Sunday thoughts

Again, from my Women's Conference notes:

The Best Measure of Greatness is How Christlike We Are
(Kathy Clayton & Elaine S. Dalton)

• As daughters of God, the best is none too good for us.

• The only standard against which we should measure ourselves and our behavior is the Savior. (Just what my grandma used to say.)

• When we are more patient with ourselves, we also view others with greater charity.

• Lifting others lifts us as well.

• True greatness requires noticing things that need to be done and doing them.

• Charity is there because Christ is there. It endures because He does.

• "There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal." – C. S. Lewis You are not ordinary. You are the Lord's special daughters.

• Pure love cannot come from an impure source. We must purify ourselves in order to receive that pure love.

• "Women are the one, bright shining hope in the world." – President Hinckley

• We must never lose sight of our divine nature.

• More than an action, charity is a state of the heart - seeing others as God sees them, the nobility within.

• Nearly all young women can be brought back, softened, and brought to a knowledge of her divine nature, by love.

• This gift does not come easily because it is in direct opposition to the natural man.

• The world would change people by changing their environment. Christ changes people and then they change their own environment.

• Will each of you today commit to reach out to someone daily? Small acts of charity can bring about miracles.

• What really matters in this life is helping others win – even if it means slowing down, and changing our course.

My favorite things about this class were the thoughts about measuring ourselves only against the Savior, rather than each other, and trying to help others win even if it slows us down or changes our course. They go right along with two things my grandma used to say:

"I have learned that what I do only has to be okay with me and the Savior."
"It is right to do your best, not to best another."

I always feel better about myself when I stop comparing myself to others. (It's not easy to do, though!) You would think that comparing yourself with the Savior would make you feel worse about yourself, since we can never measure up to His perfect life. But if we strive to see ourselves as He does, we get a much more accurate view of the big picture. He is so kind, so merciful. He can show us our strengths as well as our weaknesses, and He helps to turn our weaknesses into strengths. And best of all, it frees us from worrying about what others think and from measuring ourselves against worldly standards.

Seeing others as the Lord does would help me immensely, and this is a gift that I need to actively seek. It reminds me of this post by my sweet cousin Charlotte.

Being happy for the success of others is another of my overarching goals. I know that there is enough success for all, and that the success of one person does not take anything away from the success of another. Helping others to succeed is even better! The part about maybe having to slow down or change course really struck a chord with me – this is something I am going to try to keep in mind as I go about my mothering (and other) duties.

Man, I have so much work to do.