Thursday, June 30, 2016

Leave the Temple a better YOU

A couple of month ago, I was invited to attend my sister's endowment session. when my sister entered the celestial room for the first time. I told her how sorry I was that I didn't make it in. I told her I was there exactly at 9 like she told me.  She said, Vanessa you idiot my session started at 930... I missed her session, it's almost like my brain shut off and I completely forgot what time I needed to be there. I felt humiliated. I almost wanted to scream, and say I can't believe that I missed my sister's endowment session. Well, on the bright side, at least it wasn't her wedding!  In that moment, I desperately wanted to go in the closed doors to be there for my sister. I wanted them to pause a session so that I could be there for her. I wanted it so badly. But, I knew I was too late. I came prepared, well, I thought I did. After all the embarrassment, I felt like God was trying to teach me a lesson. A lesson that needed to be taught. A lesson that I thought I understood very well. But I guess not. My mind wandered somewhere else as I tried to push away all of my frustration. 

The story of the ten virgin came into my head. We all know the parable of the ten virgin, right?! Well, it goes like this.. well this is according to my understanding, so don't judge me if I don't get it completely right on.
So there are ten virgins, who took their lamps with them to see the bridegroom. Five of them brought oil to keep their lamp going, and five of them didn't. As the time went on, the five that came unprepared ran out of oil. They desperately begged for more oil from the other five, but they said, "no. theres not enough for the both of us." So, the other five looked for more oil. While the other five searched, the bridegroom opened the doors and welcome the other five that had sufficient oil.  As soon as the other five found some oil they immediately raced to the wedding but as soon as they got there the doors were closed They had missed the bridegroom. They desperately wanted to go in. They wanted to be apart of this special moment. In my own understanding, the oil represents our own testimony, our daily one on one time with God, etc. And I feel that the lamp represents us, too. The bridegroom is our savior, and the time that we are waiting for is the second coming, or death to meet Him.

In some ways, we are the other foolish women. Sometimes we think, all we need is just the minimal to get through daily life. Sometimes we feel like we just need just a sliver of oil to get by. What if we don't have enough? What do we do now? As this story plays over and over again, I started to think about my own life. What am I doing to make sure that I have enough oil to last me through the day, the weeks, the months, the years. etc? What is my relationship with God? Do I understand the scriptures to know that it is true? Do I still believe that there is a God?  Am I patient with myself to hear the Holy Ghost? Do I let Satan take my life and destroy what I believe in? Its questions like that, that made me really think where do I really stand. Sure, I fall. I fall all the time. I forget. Im human. While I was sitting in the celestial room, I feel like Heavenly Father gave me the lesson. And I knew that I couldn't live my life just giving the minimal anymore. I knew that my relationship with God will be in trouble if I don't put meaning to what I stand for. Otherwise, I might be living all in vain.  I cannot live off my parents testimony.


I knew I needed to change, but I didn't know what till that very day. I came out of the temple a different women. A changed women. My heart is going to the right place, and I need to keep going there. I encourage everyone to sincerely pray and ask God what lack ye yet? What is stopping you from progressing in life? And ask yourself, What can I get from this to make me a better person? Life is a journey to be enjoyed. Don't forget that.  The lesson I learned that day was exactly what I needed to learn.

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