Patience and an Eternal Perspective

Tonight I had the opportunity to go to the Washington D.C. LDS Temple (to see why Mormons build temples, click here). I am grateful for the peace that comes when I view life with a more eternal perspective. Attending the temple is one of the things that helps me remember I am a child of God, that I lived with God before I was born and will live with Him again if I have faith and keep the commandments. Life seems more peaceful when I remember these things and look at life with what I call “the eyes of eternity.”

I took a quick picture of the Temple during my visit tonight.

Recently my mind has been focused on the attributes of patience and humility. A devotional given by Elder Neal A. Maxwell at Brigham Young University a number of years ago has been on my mind. A friend introduced it to me a couple of years ago, and I love reading it every so often. You can read or listen to the devotional speech here. I appreciate the reminder that patience is trusting in God. When we trust in God and have faith in Him, we trust in His timetable. I especially love this quote:

“There is also a dimension of patience which links it to a special reverence for life. Patience is a willingness, in a sense, to watch the unfolding purposes of God with a sense of wonder and awe, rather than pacing up and down within the cell of our circumstance. Put another way, too much anxious opening of the oven door and the cake falls instead of rising. So it is with us. If we are always selfishly taking our temperature to see if we are happy, we will not be.” -Elder Neal A. Maxwell

I am grateful for family and good friends who I can talk with about life, faith, and the importance of trusting in God. My heart has been strengthened in many moments this summer as I’ve listened to others express their faith and trust in God – such a blessing for me to hear.

Here are some moments of summer I haven’t yet captured on the blog…

Last Virginia family gathering before Blake headed out to BYU.

With Eric and Jen at the Rascal Flatts Concert a few weeks ago.

Fun fireworks after the Nationals Game. About 40 of us from my church congregation went to a game together. It was looong but very fun.

KJ and I went on a hike to the river. We got a little lost because we hiked about 3 miles to the river and then just 1 mile back to the car. — KJ and I went on a hike to the river. We got a little lost. We hiked about 3 miles to the river and then just 1 mile back to the car 🙂

This picture is from the final Institute site of the summer in Villanova, Pennsylvania. I never blogged about this trip, so this picture will have to suffice. Pictured here are my coworkers Shelby and Karyn, who I spent the summer traveling with.

Last week I traveled to Cincinnati for work. While there I tried Graeter's Ice Cream. It was the best ice cream I've ever had. — Last week I traveled to Cincinnati for work. While there I tried Graeter’s Ice Cream. It was the best ice cream I’ve ever had.

My eyelids are getting droopy so I can tell it’s time for me to go to bed. But before I close my laptop for the night, I want to share this video which I’ve watched a number of times over the last few weeks. This video has helped me to remember to be patient, trust in God, and look at life with the eyes of eternity.