Samantha Jo Keele and "in the meantime"

I have a good friend named Samantha who is an incredibly gifted writier.  This is something she posed on facebook this morning and with her permission I share it with you.

"A piece of my Journal

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Today at 9:23am

"If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either do something worth writing, or write something worth reading." -Benjamin Franklin


I learned last night a reason why journal writing is important for more reasons than record keeping. For me personally, I learn things. About myself, and about life. I try to write every night, and each time I do I put my pen down feeling satisfied and grateful. Last night, however was a bit different. Last night I wrote something that kept me from sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about how true it is, and how much it helps me. In the final paragraph I learned a simple, encouraging statement: Make it through the meantime.

Whenever I write about my troubles with boys, school, family, friends et cetera, I always seem to end up saying, "I know everything will work out, it's just waiting in the meantime" or, "Things will get better, so in the meantime I just have to suck it up and quit being a big baby." It's funny how this "meantime" always seems to get the best of us, doesn't it? It's almost as if the "meantime" is a big bulk of the trial of our faith. Pray, trust God, be patient, have faith, endure, make it through the meantime, and then come the blessings. It seems like the "meantime" is inevitable, isn't it? I've learned so much during my hours, days and even months of being suspended in what seems to be this dark abyss of meantime. God isn't just going to give you the things you need, sometimes he makes you work for it. Sometimes you have to walk through the shadows before stepping into the sunlight. But with faith, endurance, patience and maybe sometimes a little bit of tears, we can make it through the meantime and the reward will be ours. A good friend reminded me the other day that God never closes one door without opening another. Weak things become strong in God. How can we expect to go through a refiners fire without feeling a little heat? So while you're swimming through the meantime, keep your chin up and your eyes bright, remembering that all things *ALL THINGS* are for our good. Just Make it Through the Meantime!!


Sincerely, 
Samantha Jo Keele"

I hope you liked it half as much as I did!

Faith, not fear

Everyone has their crazy days... I've had my fair share for sure.  Yesterday was one of them for sure.  It involved waking up to a head ache, 4 toddlers crying almost non-stop for 4 hours, being embarrassingly late for choir because I was cleaning the bathroom for my apartment cleaning check, then failing that cleaning check anyway (which was a little ridiculous because i scrubbed every inch of that place!), burning my dinner, then burning my lemon bars, and trying to do laundry but using my last quarter on a broken dryer.

Now, my day could stop there with all the crazy, not planned for things that "threw off my groove" but if there's one thing I've learned from a life of ups and downs and in-betweens and mean-times, I've learned that I cannot afford to stop there.  Life has so much more to offer than head aches and crying toddlers.  There is the laughter of children and bright, fresh mornings that belong to clean-slate days!  Everyday is a new beginning, a new chance to be what I wasn't yesterday.  You see, the major problem with yesterday was that I focused on the problems.  

So many great things happened but I had a hard time seeing all the wonderful things in my life.  On my way to class, super late, I ran into my boy friend (and best friend) Trent.  I got a hug that I needed SO much.  When I used my last quarter in the broken dryer, Trent ran to my side with a pocket full of quarters and the worlds BEST hugs and smile!!! NO EXAGGERATION!!  And I was so upset about my "bad day" that I didn't realize how many tender mercies and blessings I'd been given that day.  

Trent was my TENDER MERCY! I had $2.50 in quarters to do my laundry!  I have plenty to eat!!  I have a job!!  I'm in the world's best choir!! I have a knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ and His atonement for me and everyone to inhabit the earth!!!  I not only know these things but I believe them!!! I know that God loves us and watches over us.  He didn't leave me alone with screaming and crying toddlers or a burnt dinner. He cares and I hope that this note helps you today to see how much you really have.

Remember to smile, remember who gives you a life that is always worth smiling about if you look hard enough :)

Lynz

The Daily Smile

Saturday March 7, 2009

So, Thursday was the day that really was almost the day from heck!  Serious!  First off, I was in pain from some stomach-ish cramps; to add to the joy of the day, I was behind in school (STRESSFUL), I needed someone to cover my shift at work for a concert I was in Friday but just couldn't get a hold of someone this whole week, then I had to work all night and practice after that til ten when i was already exhausted! 

