Work. Grace. Mercy.

Hey hey hey world!! 

It's been a wild week! I hope you are all doing well.

I can't even remember all that happened, and I don't have much time to write today so bear with me.

Our girl Arlie is getting baptized this Saturday. This has been a long road so PLEASE pray for her to be able to be baptized. She is so ready to receive the Holy Ghost. 

Bobby is still doing well and working through some word of wisdom addictions. He could use all the love and prayers in the world, please keep sending them. 

Other than that, there isn't too much to report on. I wish I had some terrifying, wild experiences to share but sometimes missionary work is just that: work. This week we really put in the grind. On Saturday afternoon, all of our lessons fell through for the evening. I grumbled, realizing that we would have a lot of finding time. BUT I changed my attitude. Sister Likiliki and I set a goal to call 100 people that day. We started going to work and we saw some cool miracles. We were able to call not quite 100, but 80 people. We set up lessons with 7 of them and were able to find our new friend, Michelle, last night because of it. I know that as we put in the work the Lord will do the same. (See Jacob 5:72). The Lord loves labor, and He always labors with us. 

This week, I was doing my study of the Book of Mormon and I found something peculiar. I saw myself in the scriptures. I was reading in Ether 12, and Moroni is all alone. He watched the civilization die out from battle after battle. Finding himself alone, Moroni writes to us. He tells us that "Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing." (Mormon 8:35). But Moroni is nervous. He knows that some people will receive his writings and mock them. He cares about what people will think when they read his writing which is imperfect, and far from what he had hoped. In fact, he compares himself to the brother of Jared who was apparently quite the writer! He writes that he can write but little of what he feels, "because of the awkwardness" of his hands. 

Immediately I saw an alarm go off in my head. DING DING DING DING. Something here felt familiar. Boy oh boy, if I could count the times I've felt awkward or worried about what Suzy or Melinda or Sandra was thinking of me, I'd be counting for a long time!! So many times I get all wrapped up and concerned and before I know it, I'm comparing myself to anyone and everyone in sight and it is not a pretty place to go. 

Moroni, finding himself in this spot, turns to the Lord for direction. The Lord responds with a Miller family favorite quote: "Fools mock, but they shall mourn." He continues, "my GRACE is sufficient for all men who humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." (Ether 12:27)

The Lord tells Moroni not to worry!! He says, IT DOESN'T MATTER what they think of you. He says, don't sweat it! TRUST ME. And Moroni obviously doesn't quite get it because he continues to be worried and pleads that the gentiles will have charity when reading the record. The Lord once again responds, "if they have not charity, it mattereth not unto thee, thou hast been faithful; wherefore, thy garments shall be made clean." 

So the Lord's answer is to let it go. His invitation to each of us is to worry about our own race against sin, and realize that that race is not against each other.

I've really learned that the Lord cares a whole lot more about our direction than our speed. He cares a whole lot more about our effort than our perfection. In the words of JB Haws, "I feel this with the force of truth: our perfect, loving God makes no horizontal comparisons." He only compares Sister Miller, with old Sister Miller. No one else. 1 Corinthians 15:10 states: "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain."

By the grace of God, we are what we are. Sure, we have weaknesses but so does everyone. Sure, we fall short, but so does everyone. Sure, we make mistakes and need to repent, but so does everyone. 

I'm grateful that God reminds me that it doesn't matter what others are thinking, it is God's grace that matters--and that is freely given. 

The Lord is good always. He grants us everything we need always. He knows how we feel, ALWAYS. And He will never leave us alone.

I love you wonderful humans. Never forget it. 

Be happy. Be brave. Be smart! The church is so darn true.

Love, 

Sister Miller