Spiritual traction

Elder David A. Bednar recently gave the General Conference address Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease. He begins by sharing a story about a young man convincing his wife they needed a truck. He set out to cut and haul wood for their home in their new vehicle with the intent of validating the utility of the truck to his wife.  Having too much confidence in the truck’s abilities he continued driving up a snowy mountainside. Pulling off the road to cut the wood the truck’s four wheels spun in the snow, unsuccessfully getting him anywhere. He man decided not to just sit there stuck in the snow, but to continue with what he had set out to do. Once the bed of the truck was completely filled he tried one last time to get out of the snow bank. The weight of the load provided the necessary traction it inch forward back onto the road.

In my kitchen above the sink the following phrase is framed, “God gives us the load we are able to carry that day.” I personally have been realizing how my load is designed perfectly for me in order to provide the necessary traction to enable me to return to my heavenly home. “For it must needs be, that there is opposition in all things” (2 Nephi 2:11).

“Sometimes we mistakenly may believe that happiness is the absence of a load. But bearing a load is a necessary and essential part of the plan of happiness.” Elder Bednar continues his counsel by saying, “We should be careful to not haul around in our lives so many nice but unnecessary things that we are distracted and diverted from the things that truly matter most.”

This counsel has reminded me something President Thomas S. Monson taught in Oct. 2008, “Never let a problem to be solved become more important that a person to be loved.”

With deadlines connected with the conclusion of the school year, an online course drawing to a close and various other activities demanding my time and attention I have found myself too concerned about “problems to be solved” rather than those around me who I want to give my love. 

Today while at work I was scrambling to gather data for an upcoming deadline—I’d had plenty a couple of weeks ago, but due mostly to my procrastination and a little to glitches in technology I lost everything I had gathered previously. A student was being rambunctious so I asked him to “stop and think” only to be asked my by assistant several minutes later if he was supposed to be sitting there. I had completely forgotten he was there. I had become too preoccupied with assessing other students on their letter names and sounds.

Later during the day another student was having difficulty following directions. My patience was tried, I told him he could rejoin us at snack when he was finished crying. Once again focusing on things of much less importance I hurrying to get all of the other students snack, grab their backpacks and get the rest of my students out the door on time. I neglected to attend to this individual child’s needs. As I’ve reflected upon it this evening I’ve been feeling terrible. How grateful I am for the commandment to “become as little children.” Each of these students will come back tomorrow ready for a new day, completely fresh and having forgiven me. It has happened many times before. I plan to take them aside and reassure them of my love them, but also to thank them for being patient with me and teaching me as we are at school together. I learn far more from my students than I feel I am ever able to teach or share with them.

I've also realized my neglect to stop and love my friends, family, roommates, coworkers and everyone around me because I have been so caught up in things of such little importance in the eternal scheme of things. This week has been an awakening to the real purpose of the load I have been given by the Lord—to be filled with true love and charity for everyone around me. But also to accept the load and weight the Lord desires for me to carry so I might have the spiritual traction return to my heavenly home again.