So I start my day with left over stress from the day before from some issues in an organization that I'm on the counsel for.  These problems only got worse the next day (Thursday). I made it through my only class (choir at the LDS Institute) okay, though.  

I headed to work a little tightly wound and still in pain.  I work at a day care with toddlers and two of my most rambunctious kids didn't take naps at all so if any of the other kids even looked at them wrong they'd scream or hit or cry or BITE (it's a little comical now but then it just exhausted me)! In my room, their is a mirror mounted on the wall by a screw through each corner so the sharp edges are exposed.  One of my already exhausted kids was running around while I was trying to get some diaper changing stuff together and she ran into the edge of the mirror slicing her nose and bottom lip open!  This made her somewhat hysterical!  I took her to the office and got her a popsicle which was a blessing to get her to stop crying!  she ended up being just fine and it wasn't even deep at all (such a relief). We get back in the class and I get all the kids to sit down so we can color with crayons.  They're all seated and I'm getting the crayons from a cupboard and they spill from the box, no big deal.  On my way back up from the floor I SMACKED my nose on the corner of the open cupboard, sending tears of pain down my cheek!  Now, the toddlers are anxiously awaiting the crayons and I'm crying in pain and it's so noisy in the room.  We did finally color and they calmed down but my nose swelled up.  

Then, about halfway through my shift we're supposed to "offer the kids water" because of a program that gives the toddlers a grant if we follow a very specific routine outlined by them.  So, here I am trying to dot every 'i' and cross every 't' in my job and my boss walks in and I'm thinking: Good timing, she'll see that I'm being really thorough in my job and I really care about doing a good job.  She starts talking to me and somehow I spilled all the milk I was trying to poor down the drain from the kids' sippy cups all over me and the carpet by the sink (which isn't that smart to have carpet around a sink)!!  My boss then called me a stooge (that made my day--sarcastically speaking).  I wanted to jump out of my skin right at that moment and fly away for an extended vacation.

I'll spare you all the details of the rest of my shift... you get the point, it was tough.  I got home with about 45 minutes til our choir rehearsal, dreading it.  I just wanted to curl up in a ball and sleep or run away somewhere awesome, anywhere but here at the moment would work.  I was also noticing how angry and frustrated I was; I knew I needed to change that so I ate my frosted flakes and grabbed my guitar.  

When I arrived at practice, I was welcomed by the open arms of people who are pretty much my family now!!  I sat down and immediately a few of the girls could tell something was bothering me.  I got to unload, what a blessing (that's pretty hard to do with 18 month olds, lol)!!  I was still a little down but the more I sang, the more I was healed from the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" (from Shakespeare's Hamlet).  

I've found this works all the time!  Repeatedly singing songs that tell the truth [whether it be about who you are (like: you are worth more than the stars) or about the nature of our merciful God (example: He loves you endlessly, He is perfectly merciful and full of hope, the list could and would go on forever...)] have more power to heal your heart than someone bringing you chocolates or making you dinner.  

One of the best parts of Thursday was when we were practicing a Hymn called Sweet Hour of Prayer :

Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care
And bids me at my Father's throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter's snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!
And oft escaped the tempter's snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since he bids me seek his face,
Believe his word, and trust his grace,
I'll cast on him my ev'ry care
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
I'll cast on him my ev'ry care
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

The day finally came to a turn around.  The words struck my heart with such power. My director kept saying that we needed to connect to the song and sing about our personal sweet hours of prayer.  I thought of all the times the Lord has answered my pleadings with peace and how praying brings me from my current chaos to a place of peace that helps everything make sense.  

All day I'd been praying for peace, even if I had to go through crazy times and I finally found it in song and through prayer.  The rest of the details are unimportant.  My day ended on a beautiful note ;).  Someone called me after singing Sweet Hour of Prayer and said they'd work my whole shift--talk about a sweet hour of prayer!!  I got to finally see my best friend, who just so happens to be my boyfriend too.   My nose still had a big ol' mark on it but I knew my prayers were heard and that the Lord wants my [and us] to "make all my wants and wishes known."  The Lord cares about you needing work off, the Lord wants to hear about your rough days and your good days because he wants to see if you are grateful for both--to simply be alive!  He loves you is ever watching over you!  

Hope that gave you a smile :)  Congratulations for making it through this novel of a tale!! ;)

Lynz