One of my favorite scriptures from the Book of Mormon is Ether 12:27. I've loved this scripture for a long time, but this week it took on a whole new meaning for me. It reads: "And if men come unto me, I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that 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."
I've always been a very reserved and sensitive person. In my mind, these have always been two of my most glaring weaknesses. I've always wanted to become that person who can walk into a room filled with people and make everyone feel like a best friend. Instead, I walk into a room filled with people, and feel instantly overwhelmed. I've always wanted to be the person that can shake things off, truly embrace imperfection, and just move on. Instead, my mind goes in relentless circles and I take seemingly insignificant things to heart. I can't count the number of times someone has in an exasperated tone asked me, "Why can't you just let that GO?" Usually, it's because it is a struggle for me to express outwardly what I am feeling inwardly. I am a people pleaser in every sense of the term, and when I feel I have let someone down in even the most microscopic sense, I can hardly stand it.
Last week as I was driving home from church, I was thinking about this scripture in Ether and what I needed to do to overcome my reservedness and sensitivity and replace them each with strengths. A thought came to my mind while I was making a (lengthy) list of ideas in my head that caught me completely off guard: "What if what you're seeing as weaknesses are also strengths?"
"Okay," I thought, "How on Earth can being reserved and sometimes overly sensitive be STRENGTHS?" I wasn't buying it to say the least, until I gave in and gave it some thought and realized a few things that had never occurred to me before. My reserved nature has made me very perceptive. I may not always be an active participant in a conversation, unless you get me talking one on one, then I can talk your ear off! However, I know how to read between the lines. Facial expressions speak volumes, and I know what to look for on someone's face that says that they need a kind word, someone to sit by them, or just a reminder that they matter and are valued. My sensitivity allows me to feel deeply not just my own emotions, but the feelings of others. I love nothing more than to be the person who makes someone else's day just a little bit brighter when they need it the most. I know exactly when my students, friends, colleagues, and family members need a boost in their confidence and how to deliver it, because I have needed that exact thing so many times.
So, the next time you are dwelling on your weaknesses, remember that unlike us human beings, Heavenly Father doesn't make mistakes. We all have the strengths and the weaknesses that we do for a reason. When you think of how you might turn a weakness into a strength, who knows, you may discover that you already have!
I've always been a very reserved and sensitive person. In my mind, these have always been two of my most glaring weaknesses. I've always wanted to become that person who can walk into a room filled with people and make everyone feel like a best friend. Instead, I walk into a room filled with people, and feel instantly overwhelmed. I've always wanted to be the person that can shake things off, truly embrace imperfection, and just move on. Instead, my mind goes in relentless circles and I take seemingly insignificant things to heart. I can't count the number of times someone has in an exasperated tone asked me, "Why can't you just let that GO?" Usually, it's because it is a struggle for me to express outwardly what I am feeling inwardly. I am a people pleaser in every sense of the term, and when I feel I have let someone down in even the most microscopic sense, I can hardly stand it.
Last week as I was driving home from church, I was thinking about this scripture in Ether and what I needed to do to overcome my reservedness and sensitivity and replace them each with strengths. A thought came to my mind while I was making a (lengthy) list of ideas in my head that caught me completely off guard: "What if what you're seeing as weaknesses are also strengths?"
"Okay," I thought, "How on Earth can being reserved and sometimes overly sensitive be STRENGTHS?" I wasn't buying it to say the least, until I gave in and gave it some thought and realized a few things that had never occurred to me before. My reserved nature has made me very perceptive. I may not always be an active participant in a conversation, unless you get me talking one on one, then I can talk your ear off! However, I know how to read between the lines. Facial expressions speak volumes, and I know what to look for on someone's face that says that they need a kind word, someone to sit by them, or just a reminder that they matter and are valued. My sensitivity allows me to feel deeply not just my own emotions, but the feelings of others. I love nothing more than to be the person who makes someone else's day just a little bit brighter when they need it the most. I know exactly when my students, friends, colleagues, and family members need a boost in their confidence and how to deliver it, because I have needed that exact thing so many times.
So, the next time you are dwelling on your weaknesses, remember that unlike us human beings, Heavenly Father doesn't make mistakes. We all have the strengths and the weaknesses that we do for a reason. When you think of how you might turn a weakness into a strength, who knows, you may discover that you already have!
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