Try me lord,
If you think there’s a way,
I can try to repay,
All I’ve taken from you,
Maybe Lord,
I can show someone else,
What I’ve been through myself,
On my way back to you,
Jesus, my soul’s in your hands.
Last week we challenged you to find those things for which you are grateful, and where you have ‘wasted’ talents or other traits or material items you have. This week it’s the rest of the song, where one asks how to repay for that that has been wasted. Our first step on that road is repentance. Repenting of wasting precious time or situations, and then, just as the song says, encourage others to see those things in their lives that need to be changed.
This one can be tricky. I do not think this means go to those who in your eyes have wasted talents or situations and tell them what they need to do with their life from this point forward. It means, if the situation comes forward, don’t walk away from it. It means, by your example teach others how to change.
Recently I lost enough weight that it was noticeable. Several have come to me to ask what I have done to lose that weight. One even asked at what point did go down a size in clothing, and shared her own frustration in not going down in clothing size. We discussed body type and how her particular body type doesn’t lose weight in the areas that would move her down a size. However, I pointed out that her pants legs and blouse arms were not tight any longer. She began to understand and felt better about not losing clothing sizes. Now, those that asked what I was doing didn’t really make those changes; however, one has tried, taking baby steps toward those changes needed.
We can definitely share our own personal victories in change with others, however, also realizing that they may not really be ready for the effort it takes to change.
The repentance part seems a bit extreme for most things; however, if it is something that is holding you back, turn it over Jesus. Put it on His shoulders. No matter the situation, breaking a bad habit is not beyond placing it on the Atonement. He suffered in Gethsemane all that we can and would suffer in our bad choices, not to mention things that just happen. So, saying it isn’t big enough to get down on your knees and ask for assistance to make this change, just isn’t a true statement. Otherwise, most of us would never know what the Atonement is about. If we save the Atonement for that day in our lives when we break one of the 10 Commandments, that day may never come! Probably the one that we could definitely have the broadest need for would be keeping the Sabbath day holy. Truly, even in this world where Sunday is just another day, we can keep the Sabbath day holy. How many Sabbath’s have you wasted? Is it time to give back? Set that as your goal.
Carolyn Bendall 