from BECKY CRAVEN

Keep The Change

1  | Change is a gift. Our gift to the Savior. Everything that we have was given to us by our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. Our bodies, spirit, earth, and so on. Yet, all that we can truly give back to them is our will. Our daily choices and habits. I love the analogy Sister Craven uses in the beginning of her talk with the cashier and customer. Unlike the purchaser who would ask for the change back if they paid more than the item was worth, our Savior asks us to keep the change. To take all the good He has given and change our hearts to follow Him. Change can be so very hard, but it is our small way in which we can thank our Savior.

2  | Allow your failures to lead to your successes. I grew up hearing a funny quote, "experience always comes after you need it". How true that often feels, but our failures or missteps aren't catastrophic. Just because we make a mistake it doesn't mean that all is lost, although the adversary would like us to feel that way. Our efforts to daily change for the Savior and with the Savior will help us become new again. We are here to learn, repent, and use that experience we gained to improve. There is so much hope and joy in the process.

3 | We are here to help each other, not hinder each other. We are all working on this process of change, and have been blessed with a community of people around us to help us along the way. Sister Craven tells the story of her brother who fell from the tree and broke his arm. Over the next few days his friends missed having him in the tree, so they tugged here and pulled there to hoist him back up with them while he was healing and couldn’t do it himself. So often we fear offending, or feel inadequate to help those who have fallen or are healing from a spiritual injury. I love Sister Craven’s words of encouragement to “gently tug” and “hoist up a little there” to help them heal. In turn, sometimes we are the ones in need of help and need to allow others to serve us. Let’s do more gentle tugging and less pointing out what others are or aren’t doing!

"Enduring to the end means changing to the end. I now understand that I am not starting over with each failed attempt, but that with each try, I am continuing my process of change."

BECKY CRAVEN

"As we travel the covenant path, sometimes we pick up stones in our shoes in the form of poor habits, sins, or bad attitudes. The quicker we shake them from our our lives, the more joyful our mortal journey will be." 

BECKY CRAVEN

INVITATION:

During your morning prayers ask Heavenly Father, what changes would you have me make today to come closer to my Savior? Who can I help steady today and come back to their Savior Jesus Christ? How can I help them? 

Sit and listen for a moment after asking those questions. 

After closing your prayer write down the inspiration that comes to you and place in a spot that you can easily see it and revisit the inspiration you have received.
 

AFFIRMATION:

I am given strength to make lasting changes through Jesus Christ. He will increase my capacity and consecrate my efforts in the process of becoming.