Dear all,
To quote Charle XCX--
BOOMCLAPTHESOUNDOFMYHEART----is it Valentine's Day week already???
I just have to write a poem to honor this special occasion:
Roses are red
Violets are blue
My trainer is engaged
While I would have made a wonderful bridesmaid
SO BOOOOO
Alright, that's enough creativity from me for today. But, ah, guys, this week is about love! Ahhhh! When I was little I always thought Valentine's Day was a holiday where Moms and Dads got kisses and boys and girls got chocolate and everybody was happy--which is nice and all, except for the fact that really Valentine's Day is about love. And love is a lot more than just that.
I'm a missionary this Valentine's Day. It's the one and only Valentine's Day I get in the field. I'm certainly not getting any kisses this Valentine's Day and, let's be real, I'm probably not getting any chocolate, either--but I want to tell you why I'm still excited out of my mind:
Let's start by talking about love.
II want to talk about the purest form of love.
Which is the the pure love of Christ.
What is the pure love of Christ?
Charity (Moroni 7:47).
Aside from seeking not her own, suffering long, being not puffed up all the good stuff, what does charity never do?
Charity never faileth.
Good, good, good. Cool, cool, cool. But what does that mean? No, seriously. Real talk, is that like, whenever a homeless guy needs food you give it to him? Does that mean you never fail to love people even when they're crazy and leave their socks everywhere and never do the dishes? Does that mean that if someone has hurt you--really, truly deeply hurt you--you still forgive them? Even if they've breached your trust and broken your heart and caused you sorrow beyond words?
Well, yeah.
II mean, I believe that's a fundamental part of where the essence of Christianity lies--but I also think it's more than that.
Things fail. People fail you, and you lose things. Physical beauty fades, hearts break. Things snap and bend and are iimperfect and there are points in your life where you are going to be completely and totally disspointed and feel like nothing can ever reconcile between you and your dashed hopes and dreams.
And I've been there before.
But we're promised that "charity never failteth." Of all the things that fail in an imperfect world---charity isn't one of them.It is literally a perfect gift given to us. And all we need to do is ask for it.
There have been days (days this week) where I've been in Eastern Europe and it's been cold and blizzarding and I've been knocking doors in the dark with chapped knuckles and bleeding feet while my friends are at college and my family is at home and have been yelled at in Hungarian and beaten down by sharp words and rejected and rejectedandrejected overandoverandoverandover and I'm just asking myself:
Why am I doing this?
No, seriously, why am I doing this?
And the answer came back to me. Resounding clear like "tinkling brass"---because "charity never faileth."
IIn John it says: we love Him, because he first loved us.
II think that's part of the refining fire of learning to be like Christ: experiencing what it's like to love people first. It's easy to llove those who love you. It's hard to love those that "despitefully use you"---and that's why my Valentine's Day is going to be awesome. Because I'm learning to love them first.
I'm kind of in love with love. I love the Hungarian people, I love the opportunity to be here, I love the missionaries and the members and the feelings I feel when I get to talk to people about these things that mean so much to me---and I get to do it in their own tongue; their own language. But most of all, I love my God.
II had an awesome week this week--we met with some amazing people here in Békéscsaba, we experienced some things I can't even attempt to fathom into words and wrap up to send across the oceans--but I just wanted to say: Happy Valentine's Day. I love you. And God loves you.
And charity never faileth.
JJust remember that.
Tudom hogy a Mormon könyve igaz!
Szeretet mindig,
Carle Nővér
p.s. Blog shout-out to Elder Neely and Elder Giacolone---their zone leading skills are far superior to all the rest--Sistah Carle
To quote Charle XCX--
BOOMCLAPTHESOUNDOFMYHEART----is it Valentine's Day week already???
I just have to write a poem to honor this special occasion:
Roses are red
Violets are blue
My trainer is engaged
While I would have made a wonderful bridesmaid
SO BOOOOO
Alright, that's enough creativity from me for today. But, ah, guys, this week is about love! Ahhhh! When I was little I always thought Valentine's Day was a holiday where Moms and Dads got kisses and boys and girls got chocolate and everybody was happy--which is nice and all, except for the fact that really Valentine's Day is about love. And love is a lot more than just that.
I'm a missionary this Valentine's Day. It's the one and only Valentine's Day I get in the field. I'm certainly not getting any kisses this Valentine's Day and, let's be real, I'm probably not getting any chocolate, either--but I want to tell you why I'm still excited out of my mind:
Let's start by talking about love.
II want to talk about the purest form of love.
Which is the the pure love of Christ.
What is the pure love of Christ?
Charity (Moroni 7:47).
Aside from seeking not her own, suffering long, being not puffed up all the good stuff, what does charity never do?
Charity never faileth.
Good, good, good. Cool, cool, cool. But what does that mean? No, seriously. Real talk, is that like, whenever a homeless guy needs food you give it to him? Does that mean you never fail to love people even when they're crazy and leave their socks everywhere and never do the dishes? Does that mean that if someone has hurt you--really, truly deeply hurt you--you still forgive them? Even if they've breached your trust and broken your heart and caused you sorrow beyond words?
Well, yeah.
II mean, I believe that's a fundamental part of where the essence of Christianity lies--but I also think it's more than that.
Things fail. People fail you, and you lose things. Physical beauty fades, hearts break. Things snap and bend and are iimperfect and there are points in your life where you are going to be completely and totally disspointed and feel like nothing can ever reconcile between you and your dashed hopes and dreams.
And I've been there before.
But we're promised that "charity never failteth." Of all the things that fail in an imperfect world---charity isn't one of them.It is literally a perfect gift given to us. And all we need to do is ask for it.
There have been days (days this week) where I've been in Eastern Europe and it's been cold and blizzarding and I've been knocking doors in the dark with chapped knuckles and bleeding feet while my friends are at college and my family is at home and have been yelled at in Hungarian and beaten down by sharp words and rejected and rejectedandrejected overandoverandoverandover and I'm just asking myself:
Why am I doing this?
No, seriously, why am I doing this?
And the answer came back to me. Resounding clear like "tinkling brass"---because "charity never faileth."
IIn John it says: we love Him, because he first loved us.
II think that's part of the refining fire of learning to be like Christ: experiencing what it's like to love people first. It's easy to llove those who love you. It's hard to love those that "despitefully use you"---and that's why my Valentine's Day is going to be awesome. Because I'm learning to love them first.
I'm kind of in love with love. I love the Hungarian people, I love the opportunity to be here, I love the missionaries and the members and the feelings I feel when I get to talk to people about these things that mean so much to me---and I get to do it in their own tongue; their own language. But most of all, I love my God.
II had an awesome week this week--we met with some amazing people here in Békéscsaba, we experienced some things I can't even attempt to fathom into words and wrap up to send across the oceans--but I just wanted to say: Happy Valentine's Day. I love you. And God loves you.
And charity never faileth.
JJust remember that.
Tudom hogy a Mormon könyve igaz!
Szeretet mindig,
Carle Nővér
p.s. Blog shout-out to Elder Neely and Elder Giacolone---their zone leading skills are far superior to all the rest--Sistah Carle