Barely Hanging On

Jeffrey after his terrifying ride to church

As Sister Luscher and I drove out of our apartment complex on the way to church last Sunday I looked out my window and saw that there was a bright green grasshopper clinging to it. We figured that he probably wouldn't be able to hang on for very long as our speed increased to 35. But as we got to each stoplight he was still hanging on and would try to reposition himself to have a better hold. As we got closer to the church Jeffrey (that's what we named him) was still hanging on for dear life although there were several times we thought he wouldn't make it. I continued to force myself to go the speed limit because there were other cars behind us but 35 suddenly just seemed too fast because when you're a grasshopper it's probably the equivalent of going 100 for us. I thought when we got to the 25 speed limit zone that would be better but it didn't seem to make much difference for poor Jeffrey. By this time we were almost to the church so we were really rooting for him to just hang on a little longer (even though I'm pretty sure he couldn't hear us). Finally, we pulled into the church parking lot with Jeffrey still on the window. We were so relieved and surprised that he had made the journey of 3.2 miles, to us that doesn't seem very far especially when you're driving but to a little grasshopper on the window it's a lot farther.

Ready for the real life application? So as I watched this poor little grasshopper on the window and as I've thought about it since I realized that Jeffrey is a lot like us. We all have times in our lives when we feel like we're barely hanging on and we're not sure if we're going to make it. We wonder why God thought we could handle all this but He's always there to help us. He cheers us on (even when the noise of the world is too loud to hear Him), He gives us little breaks so we can get a better hold on the gospel and remember that our goal is to get back to live with Him and in order to do that we have to go through some tough stuff here. He sees the eternal perspective while we only see what's right in front of us. One of my favorite scriptures says "My son [or daughter], peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes" (Doctrine & Covenants 121:7-8). It always reminds me that even though things are hard and I can't see what the end results will be, God does. Our trials don't last forever and we are blessed as we are faithful to the gospel and keeping the commandments.

The Best Path

A few days ago during companionship study Sister Luscher and I were talking about the things we invite people to do and how they respond. As missionaries we invite people to do a lot of things (read the Book of Mormon, pray, come to church, get baptized, etc.) and one of the responses we hear quite frequently is "I'll try." Trying is good but it requires some doing and usually includes falling short a few times. The conversation reminded me of a time in my life when I thought I was trying but I wasn't doing my best.





Quick story from the life of Sister Tucker... Before I came on my mission I was in college at BYU-Idaho. The last semester I was there I was taking some pretty tough classes that I didn't enjoy very much, I wasn't particularly thrilled with my roommate situation, and I really didn't like my job. To say the least, it was hard. I got my mid term grades and realized I was failing a couple of classes and not doing too well in the others. Obviously I knew I needed to step up my game and just do the work I needed to but I was so overwhelmed with everything else going on in my life that I didn't know where to start. It was then that I realized that every talk in church, every devotional I went to focused on daily prayer and scripture study.... Oops... That's what was missing in my life and that's why nothing seemed to be going right. I had let those small but very important things slide for far too long. I made a commitment that I would start waking up earlier to read my scriptures before I got ready for class. It wasn't easy at first but as I kept that commitment and just did it I started to see the blessings. I was able to get all my homework done and I didn't dread it as much. I got better grades on tests. Work was tolerable even though I still didn't completely enjoy it. I was able to start hanging out more with someone who is now one of my very best friends and still maintain a good relationship with my roommates and other friends. And the best part...I decided that I was definitely going to serve a mission, which is the best decision I've ever made. What started out as the worst semester turned into one of the best because I committed to living the gospel and doing those small and simple things each day. It wasn't easy and I wasn't perfect at it but as I put forth my effort Heavenly Father blessed me. He will do the same for you as you truly commit to live the gospel. Christ commanded us to "be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48) but that doesn't mean He expects it all at once. It is the same way when missionaries invite people to do something like read the scriptures every day. I know that it's not the easiest thing in the world but is possible as you rely on the Lord and do your best each day.

True Happiness

Well, this is my first blog post ever so we'll see how it goes. I have been trying to think of a name for this blog for weeks now and last night as I was praying it came to me. Service with a smile. That's what my mission is all about. I'm here to serve and share the gospel and anyone who knows me would probably tell you that they have rarely seen me without a smile on my face. And I feel the same about Hermana Courtney Anderson and Elder Trevor Nuckles (pictured to the right), they are almost always happy and excited to be wherever they are. And I could say the same thing about most of the missionaries that I know. In fact, I was with a group of missionaries today and looking around the room I realized that we are a pretty happy bunch. So why is that? How can people who get doors slammed in their faces on a fairly regular basis be some of the happiest, most optimistic people I know? It has to do with what we do every day. Every day we talk to people about the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. We share what we know to be true "through prayer, study, experience, and keeping God's commandments" (Preach My Gospel, pg. 176). But the thing that really puts those smiles on our faces and keeps them there is Jesus Christ. He is at the center of everything we believe and everything that we teach. As we follow His teachings and strive to live the way He did, we will have true happiness. Not a happiness that fades after a few hours, but eternal happiness. How awesome is that?! That is why I am out here sharing this message with everyone that I meet. Because it makes me happy and it makes me even happier to watch others change as they realize the peace and happiness it brings into their lives. It comes as we do the small things. Scripture study. Prayer. Going to church. Constantly trying to follow the Savior's example. As you do these things regularly I promise that you will feel our Savior's love and you will be happier.



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