Seeing ourselves and others as a Child of God

If you follow @abundantlife30 on Instagram, and have been following our April 2016 General Conference Talk challenge, you know that we recently studied Elder Hallstrom's talk,

I Am a child of God


As I studied Elder Hallstrom's talk, my thoughts reflected back to one of the races I completed some years ago. Due to just having given birth to a baby and many church and family commitments that seemed to drain most of my energy, I was tired. To add to this,  I  also had 50 pounds of baby weight to lose this time around, and added chronic pain, which made training for this particular race was so very very hard. 

I plugged along every day and had to talk myself into continuing the training plan, wondering if I really was the runner that I told myself I was.  When I went to pick up my race packet and race shirt, I noticed that the official race shirt that was handed to me simply said  "Runner."

(Very) bright and early the next morning, I loaded a bus and drove what seemed like too long of a distance to be our race course. As I got off the bus and looked around at my racing partners, I was overcome with the feelings I had as I looked at everyone around me wearing the word, "Runner." 

Even though I didn't know most of these people, or anything about their struggles, I sensed a great respect for them in this race, because I knew what I had been through to get to the race. I imagined that while their stories where different from mine, that they, too, had had many challenges and pitfalls during their training. 

In the moments that followed, In my mind's eye, I saw each of those people wearing shirts that simply said. "Child of God." I realized that each and everyone one of these people were indeed a Child of God, and I had immense and almost overwhelming  respect for them because of not only WHO they were (a runner) but more importantly WHOSE they were.

This was a life-changer for me. It helped me to see others as God sees them. Now as I get frustrated with or hurt by someone, It helps me if I imagine them wearing a "Child of God." shirt. I am then able to see them for who they really, have insight about their inherent worth, and serve them an added measure of love.

#abundantlife30 #generalconferencechallenge #ldschurch #ldsconf