:23.)
Yes, the Lord will take care of our needs and help us overcome those things that worry us when we do our part, put our faith and trust in him, and concern ourselves with serving him by serving our fellowmen. I’ve seen this in my own life, in the lives of those close to me, and in the lives of hundreds of others all over the world. It is the only way to personal peace, that peace that is not of this world and is beyond our understanding and comprehension, but yet so sweet to us.
Possibly there is a greater need of peacemakers today than ever before. If this world had no need of peacemakers, our Savior never would have said, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matt. 5:9. Italics added.)
The blessed part of being a peacemaker is that those who are peacemakers and who live the gospel principles receive a testimony borne of the Holy Ghost. They enjoy the peace that surpasseth all understanding, relief from inner tensions, joy and happiness, contentment, growth, and development. I personally know this to be true.
May each of us in our daily lives assume the role of a peacemaker and enjoy the peace that surpasseth all understanding, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
what do you say?
are you up for the challenge?join us for a cupcake on the last day of the month.
