Johnny Lingo.  This video is probably as old as I am, but I never tire of watching it.  Some viewings have been more humorous than others.  For instance, when I was a kid we had some Mormon missionaries bring the film over (and I mean actual film….this was before videos) to watch with our family.  They mistakenly brought a version of it that was in a foreign language.  But being resourceful, and knowing the whole film by heart anyway, they did voice-overs for us.  I still remember one of them proclaiming, “Mahana, you ugly!” and the rest of us laughing at his “acting skills”.

Laughing aside, the pain of poor Mahana is something to which we can probably all relate.  Whether because of a bully or because of a voice within our own minds, we have all felt inferior at one time or another.  Maybe we start to believe those voices that try to drag us down.   Once we believe, we begin to act the part.  It becomes our identity.

But the love and hope of just one kind person can change all that, if we will let it.  Maybe it’s a friend or family member who is encouraging and speaks words of hope and peace to us.  Maybe it comes not from this earthly realm at all but from a Heavenly Father who knows who we really are and loves us for it, no matter what.

Whatever the source, if we will nurture that idea and that love it will begin to grow in us like a beautiful flower.  At the same time, we must pull out the negative thoughts that have taken up residence in our minds.  And over time, the blossom will crowd out the noxious weeds of self-criticism and doubt that we have fed for so long.  Of course, we must then pluck out any weeds that will inevitably appear here and there before they take root.  We must tend to the flower and give it all the nourishment it needs.

But how?

Although all plants need water and light, they each have specific nutrient needs that foster the best possible growth and health of the plant.  And so it is with us.  Daily sincere prayer and daily scripture study are our light and water.  What we need after that may differ from person to person.  Maybe we need to use a kinder inner voice with ourselves.  Maybe we need to limit certain influences in our lives.  Maybe we need to serve others more.  All these things, and many more, will allow the beautiful flower within us to grow bigger, stronger, and more beautiful.  But we must be the constant gardener of our own thoughts if we are to make this happen.

So, my fellow constant gardeners,…

photo from Microsoft Office Clipart photo embellishment done through picmonkey.com

This picture just makes me laugh because it is so true! Sometimes you just have to pick yourself up and carry on! Life does not always turn out the way you plan, and you just have to figure out how to take the next step forward. And I’ve learned that you can be miserable and complain while you do it, or you can be positive and happy, but you are still going to have to do it! 

Have you ever thought, “This isn’t exactly how I thought my life would turn out,” followed by any varying degree of disappointment?

Yeah. I think we’ve all been there at one point, haven’t we? I mean, let’s face it. The daily grunge can get…well, grungy. After earning my Associates, I quit school to help my husband get his degree with the least amount of debt possible. Three kids later, I am with kids all day–which is really fun sometimes and I LOVE being a mother–but the menial and mundane start to take over fast. “If I had a nickel for every time…” runs through my head A LOT. I get down on myself because I haven’t finished school yet, I feel brain cells wasting away with every load of laundry, and there are times when I think (not that I’m proud of myself, but I’m trying to be honest here), “If I could just hunker down with a good book whenever I want, spend more time with friends, more time in a meaningful position in my church congregation, then I would be truly happy.”

I just read an article in the Ensign, the LDS church’s monthly magazine, about a woman who was struggling with being “behind the scenes” taking care of her children while her husband participated in the community’s Nativity at Christmas time. She said she felt jealous of him and sometimes wished that she could be the one with the big important role. As she watched the scene with the Shepherds, a shepherd yelled back to the one who had stayed behind, saying, “Aren’t you coming?”

“I’ll stay with the sheep,” came the reply.

This answer struck me to the very core. Somebody HAD to stay with the sheep. That was their job, their livelihood. If the sheep got lost, all those shepherds would be in for it. And the sheep, well, they’d be lost. Somebody had to miss out and do the unexciting, wearisome work so that others could fully partake in the joys of that night and the sheep would be there in the morning. I think of all the times that I have felt like I was missing out when that wasn’t necessarily the case.

I love watching my children grow. I love answering their questions about life, the Savior, His doctrines.  I love serving the people around me in a little ways. We will never regret helping someone who needs it. Most times we won’t regret helping someone who didn’t.

I think of my children and I see their primary teachers, teachers who may get frustrated and “want out” sometimes. I am so thankful that they teach my kids. That they show love to them. They are staying with my little lambs.

I look at the people around me who I am asked by my Father in Heaven to help (including my family), and I see the job that somebody has to do. That somebody is ME. And the work is IMPORTANT. Mundane, sometimes. Stinky, yes–especially when I haven’t showered for two days. A pain in the rear, most definitely.

But it can be sweet. Rewarding. Fulfilling.

We all have a job to do. That’s really what it is. A job. And jobs aren’t fun, most times. So, no matter your position in life, don’t be discouraged. Stay with the sheep. And if you don’t have sheep, find some. Chances are, you won’t regret it.